It was opened in 1905 and stood on land exactly opposite the house named Dunedin on the site where the bungalow called Freshfields is now sited in Main Street.
23.11.1925- A general committee meeting was held in the Parish hall on Monday at 8pm. Those present were Mr L Smith in the chair, Messrs Frennerry, Corke, Wickens, Stone, Bull, Brown, Farley, Jarman & F Paine (hon sec). The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
The Hon sec produced estimates (Re recovering bed & cushions of billiard table) from Messrs R Stevens & sons and E Riley’s ltd, the former gave an estimate of £9, the latter gave two, one for £9.10.0 the other for £10.10.0 with samples of cloth. It was proposed by Mr Frennerry & seconded by Mr Stone that E Riley’s estimate of £10.10.0 be accepted-carried.
The committee empowered the hon sec to let the Royal East Sussex Hospital have the hall free for a concert on a date suitable to the Hon Sec.
We had two really traditional and festive event last week in the village hall. The first was on Thursday and the amazing pantomime put on by Rye Players entitled Treasure Ryeland! Jim Hawkins and friends went on a fun adventure searching for treasure in the local area.
The local jokes and themed songs were what made it so personal and special to the village and everyone who packed into the village hall enjoyed participating as well as watching! Well done Rye Players we are already looking forward to next years panto.
Beckley village hall and car park were then festively decorated and packed with residents last Sunday for the final Farmers market of the year. Santa himself attended and it even snowed!
Last minute Christmas shopping and goodies were on offer and the WI was on hand as ever to keep everyone refreshed. If you missed out the you will have to wait until Sunday, January 26 for our next amazing Farmers & Craft Market at the village. Stock up on all your bread, cheese & local produce, as well as crafts for your and gifts. WI serving refreshments of amazing bacon rolls & cakes. All proceeds help maintain our village hall. Free entry. 10-12.30pm
DEPUTY MANAGER VACANCY: Beckley Preschool has a vacancy for a Deputy Manager position within our small setting to join our existing friendly, professional and hard working team to provide the highest standard of care for children in the setting. H
ours - 8:45am – 3:15pm Mondays/Tuesdays/Wednesdays term time only Start date: Monday, February 24, 2025. NVQ Level 3 qualification required.
All positions will be subject to an enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service and references.
Email info@beckleypreschool.co.uk for a full job description and an application form or for more information. CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: Friday, January 31, 2025. INTERVIEWS TO TAKE PLACE: Monday, February 10 2025.
Pick up your copy of the latest “Beckley Bulletin” magazine produced by the PC. It’s a bumper winter edition full of news and events and useful contact details. It can be obtained for free from the Rose & Crown, The Village Hall or RVS
January 16 - Messy Monsters. New Mother and Toddler Group meet every third Thursday of the month Beckley Village Hall 1-2pm £3 per family.
Coffee morning @Beckley Village Hall on January 7 at 10.30am run by FOBC. There will be a charity stall, books and bric-a brac as always.
Co-op: do you have a co-op membership card? If you do please consider nominating 1st Rye Scouts as your chosen charity. If you do the group will be granted some money towards their summer camp 2026! This is a year long promotion so please tell your friends and get them to nominate 1st Rye too….they don’t even have to live in the area!
Church services this month are on Friday, December 20 at 2pm Beckley School Carol Service. Sunday 22nd 8am & 10am and at 3pm there is Christingles and crafts at Beckley Church.
On Christmas Eve at 11.30pm its Midnight Communion. Sunday, December 29, 8am & 10am. For Baptisms, Weddings, funerals, Home Communion etc. please contact The Rev Owen Edwards. The Rectory, Brede Hill, 01424882201 or email rector@stgeorgesbrede.org.uk
Beckley Parish Council has a vacancy. If you would like to help make and keep Beckley a lovely place to live. Come join the council.
Speak to the Chair Natasha (email natasha@ beckleyparishcouncil.org.uk) about what is entailed or the parish clerk Mary (email clerk@beckleyparishcouncil.org.uk or 01797 270 790).
Also if you have any contributions for the quarterly magazine again contact the clerk. Parish Council Meetings are at the village hall and are held on the second Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm. Minutes, Agendas etc are available to view on the PC website or the two noticeboards - one at Four oaks end of the village and one opp Rose & Crown pub. www.beckleyparishcouncil.org.uk
The PC are happy to advertise village events on this page – please contact clerk (details below). The Parish Council works hard to support village activities and amenities and if you are part of a village group that needs support please get in touch.
Facebook info page: Beckley Parish Council Information is a new page where residents can read notices from PC or important events for village.
www.beckleyparishcouncil.org.uk and they are happy to advertise village events on this page.
Beckley Preschool accept the 30-hour voucher. If you are looking for a space for your young child for sept please contact them email info@beckleypreschool.co.uk
They are term time only and open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 9am - 3pm.
Yoga – did you know we have two yoga teachers at the village hall? Lolly runs a gentle yoga on a Wednesday from 7pm-8pm on a drop-in basis @ £7 per class and Andy runs Hath yoga on a Friday from 9am-10.30am @ £10 a class.
Neighbourhood Watch: Beckley has a new FB group for neighbourhood watch. Please join for tips and advice on how to keep our community safe. If you are not on FB please email BeckleyNHW@gmail.com to receive updates.
For anyone struggling with the cost of food there is a community supermarket at The Hub on Rye hill will be back in January 9dates to follow) between 10.30-11.30 where you can get £20 worth of food for just £6 (cash only).
There is also the Rye food bank who offer more than just help with food. They have a direct link to Rother which locals can use to find out about services etc (in fact anything like the terminals in the library used to offer). They have a link to benefit support and debt counselling and they have someone who can give heating advice as well as a Family Support Worker – Gill. You do not need to be referred to seek Gill's help. The Food Bank is open every Wednesday between 12-3pm in the Baptist Church in Cinque Ports Street Rye or can be contacted 07526 349847. You can also email them at ryefoodbank@gmail.com.
Growing Network Hope to see you at their coffee morning on 11am-12.30pm will be in Beckley Village Hall-Jan (date to follow); these get togethers are always interesting as we never know who and what will turn up!
Everyone is welcome, you don't have to be a grower to come and get free fresh food and plants. Things for free sound a little new and strange, however, those of us lucky enough to grow food, hate throwing our excess food, plants and freshly grown produce in the compost because we have too much. Each meet up is different and of course we have changing seasons and the different foods to grow to suit them. Do try and call in.
Beckley History Society meet again on January 31st where the talk takes us back to early history and archaeology at Lossenham – just across the river in Newenden. You can find out more about this project at www.lossenham.org.uk. The AGM in March will include a talk on Northiam.
The Beckley Lunch is held on the second Thursday of the month. Cost £10 for a two-course meal. The next one is January 9. We are a friendly group and everyone is welcome to enjoy the meal and chat. To book your place phone Keith Hedley on 01797 260720 or email kbhedley@btinternet.com no later than the Monday before the Lunch.
Cinque Ports FM. We have a fantastic local radio station now. Tune in to 95.1 FM service for a service covering Rye and surrounding areas. You can hear us in East Sussex in crystal clear FM stereo.
Friends of Beckley Church are a friendly group and if you would like to join them in raising funds for a much needed new church roof please call Mike on 260525 for further details
The Flexi bus is a great service that allows you to pre book your local bus trips . FlexiBus is a flexible, on-demand rideshare service, for areas with limited or no bus service. Residents can book a FlexiBus journey to their nearest town, train station, hospital and other key destinations. FlexiBus links people to our improved conventional bus services. further details are on ESCC website or ring 01273078203.
Trefoil: New members welcome @ Beckley village hall. 01797 260537 or jane260537@gmail.com
Community Speedwatch. Can you spare an hour a month to help with speed watch? The team are in need of a couple of extra helpers due to some members moving away. The purpose is to educate drivers rather than to penalise them. Please contact me on the email at the start of this column.
Beckley preschool was founded in 1973 and has been educating and preparing village children for school ever since. If you are interested in a place for your child Beckley Preschool do have some vacancies for children from the age of 2. For enquiries please email info@beckleypreschool.co.uk They are term time only and open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 9am - 3pm.
WI: If you would like to find out more about the exciting activities they have lined up or become a member please contact office.beckleywi@gmail.com. They meet up on the second Monday of the month in the village hall @ 7.30pm.
1st Beckley Brownies & Guides need you help! Adult volunteers are needed to enable girl guiding to continue in Beckley. Could you lend a hand? Find out more from Carlyn (Jay) by emailing jaybeckleybrownies@gmail.com
BECKLEY VILLAGE CENTRE is the community hub of the village. It is a run as the Beckley Village Hall charity by and for the people of Beckley. Rooms are available for private parties and meetings. Groups running regular weekly activities are Taekwondo, Table Tennis and Yoga.
Other activities include Church Coffee Morning, WI, Monthly Lunch, History Society, Horticultural Society, Self-Defence. Beckley Players as well as children’s activities. No building runs itself. If you could help with admin, fund-raising, maintenance or generally keeping the place ready for use please let us know.
Contact: beckleyvillage@btinternet.com phone Mary Howse 01797 260213 for bookings & Lauren Dobson 01797 260364 for everything else! One way you can help support the village hall is via the local lottery……
Lottery: Rother runs a lottery and Beckley Village Hall is a beneficiary. Tickets cost just £1 and there is a weekly draw. Please consider signing up to support our village hall keep going in this time of great financial difficulty. The village has already had a couple of residents win and the top prize is £25K! for details go to www.rothercommunitylottery.gov.uk and search for Beckley Village Hall.
THE BECKLEY FUND is a charitable Trust set up to help local groups generally supporting heritage, the arts and their venues. Grant applications are welcome from local groups as the fund is keen to support our community. The fund is small at present and donations are always welcome no matter how small. As the fund grows it could help when a quick response is needed. Contact: Mary Howse 01797 260213 mary260213@aol.com
Defibrillators
Beckley now has three Defibrillators one is on the wall outside the Ebofrost factory. There are also defib units outside the village hall and in the repurposed phone box opp the Rose and Crown Pub.
The monthly Parish magazine. This month’s issue is available as a physical copy …if you would like to sign up to receive a copy go to the Beckley and Peasmarsh Church FB page or email Alex on alexboatwrightsmith@icloud
Please find below a list of useful numbers for local clubs and village amenities etc.
Defibs x3 - Opp Rose & Crown, outside village hall, Ebofrost factory
Library-Phone box opp school houses books etc for residents to swap & read.
Neighbourhood watch – BeckleyNHW@gmail.com
Beckley Preschool- Village Hall- term time Mon 9-3 Tues 9-3 Wed 9-1 Fri 9-3- 01797 260 582- www.bpnn.co.uk FB = Beckley Preschool
Village Primary School- 01797 260 342- www.beckley.e-sussex.sch.uk FB=Beckley School Association Events
All Saints Church – services 8am Sundays and some 10am services.
Parish magazine available as a hard copy or online. Details from boatwrightsmith@aol.com
www.beckleyandpeasmarshchurch.co.uk FB page = Beckley and Peasmarsh Church
Friends of Beckley Church- village coffee morning with charity stall.- 1st Tuesday- 10.30-12.30-Village Hall- 01797 260775
Farmers Market – held every 4th Sunday of the month - Village Hall- 10-12pm FB page = Beckley farmers and craft market
WI – 2nd Monday 7.30pm –Village Hall-01797260450
Trefoil 3rd Monday –Village Hall- 01797 260537
Taekwondo every Wednesday-430pm Village Hall- Start from age 5. Petra 01233 642357
Brownies & Guides- Thursdays vill hall 6.30pm jaybeckleybrownies@gmail.co.uk
Table Tennis- Every Thursday- 9.30-11.30am– Village Hall- 01797 252382
Tennis Court/MUGA- (tennis,basketball,netball or football) Located at top of the Playing fields free to play if vacant. Bookings can be made via FB; Beckley Multi Use Games Area or https://beckleymuga.setmore.com/
Hatha Yoga fridayss 9.30-11am ajfgill@gmail.com 07913615984
Lunch Club- All ages- 2nd Thursday-Village Hall- 12.30pm kbhedly@btinternet.com 01797 260720
History Society- 01797 260213 mary260213@aol.com
Horticultural Society- katejmjoyner@gmail.com or 01797 260775 https://beckleyhorticulturalsociety.org
The Grrowing Network-food/seed sharing 1st sat of month Beckley Village Hall 11-12.30
FB=The growing network (Beckley E.Sussex)
Beckley Players (Am/Dram)- )- 07974928665
Beckley Bowls- 01797 260537
Beckley Cricket Club- 07599175491
Beckley Rangers-football- Graemedinning@hotmail.co.uk
Village Hall Hire- 01797260213 Rother Lottery supports the village hall for more info Rothercommunitylottery.co.uk
Rose & Crown Pub- Alice 01797252161 takeaways available
Beckley Community Speed watch Group- www.communityspeedwatch.co.uk
Beckley has some other Facebook pages not mentioned above: Search for the groups:
FB= Beckley (sussex) Neighbourhood watch,Beckley Bulletin Board, Beckley (east sussex)Village Society, Beckley (e sussex) village hall, Bargains in Beckley(e sussex), Businesses in Beckley( sussex) and nearby!, Beckley Baby & Children’s Bargains, Beckley Horticultural Society. Beckley and Peasmarsh Church.
The village hall website is www.beckleyvillage.info