Welcome to the Etchingham website
Your source of local information and Parish news.
This website is provided by Etchingham Parish Council to provide residents with information about village organisations, businesses, activities and events.
To add information about your organisation or event email the site admin etchinghamvillagewebsite@gmail.com

https://etchinghamparishcouncil.org.uk
The Parish Council now has a new website, from now on all new information from the Council will be added to the new site, the remaining council information will gradually be transferred from this site to the new one.


VACCINATION HUB UPDATE
Rural Rother vaccination site – Etchingham
Statement for partners/social media/media
Update on COVID-19 vaccination service – GP led service set to go live in Etchingham next week
Thanks to an extraordinary effort by the NHS across Sussex, a new GP led vaccination service is due to go live next week to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to people in Rural Rother.
The GP led vaccination service at Etchingham Village Hall will be a partnership between Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust and the following GP practices:
Fairfield Surgery, Ferry Road Health Centre, Martins Oak Surgery, Northiam and Broad Oak Surgery, Oldwood Surgery, Rye Medical Centre, and Sedlescombe and Westfield Surgeries
The service will offer vaccine appointments to registered patients at the GP practices in line with the national priority groups, starting with those who are over the age of 80.
Preparations at Etchingham Village Hall are being finalised this week with the aim that the first vaccines will begin to be administered at the start of next week, subject to a confirmed vaccine delivery date.
The GP practice teams have been identifying their patients who are eligible at this stage and appointments will be booked in over the coming days.
In terms of the way the vaccination programme is being rolled out, the model for GP vaccination services has been agreed nationally and each area is typically allocated one GP-led vaccination site where all patients from a group of GP practices receive their vaccinations.
Each of the GP practices in Rural Rother have small sites and small staff numbers compared to large urban GP practices, and so did not feel they could continue to provide high levels of care for their patients and support the programme initially in the way it had to be implemented according to the national model.
However, this new GP led service will mean the GP practices and SCFT work together to bring all of their local knowledge to support the roll out of the vaccination programme to patients.
We recognise that at the current time, with one site at Etchingham, some people will have to travel further than others to get their vaccination depending on where they live in the local area.
We would like reassure everyone that there are discussions about further locations in the area and how the vaccination can be transported and offered from GP practices. This is a fast moving programme and over the coming weeks, there may be the option to provide the vaccine from more sites across our communities very soon.
The location of the GP-led vaccination service does not affect the speed by which people living in the Rural Rother area will receive their vaccination. The timing for when people will be able to get their vaccination depends largely on the availability of the vaccine and the priority group they are in.
If anyone is concerned about how they will travel to get a vaccine during lockdown, it should be noted that, under the national guidance, it is permissible to receive a lift from someone, pay for transport if you are able or there are some community transport providers offering this support in terms of transport for medical appointments.
You can find information about community and non-emergency transport on the East Sussex County Council website, or call the community hub on 01273 099956.
People are asked not to contact your GP practice but to wait until you are contacted. You will be contacted as soon as an appointment is available for you.
We are also asking people not to turn up early for their appointments. Arriving on time will help us manage the number of people at the venue and help keep our patients and staff safe.
The Covid-19 vaccination programme is the biggest immunisation programme ever undertaken by the NHS. As we roll out vaccines, we’d like to remind people of 3 things:
- The NHS will contact you when it’s your turn, so please do not contact us beforehand.
- Please act on your invite when it comes.
- Remember Hands, Face, Space. It will save lives and help the NHS
Why is the vaccine not available at other locations?
As soon as the NHS started to make plans for the COVID-19 vaccination programme we began exploring where we could offer the COVID-19 vaccine to our patients in Rural Rother.
The sites need to be able to accommodate large numbers of people on a daily basis (at least 300 a day.) We also need space for people to wait for their appointment and be monitored for a short while after their vaccination.
The site also needs to have internet access, IT and facilities to be able to carry out the vaccination safely and in line with government guidance.
We have received incredible support from our communities and our partners with helpful suggestions of locations. However, the tight criteria meant that other sites, some of which were more centrally located, were not suitable.
More information on the COVID-19 vaccination programme is available here: https://www.
IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM ETSR
We look forward to the opening of the NHS Vaccination Centre in the Village halls next week. We are delighted to have been chosen as a venue and to have worked closely with the NHS and the School to bring matters to this point.
The Centre will be managed and operated by the NHS for the benefit of Rother residents on a strictly appointments only basis.
As with any other venue that could have been selected, one of the key issues will be car parking for the medical staff and support staff and visiting patients. Normally we can offer 40 spaces and we have added to this with the help of the school.
We are looking for maximum help and support from all villagers, especially to avoid unnecessarily occupying car park spaces.
If you have an appointment please walk to the Centre wherever possible or arrange to be dropped off and collected.
There has been a great response from the village for volunteers. If you are a local volunteer helper please walk to the Centre or be dropped off. Please avoid parking at the halls for the duration of your volunteering period.
Please avoid parking in the approach road to the halls and do not park in the private roads at Parsonage Croft which are clearly signposted. Similarly help to prevent any congestion in nearby roads, including Borders Lane. All such roads must be kept clear for emergency vehicles at all times.
If you are dropping off or collecting children at either the school or the pre school please do so as speedily as possible to help avoid any congestion in the car park.
If you are a resident close to the halls and have free car parking spaces which could be used by a member of the medical, support staff or volunteers please contact pauletteybarton@gmail.
Finally, please do not park in the car park if you are visiting Parsonage Croft, or taking your dog for a walk or for similar recreational purposes.
The Vaccination Centre is likely to run from the halls for a period of 17 weeks and we greatly appreciate all help that everyone can give for this specific operation and in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.
Paul Stott
ETSR 100 CLUB
The monthly draw for the ETSR 100 Club has taken place and the January winners are Sheila Parker, Cathy Mitchell and Tanja Conway Grim. Congratulations to our winners and thank you to all of our wonderful supporters. Your support for the halls through participation in the 100 Club is providing valuable income as the halls remain closed for our normal activities. If you would like to join in the fun please contact nicky@homebirth.net or paulstott@live.co.uk
We only accept business details for those based in etchingham, or providing regular goods or services to Etchingham residents, the details are provided for the benefit of village residents and no charge is made for adding your details, but you might like to help the Parish Council and ERGT raise funds for new playground equipment by making a small donation.
CLICK HERE for details of local businesses
The Etchingham Recreation Ground Trust (ERGT) has been working on plans for online funding towards replacing playground equipment. The first part of this is Give as you Live, when you shop online at over 4,000 retailers sites, by logging into the site via the Give as you Live site a small percentage of the sale is passed on to the charity you have nominated, for raising fund for our playgrounds the charity is Etchingham Recreation Ground (Queen’s Garden) Trust.
Join Give as you live, then all you have to do is remember to enter the site you are buying from via Give as you Live and you will and you will be contributing to the funds, the small amounts on each purchase may not seem to be a lot, but lots of people doing it every time they shop it soon adds up – EVERY PENNY COUNTS.
More details on THIS PAGE
You can go straight to the join page here ….www.giveasyoulive.com/join/ergt
Join Give as you live and donate when you shop online.
Or use the button below.



A Facebook group has been set up to keep residents up to date with progress and give them the opportunity to put forward their ideas, suggestions and comments. Anyone can see the group, but if you want to participate in any of the activity on the group you will need to join the group. https://www.facebook.co/groups/etchinghamplaygrounds
For those who prefer to use Twitter CLICK HERE
DOG FOULING
There have recently been numerous reports of dog mess being found around the village, including near the children’s play area in Queen’s Garden, and on the public footpaths, where dog owners have not cleared up after their dogs.
The majority of dog owners do the right thing and pick up after their dog, unfortunately there is a small minority that are not picking up, it is YOUR responsibility to pick it up.
PUBLIC FOOTPATHS
Many people enjoy walking the footpaths that cross the countryside, especially dog owners because the fields and woodland make it very enjoyable walking and exercising your pets. Always remember – you MUST ONLY walk on the marked footpath routes.
VILLAGE WALKS.
The Parish Council produced a series of leaflets detailing some of the footpath walks around the village, they have recently been updated and can now be downloaded from this site.
Etchingham Village Voice in the Battle Observer
Etchingham has a village correspondent who gathers information from village residents and writes the weekly Etchingham Village Voice column in the Battle Observer. A wide variety of information can be included in the column such as forthcoming events, fund raisers, coffee mornings, special achievements, public service information and many other items, in fact anything that would be of interest to readers of the paper.
Do not wait until the last few days before sending in your information, send the details as soon as you have them available, then your event or function can be given a brief mention a few weeks in advance to give people a chance to note the date in their diary, then the full details can be included nearer the date.
Remember also that your supporters are interested knowing how successful your event was, if it was a fund raiser how much you raised for your good cause, so always remember to send in details after the event.
There are several ways to send information, but to avoid errors during copying the best method is email .
Address; Can be delivered by hand or post to Colin Boylett, 2 Park Farm Close, Etchingham, TN19 7DQ
Phone; 01580 819532 or 07484 635014 Email; colin.boylett@gmail.com
THE VILLAGE HALLS
The new Etchingham Village Halls opened for business on 1st March 2015. Since that time they have been put to good use by both the local community and people further away. The halls are a stunning purpose built venue with two halls of different sizes accommodating a wide variety of activities. The halls can be hired individually or together depending on the purpose of the event. During the summer months the attractive terrace and village square, which also form part of the development come to life as use is made of this outstanding location.
During the day time the light and airy Parker Hall is available for the full range of community activities and external hire. Currently it is put to good use by many yoga and pilates courses, ACRES soft furnishing courses, a mothers and toddlers group and local organisations such as the brownies and the local singing group. Outside of school hours the Ahrens Hall becomes available for hire and together with the Parker Hall can be used in the evenings and at weekends. The Ahrens Hall has been built to take a full size badminton court and netball markings are also on the court. Bleacher seating is available for use in the Ahrens Hall and a modern sound and lighting system has now been installed for use in this hall.
If you would like to hire the halls or require any further information, please do look at the dedicated village hall website – www.etchinghamvillagehalls.co.uk which has an up to date availability calendar along with the GDPR policy of ETSR and the village halls. Alternatively, do contact the bookings clerk on admin@etchinghamtrust.org.uk or 07855 239848.
COMMUNITY SPEED WATCH
Helping to make safer communities.
For more details of how Community Speed Watch works CLICK HERE
This website is provided by Etchingham Parish Council
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Every effort is made to ensure there are no errors on the site, but these can occur especially with links to pages outside the site when the address of a page may have been changed or the page may no longer exist, if you spot errors or dead links please report, so they can be corrected quickly.
Webmaster contact etchinghamvillagewebsite@gmail.com