We believe that our area needs choice in its secondary education as it has in the primary sector, and certainly our feedback from the community so far would indicate that choice would be an important factor in parents keeping their children in Felixstowe for their secondary education, rather than considering the options in Woodbridge and Ipswich.

Surely an area such as ours which has such potential and is generally considered to be a great place to bring up a family, should be able to sustain a choice in the secondary provision on offer? We want our families to stay in this area and educate their children here, we want generations to return here and new families to move here because of the choices for educational provision in our town.

To that end we have formed a company, called Felixstowe Community School, with six of us (Yvonne Chatt, Brian Clark, Emma Currie, David Rowe, Andrew Tink and Anna Tink) as directors of the company.

Our vision for Felixstowe Community School can be summarised as the following five points:

1. Heart of the community.
2. Small and inclusive.
3. Love of learning.
4. Respect and discipline.
5. Aspiration to excellence.

We want to develop a friendly, welcoming environment for learners of all abilities. This will be a school where all the teachers will know every child’s name, and personalised learning plans will be tailored to each pupil’s aspirations. We aim to build a tight-knit community of learners and teachers who all share a pride in their school.

We also want to engender a lifelong love of learning and intend that our school site will have facilities for all ages to benefit from the learning experience. We want to share facilities with the community, welcoming businesses and voluntary groups onto our campus and taking our students out into the town and surrounding area.

We held a public meeting in November last year, and despite wet and windy weather, it was well attended and the mood was in the main very supportive. Through petitions to parents and comment forms for everyone else, we have received lots of positive feedback.

We are going ahead with our application to the Department for Education, which will be in their hands by the time you read this. This has necessarily been a lengthy and complicated document which has meant hours of work by ourselves, inexperienced but enthusiastic! Luckily we have received a huge amount of help from two members of a group of associates called Leading Schools. Both these associates are well acquainted with the educational provision in our area and we hold their expertise in high esteem. We also contacted and joined the New Schools Network, the charity which supports the Government’s Free Schools’ initiative, and they too have offered lots of help and advice.  All of us who are involved in this project are volunteers. We have our day to day lives to live as well, but consider the future of our town and its surrounding area and the necessary link with our educational provision , to be so important, that we have been happy to give our time to it, and we hope that if we are successful, you will like the result!

Should our application be successful, we would be called for an interview at the Department for Education in the Spring. A final decision on our school would be made in July 2012, for opening in September 2013.  We would hope to use the old Deben High School building on Garrison Lane as our school site.

In the meantime, we still need to know how you in the community feel about what we are proposing.

If you would like to know more, feel free to contact us via e-mail: info@felixstowecommunityschool.com; or mobile phone number 07948412171; or please visit our website: www.felixstowecommunityschool.com where you can find updates on how we are getting on and comment forms to fill in.

There is a lot of work involved in making this vision a reality, and if you like what you are hearing and reading about us, and have any skills you can offer, from high flying financier to tea maker extraordinary, we need you!

Rosemary welcomed us to the lunch, before we enjoyed a two course meal, for which we thank the golf club staff.  Elizabeth Wiseman, our secretary, read out the minutes of the very first meeting, when twenty four ladies met and formed a committee. Mrs. Constance Spry gave a talk on flower arrangements at the inaugural meeting and created great interest and enthusiasm in all present.

To commemorate our sixty years, Veronica Jobson (with help from her family) created a splendid recipe book, made up from recipes supplied by members. The proceeds will go towards club funds.

After the draw Rosemary presented the table centre arrangements to our President and past chairmen and secretaries, and to those who have helped the club during the past years. She then wished the club all the best for the future and reminded us to keep 24^th April 2012 free, as we shall be hosting an Open Meeting at Farlingaye School, Woodbridge, with Alan Smith and Richard Woolnough, for more Diamond Anniversary Celebrations.

Sadly our normal February meeting has been cancelled due to the icy conditions that we are experiencing at present. Therefore our next meeting will be held on 6^th March at the new time of 1.45pm. We meet at the Woodbridge Football Club and would be pleased to welcome any new members.

Performed by The Trianon Singers and String Ensemble with conductor Chris Green and guest organist Alan Loader, the concert is on Saturday March 3rd, 7.30pm, at – and in aid of – St. Andrew’s Church, Station Road Melton, Nr Woodbridge IP12 1JT. 
 
Tickets: £8 (£5 children under 14 yrs)
Available from: Browsers Bookshop The Thoroughfare, Woodbridge Violins, Market Hill both in Woodbridge, and St. Andrew’s Church, Melton 01394 380279.
www.tmg.org.uk

Following the success of their last production, ‘Bedroom Farce’, The Masque Players are pleased to announce that their next production will be the Michael Cooney comedy ‘Cash on Delivery’.

A riotous farce in the true tradition of Cooney farces, ‘Cash on Delivery’ tells the story of Eric Swan who unbeknown to his wife has earned thousands of pounds through fraudulent DSS claims. With the ‘help’ of his lodger Norman and his Uncle George, Eric attempts to sever all ties with the DSS but is hindered by a doctor, grief counsellor and an undertaker, whilst under the watchful eye of the Department of Social Security Sickness and Disability Division.

This is Ian Quickfall’s directorial debut for the Masque Players, as well as celebrating 5 years as a member.

“I’m delighted to be making my directorial debut for the Masque Players. I have worked with the group for many years and have enjoyed my time with them. They are a great group and I have a wonderful cast for this play who have given me enormous support and encouragement. My thanks go to both the cast and the production team. We have had so much fun during rehearsals; my hope is that the audience will have as much fun watching as we have in producing this iconic comedy.”

The performance will be held at the Kesgrave Community Centre between the 28^th and 31^st March with each performance beginning at 7.45pm. Tickets are priced at £9 and concessions are £7, if you wish to have tickets reserved for you on the door for a specific performance please visit our website and complete the reservation form or e-mail us direct at masqueplayers@hotmail.co.uk.

New members are always welcomed by The Masque Players both on stage and behind the scenes. If you are interested in joining the group or for more information on the group or ‘Cash on Delivery’ visit the website at www.masqueplayers.com or follow them on Twitter.

 He said: 

 “We shall, as usual, have a display in the Ashton Graham window and we hope to involve shops and cafes selling Fairtrade goods in publicity.

 “Morrisons will be promoting their range of Fairtrade goods and we will be setting up a stand in their store.

 “Activities begin with a coffee morning on 25 February at Trinity Methodist Church, which will be attended by the Mayor of Felixstowe, Mrs Doreen Savage.  Local dance group ‘Addicted to Dance’ will be performing at the event.

“On 1 March there will be a Fairtrade Health Walk starting at Trinity Methodist Church at 10.30 with Fairtrade refreshments available in the church hall afterwards. The walk will be about 2 ½ miles and all are welcome.”

There will be a display in the library throughout the fortnight and, on Saturday 3 March, members of the Forum will be available, at the library, to answer questions about Fairtrade and explain its role in helping producers in developing countries get a fair price for their goods.  

 The fortnight ends with a coffee morning at St John’s Church on Saturday 10 March at 10.30.

 The Forum would like to hear from any group or individual who is hoping to organise an event during Fairtrade Fortnight so that it can include details in any publicity. Secretary Stephen Wyatt can be contacted at Stephen@24wyatt.freeserve.co.uk or on 01394 671033.  For further details on Fairtrade and the work of the Forum visit www.felixstowe-fairtrade.org.uk

As part of this review, the Constabulary is also looking at its staff’s individual talents, to make sure that officers are in a position where their experience and skills can be utilised to both the Constabulary’s and communities benefit.

As a result Sergeant Peter Street has been posted into the role of Local Policing Command Support Sergeant, assisting Inspector Steve Gallant. We are now able to tap into Peter’s vast experience and knowledge both within our patch and his previous patch (Felixstowe), ensuring that the levels of service remain as high as possible right across our whole area of responsibility.

This has opened up a vacancy at Kesgrave & District SNT, which I am delighted to have been posted into. My name is Sergeant Gordon Campbell-Barr. I live in Woodbridge together with my wife Juliet, son Josh, daughter Olivia and dog Barney. I enjoy spending my free time keeping fit, travelling and tinkering with my motorbike.

I have twenty years of experience, having served in Leiston, Ipswich, Headquarters, Lowestoft and Woodbridge. My previous role, was managing the very busy South East Ipswich SNT, which has given me a great deal of experience within the SNT role, and which I am hoping will come to good use in my new area.

I am looking forward to working with my new team, who are very enthusiastic and committed to the area, and its community. It will be good to get back to some old style proactive policing, rather than reactive, which has become the norm these days. Being able to meet with the community, and together solving the problems, is why I joined the Constabulary all those years ago.

Now enough about me, here’s some relevant updates from the area.

There has recently been an increase in theft from motor vehicles. These crimes are committed during darkness hours, and are usually where cars are left insecure and personal items have been left on show. It is important that we do not give these offenders the opportunity, because if we do, they will continue to prey on our area. When I was in Ipswich we were also targeted with this type of crime and what the offenders were doing was, when they committed the crime, they deposited the stolen items in nearby wheelie bins, only to return later, when police had left the area. We will be placing a large sign at both ends of Ropes Drive, to warn both residents and visitors to the area, and officers will be carrying out checks on vehicles whilst on patrol, to make sure that they are locked.

Hopefully I will get a chance to meet many of you over the next few weeks, but if you have any issues you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to contact us or pop into the Kesgrave office and where we can discuss this in person.

There is now an easy number to remember if you need to contact the police for a non-urgent reason. No matter where you are in the UK the number is 101 and this can be used to report crime, to get in touch with your local Safer Neighbourhood Team or for any non-emergency enquiries. If your call is an emergency – if you think a crime is in progress or a life is in danger – the number is still 999.

The next Public Community meeting is on Thursday 5^th April 2012 at The Village Hall in Church Lane, Witnesham IP6 9JD from 6.30pm-7.15pm

Sergeant 347 Gordon Campbell-Barr

Kesgrave and District Safer Neighbourhood Team

Tel: (01473) 613500

Kesgrave.snt@suffolk.pnn.police.uk