Raising the roof in Hartington

Residents in Hartington are celebrating the completion of work to repair the roof of a much-loved local building.

Local volunteers first came together in January 2018 to start discussions about the need to restore the leaky, asbestos roof tiles on the 90-year-old Village Hall.

More than £30,000 was raised to fund the project. The community of just 300 residents itself raised £14,000 in just 18 months, through a number of fundraising initiatives including Open Gardens; supper and auction evenings at the Charles Cotton Hotel; a disco event; and a lottery with a prize total of £1,800.

Trustees were also delighted to receive grant funding of £10,000 from the South West Peak Landscape Partnership supported by The Heritage Fund; £5,000 each from The Duke of Devonshire’s Charitable Trust and The Bingham Trust; and £200 from the Alstonefield Leaden Boot Challenge.

The roof work was completed last month and volunteers are already seeing the benefits, including saving money on energy bills, and more people wanting to use the hall for their community groups and activities.

Keith Quine, chair of trustees, said: ‘After a protracted period of discussions with planners, and a further delay because of COVID-19, construction finally started with Ashbrook Roofing and Supplies in July and work was completed late last month. It was not without incident, as it was discovered once the tiles had been stripped that the underlying timbers had been badly affected by water penetration, so the decision was made to replace the tongue and groove ceiling boards. A Business Interruption grant of £10,000 plus all the reserves had to be committed, to meet the final cost of £44,800.

‘The benefits have been considerable. Not only does the Village Hall now have a robust roof, but also the community has come together so closely to support the huge project. We’ve seen more volunteers assisting with cleaning, painting and decorating; and just over 100 local people subscribed to the annual lottery, with fundraising events being exceptionally well attended. Without the match funding raised by the community we could not have secured the grant awards that we did.

‘The project has served to bring the community together and show the initiative, creativity and resilience needed to make things happen. In recent months, a significant amount of internal decoration has taken place and work has already started on fundraising to update the heating system.’

After a prolonged closure due to the international pandemic, the Village Hall is now starting to welcome groups back. Find out more about the hall, including booking it for your activity or event.

Hope is the theme for Harington this wells week

The end of World War Two and Noah’s Ark are the hopeful themes for this year’s wells dressings in Hartington.

Local residents and school children have worked safely and in-line with Government guidelines to create the two special dressings, commemorating VE and VJ Days, and the Bible story of Noah and the great flood.

The wells will be on display until Saturday 19th September, with any money raised through a collection going towards the £40,000 cost for a new roof and heating system at the much-loved Village Hall.

David Annat, Chair of Hartington Town Quarter Parish Council, said: ‘Due to Coronavirus regulations restricting large gatherings, there was no official well blessing ceremony this year. Instead, the well was blessed on Friday 11th September, by the small team who have been creating the design. Many thanks to volunteers who have worked hard to complete the well safely.’

Tracy Blackwell, head teacher at Hartington C of E Primary School, added: ‘Rather than natural materials, paint was the medium to be used this year. The school’s theme was linked to the Christian Value of hope, and was portrayed through the story from the Old Testament of Noah’s Ark. With the symbol of the rainbow being synonymous of this value whilst also being linked to the NHS and global events which have occurred this year. It was felt that the content of this story is contemporary and relevant within the current climate.

‘Each child was provided with a canvas block which they painted independently to create the overall mural. This year the dedication of the well was carried out on the school premises during the children’s daily act of Worship. The well will be on display at the Village Green by the pump during Wakes Week, and its permanent home will be in the school.’

The custom of dressing wells began in the Derbyshire Dales, with reports suggesting it developed from a pagan tradition of ‘making sacrifice to the gods of wells and springs to ensure a continued supply of fresh water.’ Find out more.

Blizzard of Christmas events to sweep across Hartington

Volunteers in Hartington are busy preparing for a December that is set to be fuller than Santa’s sleigh.

A whole host of events is set to take place throughout the festive season, and everyone is welcome to enjoy them, from local residents to village visitors.

A free lantern making workshop, in the Village Hall, is due to happen from 11am to 4pm on Saturday 7th December, for people to make their very own willow lantern ready for a special parade the following Saturday, 14th December which coincides with the Christmas light switch-on.

Alongside the parade, there will be free tractor and trailer rides with Santa, carols, and festive refreshments alongside the Christmas tree switch-on at around 5pm. Everyone who brings along a lantern made during the workshop will be entered into a free prize draw.

Both residents and businesses are also getting involved in decorating their windows with advent displays for people to enjoy throughout the month; maps and information will be available in village businesses and on Facebook.

Other festive events include a Christmas wreath workshop, carols by candlelight in the Royal British Legion, Celebration Worship, Hartington C of E Primary school nativity play and festive quizzes

Liz Broomhead MBE is one of the volunteers involved in organising the seasonal shenanigans. She said: ‘Year on year, our close-knit local community come out in force to make Christmas in Hartington bigger and better than the previous year. Next month’s celebrations are no exception; with a whole host of activities for all ages, we hope to see many faces joining the festivities and enjoying all that Hartington has to offer at this very special time of year.’

For all dates and details of events throughout December find Hartington Village or Hartington Community Group on Facebook, or visit the village website.

Hartington children donate to local foodbank during harvest festival

Schoolchildren in Hartington are starting to gather food and refreshments as part of their harvest festival celebrations, to gift to a local foodbank.

Youngsters from Hartington C of E Primary School will donate hampers to Ashbourne Foodbank after a special harvest festival at St Giles Church next month.

Previously, donations have been handed out to elderly members of the community alongside the foodbank, but this year, local residents and young people have decided that the charity would be a worthy recipient of all hampers.

Liz Broomhead MBE is involved in the organisation of the harvest festival and said: ‘Over the past few years we have listened to the community as to how they would like the harvest boxes to be distributed; and the importance of supporting foodbanks featured strongly in these conversations.

‘Food for the hampers is funded by local businesses and residents; the boxes are then packed by the school children before being distributed at the harvest supper. This year, youngsters alongside their parents, school governors and the community, would like to prepare boxes and donate them directly to the foodbank, a very worthy local cause that does a significant amount of important work in our area.’

School children visited the foodbank, based at Ashbourne Elim Pentecostal Church, on Wednesday 18th September, where they learnt more about the work that is undertaken there. They enjoyed a lunch of baked potatoes with a choice of fillings, and money that would’ve paid for the children’s dinners at school was donated to the foodbank.

Tracy Blackwell, Head Teacher at Hartington C of E Primary, said: ‘The children took away such an in-depth understanding of the foodbank’s work and how important it is to local people who might have difficulty purchasing enough food to avoid hunger. It gave them a very special sense of pride in the work that they are doing to collect donations for the harvest boxes and I know that the local community will be so supportive in helping the children to achieve their goal.’

The children’s harvest service will take place on Friday 4th October at St Giles Church, before an event for the whole community at 5.30pm on Sunday 6th. This will be followed by a meal at the Village Hall for elderly local residents to enjoy a hot pea and pie supper.

For more information, including to donate to the cause or to find out about the services, contact Liz on: liz@broomhead.net

Odd one out game set to take over New Mills this Saturday

In the wake of what has been an emotional and uncertain week for many High Peak people, a New Mills business owner is hoping to bring some fun and laughter back to the high street.

Pollie Bancroft, owner of Pretty Little Things on Market Street in New Mills, is organising an Odd One Out game for businesses in the town this coming Saturday, 10th August.

The game will see the majority of shops across New Mills including on Market Street, Union Road and Albion Road, put an item they would not usually sell in their window displays.

Members of the public will then have the opportunity to walk around the shops spotting the odd items and filling in the details on a form, which can be collected from Pollie’s shop.

The competition is free to enter and will be open all day from 9am on Saturday; all completed forms will be put into a prize draw and one lucky winner will pick up a Pretty Little Things goodie bag.

Pollie, 22, said: ‘Due to majority of the roads being closed in and around New Mills over the past week, there has been very limited access into the town. It has been a very quiet time for all of the local businesses, and some have been hit hard with the lack of trade. I thought the game would encourage local people to visit the town centre and help to support the independent traders like me who so heavily rely on the support of the local community.

‘I used to enjoy doing this competition as a child when the volunteer centre organised it and so thought I’d bring it back! I hope it will be a fantastic way of promoting what the town has to offer and a fun, free activity for local people to take part during the school holidays.

‘Shops will be hiding something in the window displays that they don’t normally sell, for example the town’s florist might hide something like a tin of beans or some socks! A café might pop something in the window like some soap or a candle – it could be absolutely anything, as long as they don’t sell it in store!’

To find out more about the exciting game and to get involved, visit Pretty Little Things in New Mills, or find the shop on Facebook.

Climate change champions – High Peak youngsters get involved in Cleaner Air Project

Taxal and Fernilee Year Three pupils and school project leader, Rachel Cleveland

School children in the High Peak are set to help monitor how local traffic is contributing to climate change by taking part in a special survey.

Pupils at Whaley Bridge and Furness Vale Primary Schools, as well as Taxal and Fernilee C Of E Primary School, are getting involved in the exciting citizen science project as part of Whaley Bridge’s Neighbourhood Plan.

The survey is funded by Whaley Bridge Town Council, and the Councillors Initiative Fund of High Peak Borough Council, supported by Councillor David Lomax. It will measure ambient and indoor air quality, and exposure to heavy metals around the three local school sites, through a number of different methods supporting accuracy, usability and cost.

Ken O’Boyle, head of Whaley Bridge Neighbourhood Plan Traffic Group, said: ‘The original idea was for a school lesson, but this has developed into a larger-scale cross-school project, designed to contribute to the curriculum, and enable local children to get involved in the neighbourhood plan through citizen science.

‘The Cleaner Air Project will be an early introduction to the tools available to civil society, an exercise in democracy and how young people can make a difference to their environment and their own community.

‘As a result of the project, we will be able to gather evidence for the need for things such as exclusion zones around schools, idling bans, and measures to ease traffic flow, which might end up being included in our Neighbourhood Plan.’

Members of the Traffic Group have received expertise and advice about getting the project off the ground from LSX (London Sustainability Exchange), a registered charity which has hosted similar and successful schemes in the capital city.

Fay Walton, Head Teacher at Whaley Bridge Primary School, commented: ‘Using science and technology, the children will have a unique opportunity to learn more about the impact of our travel choices on the local environment in this very special real-world project. We hope to be able to inspire parents, carers and the wider community to think wisely about how they get out and about, and to make smarter transport decisions that will help our local area for generations to come.’

The Neighbourhood Plan will allow local residents to have a measure of control over developments occurring across Whaley Bridge, Furness Vale, Taxal and Fernilee until 2031, including transport, regeneration, tourism, leisure activities and housing. Find out more or get involved.

More than £15,000 raised for village hall roof in Hartington

(L-R) Garry Booth (Village Hall Trustee and lottery promoter) and Judith Chantler (first Lottery winner) with Councillor David Chapman

Fundraisers in Hartington are over half way to achieving their goal of repairing the degraded roof on the much-loved village hall.

In just over ten months, the small community has knitted together to raise over £10,000 towards the approximate £28,000 cost to restore the roof.

The Duke of Devonshire’s Charitable Trust announced a £5,000 grant towards the appeal earlier this month, and the Alstonefield Leaden Boot Challenge added £200 to the total.

Volunteers have also launched a small society lottery to raise cash, with local residents purchasing £50 tickets covering all draws, and syndicates purchased by community groups.

The lottery will see draws take place on the second Wednesday of every month until June 2020, with a £500 prize in time for Christmas in December; £300 in the final month next year, and £100 in every other month.

The team sold its 100th lottery ticket just before the first ever draw on Wednesday 10th July outside Beresford Tea Rooms. Local resident, Judith Chantler was picked as the first winner by David Chapman, Derbyshire Dales District Councillor, who part-funded new LED lights for the village hall earlier this year. The second monthly draw will take place on Wednesday 14th August in the newly re-opened Devonshire Arms.

Keith Quine, Chairman of the Village Hall Trustees, said: ‘The roof of Hartington Village Hall is over 60 years old and consists of lightweight asbestos tiles which have degraded over time. The need to replace the roof was highlighted in 2018, when we asked professionals to consider the condition of the roof. The estimated cost of replacing the roof with a lightweight composite tile is £28,300.

‘The heavy rain experienced last month highlighted the issue all too clearly as a section of tiles slipped to expose a hole. The leak resulted in damage to one of the wall displays showing a historical collection of images of scenes of the village.

‘Fundraising began in summer last year, with an Open Gardens event, and to date, we have raised just over £10,000. It has been a marvellous response from the small village community, who are determined to secure the future of a key community building.’

Volunteers hope to find out if other grant applications have been successful by the end of July. If they have, they expect to see a new roof installed before the start of winter.

To find out more or to offer any support, email Keith on: johnkeithquine@gmail.com.

Back in my day! – Hartington school one of ten nationally taking part in unique intergenerational sports project

School pupils in Hartington are joining forces with older residents to help boost physical, mental and social well-being across generations, as part of a nationwide pilot project.

Hartington C of E Primary School has been chosen to participate in the pilot ‘Active Across Ages,’ being led by children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust (YST).

Funded by YST International, the charity’s international arm, and Sir John Beckwith Charitable Trust, Active Across Ages is an intergenerational activity scheme, bringing together school-aged children with older members of their local communities in settings including care homes, community groups and day centres.

Hartington school, alongside Anthony Gell School in Wirksworth, are the only two taking part in the Peak District, together with eight other schools across England in Wilmslow, Weymouth, Wirral and Milton Keynes.

Key stage two pupils in Hartington have become Activity Buddies after receiving training from the YST, and are now working with older residents, who they have named Silver Sports. They’ve chosen Boccia (a seated precision ball sport), as their specialist activity for the first of two ten week activity blocks.

The Silver Sports – aged between 70 and 95-years-old – meet with youngsters on a Tuesday afternoon at the Village Hall to take part in Active Across Ages. They are also teaching the younger participants about activities they enjoyed in the playground as children, including hop scotch, and oranges and lemons.

Former Hartington school pupil Maddie Wager, who uses a wheelchair, now attends Buxton Community School but is supporting the sessions back in Hartington. She is a lead member of her school’s Boccia team and will be competing in the Derbyshire finals in Glossop next month.

Maddie said: ‘It is a privilege to be asked to come back to my old school and help them with Boccia which I love doing. Also to be with the older people in the village and see them again.’

Liz Broomhead MBE is the co-chair of Hartington C of E Primary School governors and the project lead alongside head teacher, Tracy Blackwell. She said: ‘The enjoyment and engagement of the young and old is tangible. The interaction is a pleasure to witness.’

Winola is a year six pupil and Activity Buddy. She added: ‘It is lovely to wear our T-shirts as we work with the Silver Sports, it gives us a feeling of being together. We would like for them to have a T-shirt which says “Silver Sports,” so they can also be part of our team.’

Audrey Morson is a Silver Sport and commented: ‘As a child we would play hopscotch for hours after we had been swimming in the River Dove.’

Alison Goodall, YST Development Manager, said: ‘At a time when physical activity levels are declining, loneliness is increasing and generations have never been more segregated, we have developed an action-based research project which uses physical activity as the catalyst to bring generations together.

‘The project aims to improve the physical, mental and social wellbeing of participants, provide volunteering opportunities, develop employability skills, and the confidence to be physically active. It is also providing opportunities to support primary to secondary transition and enhance local community relationships.’

Following this year’s pilot project, an impact report will be drawn up and made available early in 2020. Find out more.

Volunteers needed to ensure bright future for Hartington Village Hall

Local people who have some spare time to dedicate to worthy causes are being urged to support the refurbishment of Hartington Village Hall, in a bid to ensure its future.

Dedicated residents are hosting a special event from 2-4pm on Sunday 5th May for community members to find out more about plans for the future of the local venue, including £28,000 roof repairs and a replacement boiler.

In January last year, the 93 year-old building faced real challenges because of financial losses and a lack of support. A crisis meeting was held to save the hall, and by April a new management group was set up with proposals for various improvements to the building, more hours of use and a positive monetary balance.

Now, members of the group are on the lookout for more volunteers who can assist with a range of roles to support the hall into the future.

Liz Broomhead MBE is involved in the scheme and says: “We are inviting members of Hartington and nearby communities to come and learn more about the activities that already take place at our village hall; to understand how they can help practically, and support the Hartington Lottery, which has been set up to help fundraise for the building.

‘In many respects, great progress has been made over recent months but current volunteers can only do so much themselves and we hope to inspire families to become involved in the opportunities that lie ahead, to help refurbish the building so that it is central to our local community for another nine decades to come.’

More than 25 local user groups have made regular use of the venue over many years, and as a result of a successful Derbyshire Dales District Council Local Projects Fund, supported by Councillor David Chapman, the hall has brand new LED lights. A further grant from the Calor Rural Community Fund resulted in new chairs and electrical improvements.

Keith Quine, Chair of Trustees, added: “The Village Hall is totally reliant on volunteers from the community; we are delighted that finances have significantly improved as a result of costs being reduced, and greater income from more hours of use.

“We invite everyone to come along to find out more about the exciting opportunities for the future. As traditional at the village hall, refreshments and homemade cakes will be provided free of charge to everyone dropping in.”

If you cannot attend the event but would like to find out more about how you can help, email Liz on: liz@broomhead.net.

Sponsored Derbyshire Dales walk for rural activity group

A sponsored walk around the Derbyshire Dales is set to help raise vital funds for a popular young people’s activity group.

The special family event on Saturday 6th April is raising money for the Hartington Young People’s Activity Club (HYPAC).

Participants can choose from six or three mile routes in the beautiful Beresford and Biggin Dales, and can start to raise sponsorship for the challenge now.

Liz Broomhead MBE, Chair of HYPAC, said: “The club is so popular with local young people who come from Hartington and the surrounding villages and hamlets to meet, socialise and enjoy sports and games together; something which is not so readily available in our rural communities as it is in town suburbs. Some participants go on to start leading the group and work to gain qualifications including sports leadership awards, which in turn help with their college and university applications. It really is a very beneficial and rewarding group.

“In order for us to be able to continue running HYPAC with a viable and interesting programme of activities for our local youngsters, we need to raise £1,000 in funds. If just 30 families participated in the walk and each raised £20, we’d be over half way to achieving our goal to help see HYPAC thrive for more local children and teenagers to enjoy.”

The sponsored walk is set to be marshalled by Peak District National Park Authority volunteers and there will be a gift voucher prize for the person who raises the most money. Refreshments and stalls will be available at Hartington Village Hall for participants.

Registration is from 12 noon onwards and sponsorship forms are available now, either in hard copy at Hartington Post Office/ Beresford Tea Rooms, or by visiting the village website.