Brill Parish Council Newsletter

November 2023 (vol 3, issue 11)

Lest we Forget

“Lest we Forget” was the theme of Reverend Gemma Beesley’s sermon to a packed church on Remembrance Sunday. She reminded us of the dozens of on-going wars and conflicts across the world and told a story of how a small boy’s resolve to see the humanity in all people, including aggressors, can give us hope. She concluded by passing on some wise advice to follow when we feel powerless in a world of darkness and chaos: Think Global, Act Local.

The photograph shows red poppy wreaths laid on Brill’s war memorial by community organisations and individuals, including The Royal British Legion, Brill Church of England School, Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue, Brill with Ukraine and Brill Parish Council.

The wreath of purple poppies (also laid by the parish council) pays tribute to animals lost in service, and those who serve us today. The purple poppy has long been a symbol of remembrance for animals but has grown in prominence since 2016 when Murphy’s Army Purple Poppy Campaign was launched.

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service

Brill Parish Council are thrilled and delighted - and very proud - to announce that Brill Village Community Herd (BVCH) has been awarded The KIng’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS).

Equivalent to an MBE, the KAVS is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK. It recognises volunteers who contribute to their local communities and work to make life better for those around them. BVCH received the Award in recognition of the Society’s innovative and untiring work to protect and enhance the biodiversity of Brill Common by grazing a small herd of native Dexter cattle on this unique area of endangered grassland. This ‘conservation grazing’ has (in the words of BVCH’s press release) “played a pivotal role in restoring the ecological balance of the common, enabling native flora and fauna such as orchids, birds-foot trefoil, ladies bedstraw, lizards and butterflies to return and flourish”.

Pat Stone, a founding board member of BVCH, expressed her delight and appreciation in receiving the award:

We are highly honoured and immensely proud to receive this prestigious award, which recognises not only our volunteers’ tireless efforts and unwavering commitment, but also the importance of preserving the natural heritage of Brill Common. We hope that this award inspires others to engage in similar conservation efforts and appreciate the value of our natural landscapes.

Read the full press release on the BVCH website.

Christmas Toy Appeal

Buckinghamshire Council has just announced the launch of this annual appeal. Run by local charity Inspire Bucks, the appeal accepts donations of toys or money to ensure that local children of all ages living in disadvantage receive a Christmas gift. Last year the appeal enabled gifts to nearly 3,500 children in Buckinghamshire, including those living in the care system or facing severe financial difficulty.

If you’d like to chose a gift to donate, please take a look at the Inspire Bucks Amazon Gift List. (Note that there is a particular need for gifts for under-2s and teenagers.)

To donate cash, please visit the Inspire Bucks Just Giving page.

Hartwell’s Barn Project update

As many residents will know, The Brill Society and Brill Parish Council are raising the money to purchase Hartwell’s Barn and Saunder’s Field on the edge of Brill Common for the community. There are more details on The Brill Society’s website.

Once purchased, this special place would be made available for use by all sections of the community. Popular cultural events such as Midsummer Music and theatre productions would restart and, in the longer term, the barn could be improved so it is a suitable venue for workshops preserving and passing on traditional skills and heritage crafts. Saunder’s Field would form a beautiful extension to the Common, perfect for peaceful contemplation of the natural worl

This new village resource would be managed by an independent Trust, with representatives from The Brill Society, Brill Parish Council and the community. It will be self-supporting; no money from local taxation would be used (or has been used to date).

Thank you to everyone who has already donated or pledged to the appeal. We are more than a third of the way to our target of £150k and donations are still coming in. This month we are opening the appeal to local businesses.

If you run a local business, we would be delighted to recognise your donation on future publicity material - and add your company name to a permanent commemorative plaque in Hartwell’s Barn. Please get in touch!

Visit The Brill Society’s Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) page to donate - or email Andy Fisher, TBS Chair, to find out more.

The Walks : A Thank You!

A message from Emi Slater, parish councillor responsible for Brill Common, The Walks and our other green spaces:

The Parish Council would like to thank Ken Furminger and Tim Patrick of Friends of Brill Common for mowing The Walks in October. This was extra to the voluntary work they already do on the Common so was greatly appreciated.

Find out about the on-going management of Brill Common and The Walks including the Advisory Group’s winter work schedule.

Diary Date : Grandparents’ First Aid Training

Following the success of October’s Brill Babysitters’ First Aid course - and in response to popular demand - there will be another community training event on the morning of Saturday March 2nd 2024. The aim of this 2-hour will be to provide grandparents caring regularly or occasionally for babies and young children with the skills, knowledge and confidence to deal with common emergencies including choking, bumps, burns, breaks, febrile seizures and meningitis and sepsis awareness, and CPR.

As before, training will be provided by award-winning trainers Mini First Aid. There will be 10 places and booking will open after Christmas on the Brill Parish Council & Community website.

Meanwhile, CPR training for teenagers and adults continues every third Saturday of the month (excluding December). Find out more and book online for early 2024.

Finally!

Please tell others about this e-newsletter. Lots of people aren’t on Facebook or comfortable with social media, and we want to reach all parishioners equally. We also value the opportunity to give something extra to subscribers - longer explanations or different perspectives - than is possible on the website.

Tell friends, family or neighbours to email hannahbrillcommunity@gmail.com or fill in the newsletter form on the welcome page of the Brill Parish Council & Community website. Alternatively, if they’d like to read a paper copy, please tell them there are always copies of the newsletter in the pouch on the door of the Old Library in the Memorial Hall, on the table at the back of All Saints Church, and (sometimes) in Brill Stores.

Remember you can read past issues of the newsletter on the Brill Parish Council & Community website.

All good wishes
Brill Parish Council