Thanks to £50,000 raised in funding, work is near completion on a new cyber café facility in Bungay for young people of the town.

The project is being lead by the Bungay Youth Partnership with help from the Town Council.

The Bunka, aptly named as the youth facility, will occupy the basement of the premises at the top of Bridge Street.

Young people of Bungay have been involved in the decision making in how it is decorated and run, and what they would like from the centre.



Chairman of the Bungay Youth Partnership, Simon Thompson, said the project has taken around two years to get to this stage.



“The building was most recently a kebab shop. We took it over about a year ago with the idea of turning it into a youth and community venture,” he said. “The idea is that the young people will run it and there will be youth workers on hand to supervise. At the end of the day the main aim is to get the young people running it for themselves.”



Some features that will be found in The Bunka are: a kitchen, an internet café and a snug where youngsters can sit and watch television, disabled access and toilet facilities. There will also be a small hair salon where youngsters may have an opportunity to do apprenticeships.


Bungay mayor John Warnes, who toured the facility recently, said: “I think this is a wonderful idea for the young people of the town.”

The Bunka committee member Dani Sewell, age 16, said: “This is a really good idea and I think people will use it. It is going to be somewhere warm where people can come and relax and watch television.”

The funding for the project has come from many sources including The Youth Opportunities Scheme, The Community Cashback Scheme, The Suffolk Foundation, The Rural Economy Scheme and The Geoffrey Watling Charity.

It is now time for the young people of Bungay to get behind The Bunka project and make it a success!

www.thebunka.org.uk

Dear Friends of Harleston Magpies Hockey Club

You are cordially invited to the Auction of Promises to be held in the clubhouse on Saturday 13 March 2010 commencing at 7.00pm.

Entry is free - as will be the glass of wine (or soft drink) on your arrival together with the nibbles later in the evening.

The event is the club's major fund raising event of season 2009/10 and is in aid of the Clubhouse Improvement Fund.

We hope you will be able to attend. Please spread the word to your relatives and friends!

Catalogue
Please click HERE for a copy of the catalogue showing the exciting list of Lots for your attention.

Please let me know if you would like a hard copy of the catalogue.

With kind regards

Mike Denham
(On behalf of the organising committee)
Tel: 01603 506925
Email: MDenham975@aol.com

PS. If you cannot attend why not submit an Absentee Bid?!

If you have problems viewing or uploading the catalogue pdf, please email us and we can send it to you as an attachment. email@magpies-hockey.co.uk

Established as a registered charity in 2001, the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary is based at Stonham Aspal in Suffolk, where it operates a comprehensive facility for the care & rehabilitation of owls from the region and the promotion of owl conservation throughout the UK and beyond.

There are over 70 raptors at the Centre, all housed in spacious aviaries. The Sanctuary hosts two spectacular flying displays daily between April and the end of September, where some of the world's most beautiful birds of prey show off their aerial prowess.


You will also find Red Squirrels, Chipmunks, the Raptor Hospital, The Barclays Sensory Garden, an information centre about Owls, a woodland walk with bird hide, picnic areas and plenty of activities for children including a mini-maze & adventure frame.

Why not try one of our Unique SOS Birthday Parties, where the children will spend time close-up with the Owls, enjoy some special owlish fun & games, go on the S.O.S. Owl Safari, have a photograph taken with an Owl and receive a special goody-bag, plus we'll provide an Adopt-an-Owl Certificate for the lucky boy or girl.

Our Adopt-an-Owl scheme also runs all year round and adopters can come to see their adopted owl any time at The Sanctuary.


Stonham Barns itself is a great place to spend the day - there are numerous craft & gift shops, a garden centre, driving range & 9-hole golf course and a coffee shop & restaurant, plus plenty of free parking and many traffic-free areas. 

The Suffolk Owl Sanctuary at Stonham Barns is situated on the A1120 Tourist route, easily accessible form the A14, A12 and A140 - simply follow the brown signs.

The main role will be played by Anne McClarnon, who works for the Lowestoft-based Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, an experienced actress who was trained in her homeland, the United States.

84 Charing Cross Road portrays a trans-Atlantic relationship spanning the two decades after the Second World War. A burgeoning New York writer with a quirky sense of humour (Helene Hanff) sends an enquiry to a London bookshop, sparking a growing affection with its staff, particularly the shop’s manager (Frank Doel). The two appear to have little in common in their lives - except a rich love and knowledge of books.

Full details of the tour
Fri 26th February - Hoxne Box office 01379 855101
Sat 27th February - Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh Box office 01728 687110
Fri 5th March - The Cut, Halesworth Box office 0845 673 2123 (open 11am - 2pm Tues - Sat)
Sat 6th March - Wingfield Barns Box office 01379 384505
Sun 7th March - Wingfield Barns Box office 01379 384505
Fri 12th March - Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft Box office 01502 589726
Sat 13th March - Fisher Theatre, Bungay Box office 01986 897130 (open 12 - 3pm Mon - Sat)

Tickets cost £8.50 and £6 concessions
All performances start at 7.30 pm
Any problem in booking tickets please phone Open space on 01379 855101

see more videos via our BlogPod

A pilot study providing grants of £100 for breaks for family carers is under way in parts of Suffolk to improve services for carers with the help of over one million pounds secured from the Department of Health.

Suffolk is one of 12 areas in the UK selected to trial short break opportunities which can have a huge impact on improving carers’ emotional well-being and quality of life.

Over 550 family carers from Ipswich, Brandon, Peasenhall and Sibton are expected to take part in a study called Time For You running from Jan 2010 until March 2011. The aim is to identify family carers who may - for a variety of reasons - not be using the services that are currently available. Each participant will be given a grant of £100 to spend entirely as they wish on a short break or respite from caring and will help complete a survey about the effectiveness of that short break on their well-being.

Throughout this study, the family carers will be consulted by trained researchers about the kind of respite they used the grant for and which support services they would most like to see developed, plus contributing to a website containing a wealth of information about short breaks.

In the parishes of Sibton and Peasenhall this study is being conducted by the community development charity Suffolk ACRE and its local researcher Nat Bocking. He will be visiting homes, community groups and businesses to distribute information about the study and to discover family carers’ needs and develop community-led responses to them.

Suffolk Family Carers - one of the leading organisations that support family carers in Suffolk - will be advising and training the community researchers, who will be drawing on and working with local networks to plan and develop innovative opportunities for short break services.

The study hopes to reach the many family carers who may be caring for someone but who do not already access the services available; so who may be unknown to statutory, health or social agencies but are plainly evident from other studies. Uncovering a hidden need requires researchers on the ground and community support to encourage participation. Suffolk ACRE’s strategy is to employ a trained, independent locally based researcher available to meet with family carers when and where it is most convenient for them.

The study starts with the researcher asking some simple questions to establish eligibility for the grant; about 90% of family carers are expected to be eligible if living in the study area. Then part one of the questionnaire is completed with the carer asked about their role and its demands and what sort of breaks they might take if they had a grant of £100 to spend as they wished. After part one is completed, an appointment is set for the researcher to return and a grant of £100 is paid to the family carer’s bank account. After the carer has taken a short break, part two of the questionnaire is completed to understand what impact it has made, if any. Although it is expected that carers will spend the grant on a break for themselves, there is no obligation to do that if other needs are more pressing. A respite can also be accessing education or arts and culture or it might be a shopping trip or visiting friends or attending to other personal needs.

Participation in the study is completely confidential and all information will be kept anonymous and Suffolk ACRE is completely independent of all other services and will not refer anyone or report names to any agency without the carer’s permission. This point will be emphasised in contact with people as service agencies find that family carers often don’t access the services provided for carers by statutory bodies because they think it may affect receipt of other benefits or, in the tradition of rural independence, many associate entitlement with taking charity or a stigma or don’t recognise how their caring role can affect their health and well-being. Sibton and Peasenhall have been selected because their population represents an average rural community so the study’s findings may significantly influence future service provision elsewhere.

An immediate outcome of the study will be a report by Suffolk ACRE into the provision of services locally, the extent of needs and the potential within the community to determine solutions themselves by accessing the many funds available and resources of other agencies and testing in a health and social care situation the models of community-led solutions used successfully elsewhere. As a leading community development charity, Suffolk ACRE would be best placed to take the results of the study forward if the community wished to.

Suffolk ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) is a charity and company limited by guarantee incorporated in 1997. It was established in 1937 to work with communities in Suffolk. Its mission is to tackle the economic, social and environmental needs of communities in Suffolk by forging effective partnerships between communities and agencies and promoting communal self-help. It is Suffolk ACRE's aim to help communities in Suffolk to identify and tackle their needs through community action. Suffolk ACRE's role is to support community groups, voluntary organisations to undertake self-help activities and enable communities to take ownership for their own well-being. www.suffolkacre.org.uk

For more info contact:
Nat Bocking MA MCE, Community Development Researcher, Suffolk ACRE.
Mobile: 07787258137
Email: nat.bocking@suffolkacre.org.uk

Natural dye and ecoprint workshop
Marian Williams, maker of silk clothing and accessories, offers a workshop in natural dying (including mordanting) and printing directly onto silk with plant matter such as leaves and flowers.

An additional charge of £3 will be made on the day for a piece of scarf size silk fabric. We would advise participants to wear suitable clothing for working with dyes.

Hat making
Martin Faulkner, of Painting the Clouds with Sunshine, will help you to make a new hat from old!
Participants will need to bring a hat to work on. It can be absolutely anything - including a man's - and made of any material (except, perhaps, a crash helmet or riding hat)!
It can be old and tatty and be completely re-sculpted; or it can be an expensive one, worn last summer to a special event and then perhaps be restyled for a wedding this year. Make something stylish or fashion-orientated, fun or fantasy. Why not use those bits of ribbon, beads, fabric, buttons, fur, feathers, lace, combs or hairslides to create that new look? Anything you have or fancy using is fine!

Please bring with you a sketchbook, needles, thread, and scissors.

Dry Felt Making
Join Su Lenk, of The Alpaca Barn, at our workshop and find out what you can create with the art of Needle Felting. Unlike the wet felt process you can create sculptures of animals, dolls, balls and cubes - the fun of needle felting is limited only by your imagination!

An additional charge of £3.00 per person includes the special needle, pre prepared designs to felt, alpaca fleece and merino wool. All we ask you to do is provide your own piece of 2 inch dense foam 6 to 9 inches square. Upholstery foam is suitable for this.


Fees: Individual workshop fees are £43 payable in advance which includes museum admission. Book before 27th February and pay £33. Please note some small additional charge may be applicable on the day - see individual workshop notes above.

Café facilities are available on site for the one hour lunch break.

Contact: admin@producedinnorfolk.com

Phone (01603) 424102

(The only surviving materials of this title feature German intertitles).

Mud has defeated many a conquering army. In the days of horse-drawn transport or ponderous and hugely heavy steam-powered engines, R. Hornsby and Sons nippy little petrol-driven caterpillar track must have seemed like the technological development of the century.

In this promotional film, shot in Grantham, Lincolnshire and delivered by the company in a spirit of optimism reminiscent of an edition of 'Tomorrow's World', the little vehicle is put through its paces, making light of its load over clay, mud, soft sand, marshy land and streams. It leaves the horse-drawn load stuck in a bog, and ends the display turning gleefully on the spot in a celebration of manoeuvrability.

7 or 8 years later, could years of trench warfare have been shortened if the engineers had been encouraged by the British military? (Bryony Dixon)

Businesses from across the county will be given extra help to reduce sickness absence and increase productivity following the appointment of a specialist adviser who is dedicated to making sure Suffolk is ‘fit for work’.

Claire Parker started work as Healthy Ambitions Suffolk fit for work coordinator earlier this month. During the coming year, she’ll be working closely with businesses of all sizes to help them introduce fit for work programmes to promote healthy lifestyles among employees.

Claire will also be raising awareness of the benefits which having active and healthy staff can bring to a business, such as considerable financial savings, fewer days off sick and increased productivity. In addition, she’ll be looking for ways in which organisations across Suffolk can work together to encourage their employees to become healthier.

“Its really important for businesses to help their staff to stay healthy and active, as it brings with it huge benefits for both the company and the individual,” said Claire. “My role will involve working closely with businesses of all sizes to help them to do just that by introducing their own fit for work programmes.”

“Nationally, an estimated 32.9 million working days are lost each year through sickness absence, which can have a huge financial impact on businesses. That’s why promoting good health is so important, especially in smaller companies where staff taking time off ill can have a massive effect on productivity levels and, in turn, profit.”

“Fit for work isn’t about sweating in the gym for hours and eating only lettuce leaves - its about developing opportunities for staff to become a little bit more active on a daily basis. Whether it’s through starting a lunchtime walking club or a cycle to work scheme, small changes can make a big difference and are both good for health and good for business.”


As part of her role, Claire will be helping companies to meet the criteria for a Healthy Ambitions Suffolk business award in recognition of their efforts to keep their workforce healthy. Anyone who would like more information about the award should visit www.healthyambitionssuffolk.nhs.uk or email Claire at claire.parker@ipswich.gov.uk

Many thanks to all who attended The African Queen on Monday. Our best audience to date for a classic film. Apologies for the poor quality of the picture and the sound. You might think that it would be straightforward to obtain a good quality DVD of such a celebrated and popular title, but in the event, it was not. Do hope you enjoyed the film despite the wavering colour and fluctuating sound.

Happily our next screening, Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo Di Ferragosto) on Monday 29 March is a recent release so the quality of the DVD will not be an issue. A comic family drama set in Rome, Mid-August Lunch has been garlanded with awards, including the Golden Snail at the Academy of Food and Film at Bologna. See our website at www.bungayfilmclub.com for further details.

We are always keen to improve the publicity for Bungay Film Club shows and would like to find new places to display posters. Please be in touch if you would be happy to put up a poster and know of a suitable site in your area, particularly if you live outside Bungay. We would also be very glad to hear from you if you know of a parish magazine or other local publication which might be interested in including information about Bungay Film Club screenings.

Look forward to seeing you soon, and to hearing from you in the meantime if you would like us to send you a poster, or can suggest new ways to spread the word about the Bungay Film Club.

WVB-Sprake & Tyrrell Ltd

All of the events below are at RSPB Minsmere nature reserve, Westleton, Suffolk, IP17 3BY unless otherwise stated

Guided walks

Costs: Adults £7, RSPB members £5, children half price, unless otherwise stated
Places limited. Unless stated, booking is essential. Call 01728 648281 or email bookings.Minsmere@rspb.org.uk

Discovering Minsmere
March: Wed 3rd, Wed 10th, Thurs 18th & Fri 26th
Start 9.30 am (2.5 - 3 hours)
Join us to learn about the reserve’s birds and other wildlife, as well as the habitats we have here and how we manage them. Our guides will show you Minsmere’s varied wildlife, give tips on good field-craft, and help you to get the most from your visit to one of Britain’s premier birdwatching spots. Suitable for all abilities.

Weekend wildlife walk
March: Sat 13th, Sun 21th & Sun 28th
Start at 9.30 am (2.5 - 3 hours)
Join us for a seasonal weekend walk to look for spring migrants, breeding birds and a host of other wildlife highlights that may be present at the time.

Introduction to the Wildlife of the Alde Estuary, Snape Maltings
March: Sat 6th
Start at 11 am (1.5 hours)
Join an experienced RSPB guide to learn about the wildlife, landscape and history of the beautiful Alde Estuary. These walks coincide with the regular farmers markets, giving you the chance to shop for local produce before enjoying this relaxing walk. No booking required. Adults £3, children £1. Meet at the RSPB Wildlife Information Centre on the quay at Snape Maltings.

Learn your bird song
Part 1: Sun 7th March - start at 6:30
Part 2: Sun 18th Apr - start at 6.00
Part 3: Sun 9th May - start at 5.30
Always wanted to learn your bird song? Why not come and join one of our guides for these three events aimed at beginners to help learn a range of different bird songs over the course of the season. Each date consists of a walk lasting about 2.5 hours, followed by a light breakfast at the Visitor Centre. This special three date package costs £60 per person, RSPB members £45, including your walk and breakfast. Places are limited, so book early.

Special events
Places limited. Booking essential. See details for costs.

Binocular and telescope demonstration
March: Sat 27th and Sun 28th
10am to 4pm
Expert advice on choosing the right binoculars, telescopes and accessories. Run in conjunction with Viking Optical of Halesworth, there will be a wide range of optics available to test and buy, so whether you're choosing you first binoculars or looking to upgrade, we'll have the right optics for you.

Art and photo exhibitions
All year
Visit the Minsmere tearoom gallery throughout the year to see a range of superb exhibitions of art or photography depicting some of Suffolk’s most spectacular wildlife. Contact us for details of each exhibition, or go to www.rspb.org.uk/events.


Events March 2010, by date

Events at North Warren
Events at Havergate Island
Events at Snape Maltings (all other events at RSPB Minsmere)
Family events
Free events

March:
Wed 3rd - Discovering Minsmere: 9.30 am
Sat 6th - Introduction to the Wildlife of the Alde Estuary, Snape Maltings: 11 am
Sun 7th - Learn your birdsong, part 1: 6.30 am
Wed 10th - Discovering Minsmere: 9.30 am
Sat 13th - Weekend wildlife walk: 9.30 am
Thu 18th - Discovering Minsmere: 9.30 am
Sun 21st - Weekend wildlife walk: 9.30 am
Fri 26th - Discovering Minsmere: 9.30 am
Sat 27th - Binocular and telescope demo: 10 am - 4 pm
Sun 28th - Weekend wildlife walk: 9.30 am
Sun 28th - Binocular and telescope demo: 10 am - 4 pm


Visiting arrangements at Minsmere

Entry charges to the reserve:
Adult £5,
Child £1.50 (under 5s free),
Families £10 (two adults and up to four children),
Concession £3.
Free for RSPB and Wildlife Explorer members.
Your entry fee will be refunded if you become a member on the day of your visit.

Opening times
Nature trails and hides open daily.
From 1 February to 31 October:
Visitor centre open from 9 am to 5 pm.
Shop open 10 am to 5 pm.
Tearoom open 10 am to 4.30 pm, with last orders 15 minutes before closing.
Hot food served 11.30 am to 2.30 pm.
From 1 November to 31 January:
Visitor centre open 9 am to 4 pm
Shop and tearoom open 10 am to 4 pm.
Reserve and all facilities closed 25 and 26 December.

Facilities at Minsmere
Access to the visitor centre is free. At the reception desk, you can hire binoculars or borrow a free children’s Explorer Backpack and Discovery Trail booklet. You can also find out more about the reserve and the RSPB. The shop stocks a wide range of books, outdoor clothing, gifts, binoculars and telescopes. You can enjoy a light meal or snack in the tearoom. There are toilets, with baby changing facilities, and a large car park beside the visitor centre.

A permit is needed for the two nature trails, which are each about 1.5 miles long. Two of the eight birdwatching hides are accessed via steps, and two via the beach. The rest of the hides and trails are accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs. A free trail guide is available from reception. Sorry, no dogs on the nature trails, but they are welcome around the visitor centre and car park, where there is a limited amount of shaded parking.

We may all long for spring, but the snow is still falling as we type! Perhaps sitting down to watch a DVD and indulge in a spot of nostalgia is what we need to get through the cold, dark evenings?

Well today, we're very pleased to tell you about a brand new release available from Archive Film Shop, Yesterday's Farm: East Anglia and Beyond. Remembering the days when labourers seeded the fields by hand, when communities joined together to bring home the harvest and when the shire horse led the plough, Yesterday's Farm is a chance to look back at farming life as it used to be.


On the outbreak of WWI, farming was on the brink of ruin. By the 1960s, it was thriving once more.

Events in Britain and beyond changed agricultural life, as farmers lived through half a century of debts, economic slump and two world wars. Farming emerged much stronger, but it had been changed forever.

Yesterday's Farm includes:

- Memories from farm workers

- Rare footage of early machinery

- The Women's Land Army

- Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

Running time: 65 mins

Watch a clip and order your copy now!

Bargain hunters will also be pleased to know, our Anglia TV Sale may be over - but our Here was the News DVDs are still available at only £6.99 each.

WVB-CALI