Fairlight Focus

Good Morning, 

Please find attached his weeks update on the Water Main Renewal works in Fairlight Village. 

I hope everyone has a lovely bank holiday weekend.

Kind Regards, 

Elle

Would you like to get involved in your community? Are you a good administrator and communicator? Do you enjoy working as part of a team?

Fairlight Village Hall is looking for a secretary to take over from Maureen Georgiou who has held the post for several years and is now deservedly taking a well-earned break.

This is a volunteer role, and you would join the existing Committee in helping to coordinate events and activities within the Hall. Specific responsibilities would include attending monthly committee meetings, taking and circulating the minutes, maintaining records and liaising with key stakeholders.

If you are interested and would like to find out more, please email the Chair, George Hensher (chair@fairlightvillagehall.org)

 Ian Richardson

Treasurer, Fairlight Village Hall

The Fairlight Residents Association (FRA) is delighted to announce a grant of £3,377 to Activate Youth Club, helping to complete the refurbishment of their hut and enhance the space for local young people.

Activate has become a valued part of the village, providing a welcoming, active, and supportive environment for young people. The refurbishment project will ensure the hut is fully equipped and ready to support their growing programme of activities.

Chris Smart, Chair of the FRA, said: “Activate is an amazing group doing genuinely important work for young people in our community. The energy, commitment, and impact they have is clear to see, and we felt strongly that this is exactly the kind of initiative the FRA should be supporting.”

Wendy Hatch, Chair of Activate Youth Club, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to receive this support from the FRA. The £3,377 will allow us to complete the hut refurbishment and create a space the young people can really be proud of. It makes a huge difference to what we’re able to offer.”

The FRA hopes this contribution will help ensure the project is completed with the upgraded facility ready to benefit the community. 

Look out in a future edition of the Fairlight News magazine for an update once the refurbishment works have been completed and the new equipment installed.

For more information on Activate Youth Club, please contact Wendy on familyhatch1@gmail.com

NOTICE OF AN ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING FAIRLIGHT RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION.

Notice is hereby given, that for the following purposes, Fairlight Residents’ Association 2026 Annual General Meeting will be held at,

Fairlight Village Hall on Wednesday 20th May 2026 at 7.00 pm:

1. To receive the accounts for the year ended 2025

2. To agree the amendments to the Constitution and Rules

3. To elect Committee Members and Officers

By order of the Committee Dated:21.4.26

For your information the amendments to the Constitution and Rules, and the agenda for this meeting can be found here:  https://fairlight.org.uk/fairlight-residents-association/

If you have trouble opening any of these documents, please 

e-mail fairlightresidentssec@gmail.com

The Constitution and Rules document uses tracked changes, allowing readers to easily see what amendments have been made. Please make comments only to the recent changes.

Invitation to Additional Drop-In Sessions – Fairlight Cove Water Main Replacement Works

We’d like to invite you to a series of drop-in sessions about the ongoing Water Main Replacement (WMR) works in Fairlight Cove. These sessions are a chance to meet our project team, ask any questions you may have, and hear the latest updates on the progress of this important work.

Venue: Fairlight Village Hall, The Broadway Fairlight Hastings East Sussex TN35 4DA

Dates: 

13 May 2026
10 June 2026
8 July 2026
12 August 2026
9 September 2026
Times: All sessions will run from 16:00 to 19:00

Our team will be available throughout each session to discuss the works, expected timelines, and any potential impacts on your property or local area.

How to Contact Us

If you are unable to attend a session or would like to get in touch, you can contact us using the details below:

Email: Capital Projects Customer Team, Capitalcomms@southernwater.co.uk, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

Following the weekly update shared on Friday, we wanted to let you know about some additional works taking place this week.

With approval from the Highways Authority, works will take place this Saturday 25th April on Fyrsway. There is also the potential for tarmac operatives to work on Broadway, although this has not yet been confirmed.

Working hours will be 8:00am to 4:00pm. These additional works are intended to help progress more quickly.

We understand that weekend working can be disruptive and would like to thank you for your continued patience and cooperation.

If you have any questions or concerns there will be a supervisor on site or You can contact the customer team at southernwater@unitedinfrastructure.com 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Kind Regards, 

Elle Leigh

Hello,

If you have any old printing cartridges that you wish to donate to the Preservation Fund,  the garden hut is also collecting them for us.  Therefore, if the garden hut is nearer for you, please pop them in there. However, please note they are only open on Saturday mornings 10am to 12.

Thank you.

Kind Regards,

Jill

Please find attached weekly update for 16 April. 

Southern Water <SouthernWater@unitedinfrastructure.com>

Please find attached below a nomination form for the 2026 John Lutman Community Service Award.

Spare forms are also available at Hairbase and Village Hall.

Completed forms can be  emailed or posted to the clerk (address on form) or dropped off in the nomination boxes at Hairbase or Village Hall.

Good afternoon,

We’re working with Southern Water on a project to seal and line the sewers in Fairlight, and I’ll be the main point of contact for the works, which are currently planned to start in mid‑May.

To keep residents informed, we’re holding a drop‑in session at the Village Hall on Monday, where people can find out more about the scheme and ask any questions.

I’ve attached a poster for the session.  There’s also a letter drop going out today or tomorrow, so we’re making sure everyone’s covered.

Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions, and if not, I look forward to meeting you on Monday.

Roxanne Bittan

Customer Liaison Manager

roxanne.bittan@liningdivision.co.uk

Hi Everyone

We are holding our 56^th AGM, next Monday 13th April, 7:30pm at the Village Hall.

It will be a short meeting, followed by a quiz by Ron and Trevor.  Everyone is welcome.

Tea, coffee, and sandwiches will be served  before the quiz. If you wish to bring along your favourite tipple, please bring a glass also. J  (I don’t like washing up!)

There will also be information regarding our upcoming cabaret at the Fairlight Lodge, in June.

Cheers, Jill

The Fairlight Astronomers are meeting on 9^th April in the village hall, at 7.00pm. 

This evening, there will be a presentation titled “Going nowhere Fast!” Hear about Voyagers 1 & 2 from their Conception to the Cosmos.

Following the usual break for tea, coffee and cake, be prepared to be given your homework for the following month. Learn what is in the night sky for the rest of April and early May.

The Fairlight Astronomers warmly welcome anyone who wants to attend. 

Fairlight Astronomers 

Hello everyone

Tickets for the Fairlight Players’ Spring play, “Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em”, are now on sale.

Rehearsals are going very well, and the set is currently under construction in advance of the opening night, which is now less than three weeks away on Thursday 16th April. This production promises to be an extra-ordinary spectacle, with a brilliant script and all manner of surprises. At this stage, tickets are still available for all performances, but the most popular dates are filling up, so don’t delay.

As usual, you will be able to book online at Box office – Fairlight Players

Alternatively, call the ticket hotline on 07988 540757 or call into DISH at Fairlight Village Hall on Mondays between 11am and 1pm, when our lovely Sue will be delighted to help you.

We very much hope to see you there.

With very best wishes

Keith Miller 

Chairman, The Fairlight Players

Hello Everyone,

Some of you may have seen the three-part, real-life drama and Channel 4 programme series ‘Dirty Business’, which looks at the experiences of whistle-blowers and the wider practices of England’s water companies.

If you haven’t already seen it, it’s available on Channel 4 catch-up and may be of interest to anyone who would like to better understand how poor wastewater management, can impact our inland and coastal areas.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/dirty-business

Recent discussions in the media have also highlighted how discharges from treatment works can travel some distance depending on variable influences such as seasons, tides, weather conditions, temperature variations and strong winds & currents. This has been further illustrated by the recent modelled flow patterns, following the Eastbourne micro-bead sewer spill and that severely impacted Camber Sands and Rye Nature Reserve. This serious pollution event drifted as far as Dover — and beyond — and was eventually reported to have impacted areas as far afield as France.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=821941214136820

As many people in Fairlight regularly enjoy sea swimming and beach activities, it’s worth being aware that water quality can be influenced by a range of factors — not just the immediate presence or absence of a local outfall on the beach. Cumulative or repeated, untreated sewage spills can cause plumes and debris from treatment work’s that travel regionally. Spills from treatment works in Eastbourne, Pevensey, Bexhill and Hastings — as well as smaller Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) outfalls along the coast, including Rock ‘A’ Nore — can collectively drift along the English Channel under the influence of tidal currents. At times, this movement can occur quite close to the coastline and affect beaches some distance from the original source.

This post isn’t intended to discourage anyone from using our beaches, but simply to encourage greater awareness, that conditions can vary greatly and that these impacts are also not always so easily reduced by the perceived influences of dispersal or dilution.

If anyone notices anything unusual on the beach — such as sewage debris or pollution — it’s helpful to photograph it and report it to the relevant authorities immediately. (e.g. RDC, The Public Health department or the Environment Agency), including the exact location details. (Longitude/Latitude & What-Three-Words.) When making a report to an authority, please also ask for a reference number.

If you feel strongly about the issues raised in the programme, there are also a variety of organisations and forums where you can find more information or make your views known, by signing any number of different petitions.

Our local beaches are important shared spaces and are highly valued and locally protected under SSSI status. Let’s keep them that way, by staying informed and by helping everyone make their own decisions confidently and by reporting pollution incidences promptly.

Stay safe and best wishes,
M Sullivan

At 15.44 we were tasked by UK Coastguard to a report of a kite surfer in difficulty at Jury’s Gap, Camber.

Our volunteer crew assembled at the boathouse for the briefing and were on the water within 20 minutes. As they made the journey to the location, we received the news that the kite surfer had been able to get to shore with the help of members of the public and was being taken care of by crew at HM Coastguard Rye Bay.

As our lifeboat returned to station, the crew realised there was an issue with the engine. Once back at base, investigations revealed some serious complications.

We are now faced with an unexpected and significant cost to fix or replace, which we could really do without at this time. Our crew are determined to put in the hours to do what they can. But whichever option we choose, there will be a hefty sum attached.

We are not the RNLI. We do not have the luxury they have to be delivered with a new engine.

But we are determined to find the best and quickest way to get ourselves operational again. Our crew lose earnings to divert their time to keep us going.

So we are appealing to our community to please help if they can. We appreciate the support that you have invested in our new boathouse – but that becomes irrelevant if we can’t launch to serve.

Anything you can donate to help fix our lifeboat will help.

https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/charity/plirb

Dear Resident,
I am told that this application for 35 dwellings behind Pett Level Road / Waites Lane / Broadway will now not be heard by Rother’s Planning Committee before 29 May. 
Best wishes,
Andrew

Dear Resident

I am organizing a trip to see “Oliver the musical” at the Gielgud Theatre London.  You may have heard about this through other channels.  I still have a few empty seats to fill. If you are interested, please see the details below and don’t hesitate to contact me.

The actual cost of theatre seats varies on the dates of performances. The seats that I have reserved are priced at £119 on certain dates!  If you visit the theatre ticket prices you will see it is not a cheap show. I have reserved seats in the stalls around Row Q for £65.  Filtering in the travel costs, I am expecting a total of about £95 pp (hoping that fuel prices remain steady).  Leaving Fairlight at about 10.00am and returning from London at 8.00pm after an opportunity for a meal.

Those of you who attend Fairlight Players shows may remember the outstanding performance of James Miller as Tiny Tim in the production of Christmas Carol in 2024, well he is starring in “Oliver” at the Gielgud Theatre London as Oliver this Spring, but as expected child appearances are limited so I now have his dates so that is the reason for picking 20^th May 2.30pm matinee and it gives me a bit more time to organise a trip!  James also appeared on BGT last Saturday so you can watch him on YouTube or the ITV hub.

Kind regards

Trevor

Fairlight Trippers

01424 812340

trevor.lewing@btinternet.com

Churches Serving Fairlight

welcome you to our Easter Dementia-friendly worship at

St Peter’s Church on Wednesday April 1st.

See the poster attached for details.

Hope the sun is shining for the Easter Egg Hunt like it was today!  

Everyone is welcome.  

There will be an Easter egg trail for the children, hot cross buns and refreshments and crafts for all to enjoy.  

Donations welcome

REMINDER TO ALL CLUBS, GROUPS & ORGANISATIONS WITHIN FAIRLIGHT

If your club or group has anything you would like included in Fairlight Village Voice, any announcements etc, I need to have the details by Monday 12 noon, for publication in the online edition on Tuesday, and the Hastings Observer edition on Friday. 

In case you are not aware, Fairlight Village Voice is a weekly article, published in The Hastings Observer and online via SussexWorld. It is also available to read on Fairlight Focus. Together, it has a potential target reading of thousands of people. 

It is a totally free opportunity for you to raise awareness of your group and any events you might want to make public. All articles should be sent to fairlightvillagevoice@gmail.com.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Very Best wishes

Bob Scattergood

fairlightvillagevoice@gmail.com

Activate Youth Club would like to invite you to come and see the clubhouse now that much work has been done to repair and re-decorate the building. There are still a few jobs to do but it is looking GREAT!

Our A.G.M is on March 17th at 7.30pm but we would like you to come along at 7pm to view the building and enjoy a cup of coffee before the meeting. All welcome!

Busy Art craft morning for 5-8 year olds, 10:30 – 12noon, 21st March 2026. £2 per child.

I am pleased to inform you that tickets for our Spring play, “Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em”, are on sale as from today.

As usual, you will be able to book online at Box office – Fairlight Players

Alternatively, call the ticket hotline on 07988 540757 or call into DISH at Fairlight Village Hall on Mondays between 11am and 1pm, when our lovely Sue will be delighted to help you.

Whatever you do, please book your tickets early, as we anticipate that this fantastic play will sell out in record time.

We look forward to seeing you.

Keith Miller 

Chairman, The Fairlight Players

The Fairlight Astronomers are meeting on 12^th March, in the Village Hall at 7.00pm, all are welcomed. 

The evening will comprise a talk from Royston Morgan titled “From Wispy Clouds to Shining Stars” Hear how Stars are formed, and their life cycles. 

Ray Whitehouse will be setting the “Homework Session” giving you the opportunity to hunt for nighttime targets for the following month. 

Tea, coffee, and an assortment of cakes will be available, as usual. 

Hope to see you all there!

The Fairlight Astronomers 

FAIRLIGHT WINE & SOCIAL CLUB

Dear Resident,

At this Mondays meeting we welcome Kevin Newman who is going to tell us about “Scrumptious Sussex” – sounds mouthwatering.

If you are not a member yet this might encourage you to come along.

As a guest it will only cost you £5.00, but you could join for only £15.00 per annum.

In this year’s programme of events, we have some really good speakers, a wine tasting evening, quiz night and a race night -not bad for £15.00!  Also, a cabaret and comedy night at Fairlight Lodge and the usual Christmas party to look forward to at the end of the year. (the only club in the village to hold one !)

If you are interested, please contact me on 01424 812340, email:  jill.lewing@btinternet.com or simply turn up on Monday by 7.30pm in the Village Hall. Oh, did I mention tea and sandwiches are provided free, there is a raffle but please bring with you your tipple and a glass!

Cheers

Jill Lewing

Dear Members,

You will have noticed a yellow form sent out with the recent magazine.

Along with your annual subscription of £8, this form should be completed and returned to the FRA.

The UK’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) stipulates that personal data (ie name, address, email, telephone)  cannot be held for marketing purposes  (eg receipt of the magazine) without explicit consent.  

Without a signed form we cannot hold your data, therefore, it is important that you complete this form if you wish to be a member.

If you have lost the form a new one is attached below.  If you have not already completed this, please do so and either email back to this email address, or drop off at one of the addresses on the form.

Kind regards

Alison Thomas

Dear Fairlight,

Please find attached a poster advertising the Sussex Beekeepers’ Association’s annual Bee Market at Uckfield College on Saturday 9th May 2026 10am-4.30pm.  Entrance is £3 for adults, payable on the door (erroneously advertised as £2 on the poster- apologies!) and free for under 16s. There are talks (including workshops for children), craft and beekeeping related stalls and trade stands, and honey and wax products for sale.  If you have an interest in becoming a beekeeper, or just an interest in bees in general, please come along.

Kind regards

Sheila Fellows-Turnbull
Secretary, Hastings and Rother Beekeepers’ Association