Dear Parishioners,

The Annual Parish Meeting will be held in the Village Hall on Wednesday 3rd April commencing at 8pm. This will follow the Ordinary Parish Council Meeting.

As always, you are welcome to both meetings but particularly the Annual Parish Meeting commencing at 8pm where my short Annual Report will be followed by a presentation on Fraud Prevention by Claire Keys from the Economic Crime Unit of Cumbria Police.The main theme of  Claire’s presentation will be Keeping Safe on the telephone,online and on your doorstep.

The meeting will close with Public Participation for Electors to bring forward any issues followed by a glass of wine( or juice) nibbles.

The Councillors look forward to seeing you.

Best Wishes,

Steve Carman
Chairman  Helsington Parish Council

​stealingthunder.co.uk/storynights

​            sarahmcquaid.com/

Touki (“journey” in the Wolof language) is a tour de force in multi-instrumental musical exultation, during which the musicians joyously switch between kora (West African harp), banjos, guitars, percussion and other instruments, deploying powerful beats, driving grooves, and silky voices that leap from East to West Africa and across to America.
The influences are many, and rather than remaining in any one tradition, the Touki – the musical voyage itself – is the destination.

​Xanthe Gresham-Knight "Speaks like a woman spitting jewels!"
(Arts Council of England)

We're back and we're delighted to be bringing you a whole season of fantastic storytelling from across the UK.
 
Saturday 14th October , 7.30pm
Brigsteer Village Hall, LA8 8AL
 
Coming up in October we have the fabulous duo of Josh and Malcolm Green, who brought us Gone Cuckoo, with their further explorations into the place where the heart meets nature:
A Twist in the Path
Join father and son Malcolm and Joshua on an imagined walk through a familiar land, where in opening our senses to the everyday we unearth the mythic.  Where the trees, the stars, the birds and even our ancestors speak to us in the language of story and music, connecting the past to the present, along a twisted path to an uncertain
Made for adults, suitable for older children

Saturday 14th October , 7.30pm
Brigsteer Village Hall, LA8 8AL

£10 or £5 hardship
(cash or card on the door)


Coming up this season:

11th November - Xanthe Gresham-Knight
9th December - Chris Cook
13th January '24 - Phil Okwedy
10th February  - Sally Pomme Clayton
9th March - Daniel Morden

Here are the details of our next meeting 
Our speakers are Ruth Dalton and Andrew Walter on Farming and wildlife at Whinpot Farm, Crook. 
Wal and Ruth's Shetland cattle graze Brigsteer Bee Reserve to help the owners manage their land for biodiversity. They will tell us about their farm business and how they work with local landowners to manage habitats and produce high quality, pasture-fed beef. 
 
This is the last of our Open Meetings for the year so bring along your friends (from 8p.m.)

​Our Summer Sensational is all coming together nicely, so I’m really pleased to share the details with you now!
We know this will be popular so if you want to join us to see this great band, share a drink or two with neighbours, and enjoy a great evening, then please reserve your tickets asap, before it is promoted outside the village, in one of the following ways
Email [email protected]
Text or call Marion Cheeseborough or Ann Bryan

Just a reminder that Tea Shop is next Tuesday 30th May. It will be the last Tea Shop until the Autumn so pls drop by any time from 3.00pm onwards.

The Tea Shop Treasurer has been totting up and as a result of very generous donations at the Tea Shop sessions we have a surplus of funds. The Team have unanimously agreed that this should be passed on to a local charity and Manna House has been selected. Andrea from Manna House is looking forward to coming along to Tea Shop next week and receiving the cheque.

Hope to see you there

The Tea Shop Team.

The village hall AGM will take place on Monday 15th May at 7.30pm. We hope that you will join us. This is an important event: it gives us a chance to explain what we have done, what we plan to do and to take views on some of the challenges we face.

There will be light refreshments after the meeting to allow for informal follow-up.

Agenda
1. Attendance and Apologies
2. Minutes of the previous meeting - 2022 (attached)
3. Report by the Trustees - 2022
4. Finance - Accounts for 2022 (attached)
5. Election of Trustees
6. Future Plans - the maintenance plan and sinking fund; the green agenda; events
7. Vote of thanks
8. AOB - non notified to date

Trustee Nominations
We rotate our Trustees every three years to allow for new appointments. To date the only nominations we have are for the re-election of existing Trustees - we would welcome some new blood! We realise the commitment involved and would appreciate the help of anyone who would like to volunteer with a view to considering becoming a trustee in the future. Please think about it.

I look forward to seeing you on 15th May

Richard Bryan
Chair of Trustees
​
This  follows-up the formal notification circulated on 12th April 2023

We have a fabulous Swing/gypsy jazz band coming to the hall next month and hope as many of you as possible will join us to make this a special night. It’s a BYO event, doors open at 7pm for a 7.30 start.
Tickets can be purchased online at 
Highlights Rural Touring Scheme
Or reserve to pay on the door by contacting me on:
Telephone 07771 737629 (text please)
​Email: [email protected]

​Our next WI meeting is on Wednesday 10th May when our speaker for the evening is Tim Narey, who will be telling us all about The Eden Project North in Morecambe.
Tim was part of the original design team that created Eden in Cornwall in the 1990’s. He then left the UK to work overseas in Hongkong and has also worked in North America and the Middle East. He returned to join the Eden development team and is helping deliver the programme in Morecambe.

He will talk about the history of Eden Cornwall and how the Eden team and its partners are creating a second Eden in Morecambe and its unique visitor experience, design features and how it will contribute to Lancashire, Morecambe Bay and the North as a world-class visitor destination.

The meeting is open to all from 8pm - admission £3 including refreshments.

Prior to our speaker, members and any ladies who would like to join us, will enjoy a belated Coronation Toast as well as voting on this year's WI resolution - "clean rivers for people and wildlife". Please note this month's meeting starts at the earlier time of 7.15pm in the village hall. Call Sue or Liz on 07718 904082 or 07894 710014 for more information. 

Future Imperfect:     The Story of Kassandra
​​

The ​powerful tale of the cursed Trojan priestess, told by captivating storyteller, Lucy Lill.
Gobbed on by a god The
Blessed with the power to see the future
Cursed with never being believed
Meet Kassandra…
 
Following a path less trodden, Lucy Lill rakes through the ashes of a fallen city to find the story of those who knew exactly what was coming, but did nothing about it.
Age 14+ this story includes adult themes.
‘Delightful and charismatic’ - Time Out
 
Lucy Lill is a storyteller and performer based in London. She has told stories in museums, theatres, festivals, schools, and fields up and down the country for the National Theatre, the Crick Crack Club, Kew Gardens, The Wellcome Collection, Half Moon Children’s Theatre and many others. She co-produces events with Alys Torrance as Story Jam and is an associate lecturer at Central Saint Martins.
 
pay on the door - £10/8 (cash or card)
 
*** HALF PRICE TICKET IF YOU BRING A CAKE! ***

​If you are interested in what you eat and the connection between food and your health then you will be fascinated by Kate Roberts’ talk at the village hall on Monday, March 27th

Hi All
It seems like ages since the last Tea Shop get together, which was really fun with all the stalls. 
Tea Shop is back again next week, Tuesday 31st January from 3.00pm, but as a quieter, more relaxed event. 
We do have a couple of guest bakers though,  so please come along for tea & cake & a good catch up.
The Tea Shop Team