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Hughenden Village Community Association

First Meeting: Monday 16th March at 7.30pm

Large Hall, Hughenden Village Hall

Invitation to the Meeting

We would like to invite you to the first meeting of the Hughenden Village Community Association on Monday 16th March at 7.30pm in the Large Hall of Hughenden Village Hall. We will expound our ideas and introduce the first whole-village event.

From Peter Gieler:

I have been the current Chairman of Hughenden Village Hall for the past 2 years. I have lived in Hughenden for over 43 years and have been constantly involved in the local community and served for some years as a Parish Councillor. For some time I have been concerned with the various organisations working within the parish but running parallel to each other, rarely combining or working together. Since the Covid pandemic it has become difficult to attract volunteers, be it for the Village Hall, Residents Association, the shop or even the Parish Council. Our age profile concentrates on the elderly, missing our youth. We all need to widen our appeal and approach.

What then is a Village Community?

A village community is a small, typically rural human settlement where residents live in close proximity, often sharing a similar lifestyle and strong social ties. It acts as a primary, tight-knit group focused on mutual aid, with residents sharing local services, a common area, or a place of worship.

Hughenden does not meet these factors. We are a spread-out residential development without a typical village centre. Both the local church and the pub, usual meeting places for locals, are at extreme ends of the village and far from each other. The Village Hall sits fortunately in the middle and, with the shop and its café, attracts many visitors.

What is the Problem?

During the year there are several events organised by the local PTAs, the Residents Association, the Football Club, the local Drama Group, the Art Group and the Photographic Group. At each and every event we struggle to gather enough volunteers. Would it not make sense to have an association where we can support each other and make more residents aware of the community they reside in? We are fortunate to have two Primary Schools in or bordering Hughenden, but the Parish suffers from not having a secondary school. This makes communicating with our younger generations difficult.

Plans So Far:

Hughenden Valley Village Hall celebrates its 80th Birthday on 5th September 2026, which is a Saturday.

Events organised so far include:

Afternoon Event: Open Air Brass Band Concert with Chiltern Brass, Picnic in the Park, Children’s Fancy Dress

Evening Event: Decades Disco hosted by Bob, Jasper and Richard

All Day / Weekend Event: Photographic and painting exhibition of Hughenden in the last 80 years

We hope you will actively support this event and, in turn, we hope to be able to support events you organise.

Peter Gieler

Chairman, Hughenden Valley Village Hall

Poppy Appeal 2025

Thank you to all who welcomed me/donated to this year’s Poppy Appeal. This is the most we have raised in the valley since I began, possibly helped by having a phone app.

Road safety

I am passing on a message from Brian McCollum, who is not only the Road Rep for Cryers Hill but also a Parish Councillor, because he would like residents who supported the epetition last year that sought to reduce the speed from 50mph to 40mph to hear some positive news:-

At Full Parish Council last night it was approved that an application be made from the Parish Council to Bucks Council for an official speed assessment.  The Parish Council will also fund the cost.  If it proves successful, then the next stage will be to persuade Bucks Council to fund any signage changes but one step at a time!

Would you please, if you can, pass this message on to as many residents in your road or patch as possible in case they may have supported the epetition.

With many thanks

Kind regards

Rosemary

Coffee & Chat Morning. Support For Those Affected by Suicide

We would like to let you know about an upcoming Coffee & Chat Morning taking place at Bierton Crematorium on Saturday 6 December, from 10am–12pm, in partnership with Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS).

This gentle and supportive session offers a safe space for anyone affected by suicide to come together, share a coffee, and connect with others who understand. Trained volunteers will be available to offer support, guidance, and a listening ear.

The free community event is open to all and aims to provide a caring and understanding environment within the tranquil surroundings of Bierton Crematorium.

We would be grateful if you could please share details of this event within your own networks, and with any families or individuals who may find it of comfort or benefit.

Event details:

📅 Saturday 6th December. 10am- 12pm

📍 Bierton Crematorium, Cane End Lane, Bierton, Aylesbury, HP22 5BH

📞 01296 350 019

📩 Biertoncrem.csb@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

Thank you for your continued support in helping us reach those who may benefit from this meaningful event.

Kind Regards

Jodie Warren

Crematorium & Cemeteries Events Officer

Chilterns & Bierton Crematoria 

Communities Directorate

Buckinghamshire Council

Tel: 01494 724263

www.chilternscrematorium.co.uk

Tel: 01296 350019

www.biertoncrematorium.co.uk

Hughenden Village Hall Committee’s Guided Walk – 2nd June

This is to let you know that the Village Hall Committee’s annual Guided Walk to see the abundant flora and fauna that exists around the playing field and chalk slope will take place next Monday evening, 2nd June.  For those of you who may be interested, please meet in the car park outside the Small Hall at 7.00pm (NOT 7.30pm) and refreshments will be provided after the walk.

HAGA Meeting – Friday 30 May 2025 at 8.00pm

Looking forward to seeing as many of you that can make the HAGA meeting on this coming Friday, 30 May 2025 at 8.00pm.   

John Tyler will be talking to us on “In the forests of Borneo”.  The tropical rainforests of Borneo are among the richest and most ancient on Earth, home to Orangutans, headhunting tribes and a wealth of colourful wildlife.  In John’s illustrated talk we will meet some of the forest residents, discover the threats that they face and see how their future depends on us.

Norma Hill and Barbara Blackett will be serving the tea and coffee.

At this meeting you will be able to sign up for the remaining 2 day visits we have organised for 2025, as follows:

  • Saturday 26 July 2025 – Cambridge University Botanic Garden

For those who already have their names down for this trip, please note on the sign-up sheet whether or not you would like to join the guided tour of the Botanic Garden at an additional cost of £7 per person;

  • Wednesday 3 September 2025 – Barn Farm Plants Garden Centre & The National Herb Centre.

As there is no HAGA meeting at the end of June, Friday is the last meeting at which you can sign up for the trip to Cambridge University Botanic Garden.  After that you are welcome to contact me to sign up for either trip (Diana Dove diana.dove@btinternet.com)

Hughenden News Summer 2025

We are starting to put together the Summer edition of Hughenden News.  We welcome articles on almost any topic related to life in Hughenden Valley, Bryants Bottom & Cryers Hill, and a bit wider afield! So if you run a club or society, have attended or are planning an event (Do you have any good pictures from VE Day street parties?), or think that there is a topic that should be brought to a wider audience then do get writing.

We would like to hear your stories about village life, growing up in the village, are you “valley born” or “just arrived”, & do you have any photos to share – ancient or modern? We can help you develop the text.

Please send material, by 14th June to magazine@hughendenresidents.org . Also use that address if you have any questions.

Please provide photographs & graphics as separate files to the text.

Finally, some previous editions of the magazine are available on-line at https://hughendenresidents.org/magazine/