Forthcoming copy dates

2026 copy dates for Hurst Life magazine

November’s Hurst Life
Copy date 13th October
Delivery between 24th - 30th October

December’s Hurst Life
Copy date 10th November
Delivery between 21st - 27th November

2027 copy dates for Hurst Life magazine

January
Copy date 8th December
Delivery between 19th - 24th Dec

February
Copy date 12th January
Delivery between 23rd - 29th Jan

March
Copy date 9th February
Delivery between 20th -26th Feb

April
Copy date 9th March
Delivery between 20th - 26th Mar

May
Copy date 13th April
Delivery between 24th - 30th April

June
Copy date 11th May
Delivery between 22nd - 28th May

July
Copy date 8th June
Delivery between 19th - 25th June

August
Copy date 13th July
Delivery between 24th - 30th July

September
Copy date 10th August
Delivery between 21st - 27th Aug

October
Copy date 14th September
Delivery between 18th - 24th Sept

November
Copy date 12th October
Delivery between 23rd - 29th Oct

December
Copy date 16th November
Delivery between 27th - 3rd Dec

Danny House Bonfire & Fireworks

Welcome to Hurst Life’s Hurstpierpoint Bonfire Night event page. Here you will find our most recent information for everything bonfire and fireworks at Danny House, Danny Park, New Way Lane, BN6 9BB.

See also, Danny House Bonfire & Fireworks

Danny House Bonfire & Fireworks 2026

Get ready for an explosive evening of family fun at the 29th annual family fireworks event in the grounds of Danny House, organised by Hurstpierpoint Gymnastics Club.
Join us on the 1st November, 2026, for a night to remember!

Every penny raised goes directly towards benefiting the local community. Your contribution will support Oldland Windmill, Albourne, Birchwood Grove, London Mead, Southway, Hassocks Infant School, St. Lawrence CE Primary, St Wilfrids Burgess Hill and Hurstpierpoint Gym Club.

Indulge in mouthwatering treats from the renowned Hassocks Pub, serving up a delectable BBQ spread that's sure to satisfy every palate. It's a feast fit for fireworks!

Event Details

Gates open at 4pm, so come early and grab a prime spot!
The mesmerising fireworks display begins at 5:30pm, promising a breathtaking show that will light up the night. Provided by Aurora Fireworks Bonfire by Oldland Windmill follows.
Danny Park, New Way Lane, BN6 9BB.

Ticket Information

Family Ticket: £20 (2 adults & 3 children)
General Admission Adult/Child Ticket: £8
Under 3s: Free

Parking Information

Limited Parking will be made available for "Registered Blue Badge Holders" please show badge on entry.

Book your tickets now!

Hurst villagers protest new builds threat

By Laura Galloway

More than 100 residents gathered on the Village Green recently to protest controversial proposals to construct over 5,900 new houses across Hurstpierpoint, Sayers Common, and Albourne.

Organised jointly by the Keep Hurst A Village campaign and the College Lane Action Group, the demonstration highlighted fears over the devastating impact mass housebuilding would have on the community. Campaigners warned that existing village infrastructure is already buckling under severe strain, with residents plagued by daily traffic gridlock, recurring water issues, and prolonged waits for GP appointments. Introducing thousands of additional properties, they argued, would push essential services beyond their limits.

Beyond strained public services, protesters also voiced alarm over the physical destruction of the local landscape and plans that would erase the border separating Hurstpierpoint from neighbouring Hassocks, merging the two villages. The rally formed part of an ongoing drive to raise public awareness, which encouraged villagers to submit formal objections before the public consultation deadline. Although that initial consultation window has now closed, both action groups have pledged to maintain their momentum, with campaigners vowing to continue the fight to protect their community. The groups have also set up a website, www.keephurstavillage.co.uk for news and updates.

End of an era for Pierpoint Pet Supplies

Pierpoint Pet Supplies closed its doors in September, ending a period of 36 years serving the village and its animal lovers. Andrée had worked in the shop since she was 18, with a small break but it has been in her family all that time. “I have mixed emotions,” said Andrée, “the lease is up and it is not worth renewing. We will miss all the customers; we are lucky, not all retailers get lovely customers, but they are animal people and they are lovely people.” Covid accelerated the changing habits of customers, especially the younger generation, with online orders and deliveries becoming more normal. “Foot fall is down about two thirds from five years ago,” commented Lee. “Things are not going to stay the same,” added Andrée “and things are supposed to change, if everything stayed the same everyone would be bored silly.” A fire in the shop was a low point although it bought a regenerated shop and they were able to trade from Washbrooks during that turbulent time. To thank them, Debbie Clare instigated a GoFundMe page for Andrée and Lee which has raised over £3,200. “We can’t believe how much people have given it’s been amazing - thank you very much everybody.” Andrée will be working full time for a butcher in Partridge Green whilst Lee will assess his options and they will both miss Hurstpierpoint but promise to still come and visit.

Hurst Festival

Welcome to Hurst Life’s Hurst Festival event page. Here you will find our most recent information for the two week September festival.

A registered charity, Hurst Festival was conceived in 2004 by a merry band of friends over dinner, impressed by the wealth of talent in our village. It has one aim; to provide people with two weeks of enjoyment in September during which we can meet each other, experience something new and feel connected to our community.

See also, Hurst Festival

The 2026 Hurst Festival will be held in the last two weeks of September, 12th to 27th September.

One festival, two weeks

By Susan Eskdale, Hurst Festival manager

Hurst Festival will be bringing events to venues large and small from 12th – 27th September. We open on the 12th with our first big gig, a great night at Holy Trinity Church, “The Lack of Commitments’ who promise us a show; be prepared to dance to soul and Motown hits.

If the music of Take That is more your preference, we have ‘Always 4 -Take That’ who will be our last big Saturday event on 27th . In between we have a varied programme including an evening with local poets on 15th at The New Inn and a clarinet duo on 21st at Bearstakes.

There is the opportunity to learn about ‘Building Better High Streets’ at Lyona Lounge on 16th and ‘Reading for Wellbeing’ at Nixons on 13th.

Bigger events include on both Fridays a comedy from ‘Funny That’, Stephen Grant has programmed a fantastic selection of comedians. At Court Bushes on 19th The Highway Sun will be performing classic and modern country favourites, accompanied by Faith Fallon from Dance The Line Uk for a fun and inclusive evening.

As well as that, we have great offerings from the Village Cinema – ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ and ‘Flow’ an animation. We also have theatre with ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’ in the first Festival week and ‘Ghost Stories Theatre’ on 23rd, both at the Players Theatre.

Super Sunday is on 20th. Our free community day will include circus performances and workshops and a display by 60 young people from Hurstpierpoint gymnastics club. There will be the opportunity to learn about bee keeping, enjoy music from ‘Dukes’ and ‘Breeze In’ And there will be free face painting!

Take part in fun inflatables games including the obstacle course. There will also be an array of food and drink offers including the Hurst Festival bar and artisans selling fabulous crafts and high-quality gifts.

New for 2026 you have the chance to win £100 via the Festival 100 club, you can buy your number before the first draw at Super Sunday. Full details at www.hurstfestival.org

Hurst Festival approaches

By Susan Eskdale, festival manager

By now the Hurst Festival 2026 brochure, taking place from 12th to 27th September, will have been delivered to local homes and shops. With a broad programme we believe there is something for everyone. On 18th July tickets went on general sale via www.hurstfestival.org, where you can also see the full programme.

This year we are thrilled to partner with Cuckfield Book Festival to bring you an evening with Author Zadie Smith.

We have big music events on the three Saturday nights: ‘Lack of Commitments’ promise an unforgettable evening of classic soul, whilst ‘Always 4 – Take That’ recreate the bands hits and choreography. Both evenings will get you up on your feet and dancing and at Court Bushes ‘The Highway Sun’ along with Faith Fallon from The Line UK bring a family friendly evening which will get you on your feet, get out your cowboy boots and Stetsons.

There are other gigs on weekday evenings and we have the always popular comedy nights on both Fridays.

Join us at Super Sunday on 20th September at the Recreation ground, there will be entrainment throughout the day starting with the young people from Hurstpierpoint Gymnastics club sharing their talents by putting on a display. Independent vendors will offer a wide range of activities, food and drinks alongside the fully stocked Hurst Festival bar.

We are indebted to our fabulous volunteers, who ensure the Festival is a success and the Festival Committee and Trustees who work year around. We are always keen to welcome new committee members who are keen to work with us to plan the Festival, If you are interested, please contact us at info@hurstfestival.org We look forward to seeing you in September.

Colin retires as Hurst Festival director

By Michel Olszewski, Chair of Trustees Hurst Festival

Hurst Festival was very fortunate to have Colin Matthews as a member of the team when he joined thirteen years ago. His experience of managing events and his many years as a member of the Brighton Festival Fringe organising committee has helped our Festival to become such a success, as well as a much anticipated annual event. Colin is a village boy having been born and brought up in the village and there is no doubt that his local knowledge and contacts have been of enormous help in developing and planning the festival.

Colin reflected on his proudest achievement: “Seeing the community enjoying major arts events in the Holy Trinity church. I got a real buzz from seeing over 200 audience members enjoying themselves.” He plans to do more travelling now, both in his campervan and abroad, especially visiting his children in America.

Colin has now handed the baton to Festival Manager Susan Eskdale, who has shadowed him over the past year and we will all certainly miss his calm approach, meticulous planning and guidance.

The 2026 Hurst Festival will be held in the last two weeks of September. Please do feel free to contact Susan if you have any ideas for events or would like to join the Festival committee - manager@hurst festival. org. We are always looking for volunteers to help during the festival; if you would like to join this enthusiastic team, please contact Belinda Sharp at volunteers@hurstfestival.org.

Festival looking to fill roles

By Michel Olszewski, Chair of Trustees
Following another successful year, Hurst Festival is in the process of putting together the programme for 2026, our 22nd year. Our original objectives remain the same: a Festival planned by the community for the whole of the community and we are actively seeking support and ideas from everyone. Join us in this exciting, stimulating and enjoyable journey by considering joining us in any of the following roles:
Trustees - Hurst Festival is a registered Charity and we are currently seeking applications for new trustees. Being a Trustee is a stimulating and rewarding role and you would be joining a group of local, committed and very friendly people. If you are interested or want to hear more, please contact Michel on michelhurst3@gmail.com.
Festival committee - the Festival is planned and run by an enthusiastic and active committee. Susan, our Festival manager would love to hear from you if you would like to consider joining or would like to hear more about this enjoyable and friendly team. Contact Susan at manager@hurstfestival.org.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support, encouragement and positive feedback.

Befriended warmly invites you to tea in Hurst

By Sally Allison

If you’re looking for a friendly afternoon out or know someone who would enjoy a little company then Befriended warmly invites you to our popular monthly tea party, held on the third Sunday of every month from 3pm to 5pm at Court Bushes Community Hub, on Willow Way.

Befriended is a local charity with the mission of ending loneliness and isolation among older people across Sussex. Our tea parties are a wonderful opportunity to make new friends, enjoy good conversation and become part of a welcoming community.

Each afternoon includes a fun quiz, delicious homemade afternoon tea, birthday celebrations for those marking their birthday that month and live entertainment to keep everyone smiling. Whether you come on your own or with a friend, you’ll receive a warm welcome.

There is a suggested donation of £5, which helps us continue providing these much-loved community gatherings and supporting older people who may be feeling lonely or isolated.

We would love to welcome you. Come along, share some laughter, enjoy a scrumptious afternoon tea, and experience the joy of friendship in your local community.

Discover new artists with Hurst Open Studios

Hurst Open Studios returns as part of Hurst Festival on 12th–13th and 19th–20th September, inviting local residents and visitors to step inside artists’ homes and discover the work of more than 25 talented artists from Hurstpierpoint and the surrounding area.

Pick up a map and follow your own trail around the village, meeting painters, ceramicists, photographers, printmakers and other creatives in their homes, studios and exhibition spaces. Many venues will be serving tea and cake, making it the perfect way to spend a relaxed early autumn weekend while supporting local artists.

Whether you’re showing off Hurstpierpoint to visiting friends and family or simply rediscovering your own village, Hurst Open Studios is a wonderful opportunity to explore what many consider one of the prettiest villages in Sussex. Entry is free, with original paintings, prints, ceramics, cards and other handmade pieces available to buy at a range of prices. Please note that some venues are only open for one weekend, so be sure to check the map and artist listings online or follow on Instagram.

www.hurstfestival.org/hurst-open-studios

Hurstpierpoint and District Horticultural Society seeks members

The Hurstpierpoint and District Horticultural Society, established in 1886, provides an opportunity to socialise with members from all walks of life with an interest in gardening, sharing problems and advice. Annual membership is £5 and everyone is welcome, whether an experienced gardener or a complete beginner, wanting to learn!

Meetings are at 7.45pm at the Village Centre on the 2nd Tuesday of each month from January to April, plus September and October, featuring guest speakers talking about gardens, horticulture and associated subjects, and are open to members and non-members alike. A small admission charge includes refreshments. During the summer months group outings are arranged to places of interest and shows are held in the spring, summer and autumn, with the next one on 12th September.

These shows are highlights in the gardening year. There are classes for flowers, fruit and vegetables, handicrafts, cookery and photography, plus classes for children to take part, all free to enter, so the event is a family affair. Details are published in a Show Schedule available at meetings or from Rhubarb Greengrocers. Do not be frightened to enter, even if your produce is not ‘perfect’ as there are all levels of entries! Visitors delight in seeing the colourful displays and you may win a small cash prize. Cups and medals are also awarded. There is a small admission charge for each show, refreshments are available and a raffle. At the end many exhibits are auctioned so you may get a bargain!

Members experience varying degrees of gardening success and are happy to help others with their horticultural efforts! The wonderful gardens around the village make it a special place to live, so maybe you would like to join!

For further information call Tom (01273 834087) or email hhs1886@btinternet.com.

Joining Hurst High Street - The Hurst Clinic

Liana Stemp, who has lived in Hurst for eight years, has expanded her aesthetics business and moved into the High Street, in the unit formally used by garden designer Juliet Sargeant, next to Fuel coffee. Liana has been working in aesthetics for almost 20 years and has owned her established clinic, Clinic 33 in Hove, since 2012.

“I opened The Hurst Clinic to offer more local availability and, as a mum, to create a better worklife balance that allows me to spend more time with my daughter while continuing to provide the highest standard of care to my clients. I’d been established elsewhere in Hurst for the past three years, but as the clinic continued to grow through word of mouth and recommendations, I knew it was time to expand into a larger, purpose-designed space.”

When the High Street Unit became available, she knew it would be a perfect fit and would give her the opportunity to create a dedicated clinic designed specifically around advanced skin treatments and client care. The Hurst Clinic specialises in advanced regenerative aesthetics, using medical-grade technologies to help restore healthier, stronger and more youthful-looking skin naturally and further strengthens Hurst’s reputation as the health and wellbeing centre in West Sussex.

The treatments she offers include skin laxity, fine lines, uneven skin texture, scarring, pigmentation, rosacea, acne, thread veins and benign skin lesions such as skin tags, warts and verrucas. “While facial rejuvenation forms the core of my work, I also offer advanced body treatments including skin tightening, body contouring and cellulite reduction. Every client is different, so careful consultation, honest advice and achieving natural-looking results have always been at the heart of the way I work.”

Appointments can be booked in person or by visiting www.thehurstclinic.co.uk or by emailing liana@ thehurstclinic.co.uk.

Hurstpierpoint's St Lawrence Fair

Welcome to Hurst Life’s St Lawrence Fair event page. Here you will find our most recent information for everything regarding the fair.

Since the 14th century, the village of Hurstpierpoint has celebrated the Feast of St Lawrence with a village fair. The fair is one of the oldest in the United Kingdom.

See also, St Lawrence Fair

Fair day 2027 will be confirmed asap.

What a fabulous Fair weekend!

By Lona McDonald

Once again, our village turned out in force once to celebrate one of the longest-running fairs in the country - and what a celebration it was! A glorious sunny weekend which added to the festive feel; thanks to Harris’s Old Tyme Amusements for sharing this with us again.

A special shoutout goes to all our incredible volunteers and supporters, who gave their time, energy and enthusiasm - whether putting up posters, helping set up, marshalling roads, tidying up at the end, providing food and drink - we owe you a HUGE thank you, we really couldn’t do it without you!

We also couldn’t do this without financial support, a big part of which comes from our amazing sponsors who advertise with us in the programme. In particular, I’d like to thank our main sponsors this year, Chatt Estates, Sussex Stoneworks, Haydenswan Eyecare, Earlswood Homes, Hawthorn Vets, Hurstpierpoint Society and PSP Homes. An additional thanks toes to the Parish Council and Hurstpierpoint Community Charity Shop for their generous grants.

Whilst we are a small committee, it actually takes a village to make the fair the success it is. And we are recruiting! We would welcome new committee members, and also volunteers who are happy to help us out throughout the year and in particular over fair weekend itself. If you’re interested or would like to find out more, please get in touch by email at stlawrencefair@gmail.com…we look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you, once again, to our incredible village for making the fair what it is - a true celebration of amazing community spirit. Wishing you all a lovely summer, and looking forward to 2027!

St Lawrence Fair – a crib sheet

With the Fair just around the corner, we thought we would summarise timings and the procession route, so that everyone can enjoy this wonderful event to the full. On Friday 3rd from 12.30pm to 2.30pm there is the Teddy Bear’s Picnic at the South Avenue Rec. Also, for the young ones later that evening, from 5.30pm to 6.45pm, it is the Junior Disco. Alongside this from 6pm – 10.30pm, it is Hurst Band Night, in what has become a traditional lively Friday night event on the Rec.

On Saturday 4th, road closures on the High Street will be in place with advance notices. The processions leave Marchant Road at 1pm, accompanied by a peal of bells, and goes down Cuckfield Road, up Western Road and then up the High Street to South Avenue. Can all those residents on the route please find temporary parking off road, to ensure a safe passage for the parade.

The arena stalls and Fun Fair opens at 12noon and then follows a Burgess Hill Musical Theatre Society performance at 12.45pm. At 1.30pm, the Fun Run starts from the Village Green. At 2pm, the procession arrives in the arena with prize presentations for best dressed. Create Space Studios perform at 2.30pm, Fun Run prize giving at 3pm, Agnes M Dance perform at 3.20pm and the Tug of War starts at 3.45pm. The raffle draw winner is announced at 4.40pm and the Grand Finale, with audience participation at 4.45pm.

Full details are in the St Lawrence Fair leaflet distributed with Hurst Life last month. Have a great and safe Fair day!

St. Lawrence Fair is fast approaching…

By Lona McDonald

Hello, Hurstpierpoint! St Lawrence Fair is almost upon us – 3rd and 4th July – we hope you’re looking forward to it as much as we are. Preparations are well under way, and there will be lots going on in the lead up to and over fair weekend, so have a look at the details below and in the Fair Programme (which is being distributed with this edition of Hurst Life to Hurstpierpoint residents) - a huge thank you to the Hurst Life team for organising this.

Stall holders: there are still some slots available - to book please get in touch at stlawrencefair.stalls@ gmail.com; we’d love to see you at the Fair. Procession entries: local groups of any age, young or grown up, we’d love you to be a part of one of the oldest Fairs in the country; it’s not too late to register - please drop us an email at slf.procession@gmail.com; the theme of ‘festivals from around the world’ offers lots of options!

Throughout June, wander along the High Street and sample some delicious food and drink from our wonderful High Street venues taking part in the St Lawrence Fair Food & Drink Trail - see the programme for more details.

If you go down to the High Street today…can you spot all of the named Teddy Bears in our Teddy Bear Trail? Entry forms available on our website, from a couple of High Street shops (TBC) and the library.

Back again this year, the ever-popular Dog Show, sponsored by Heath Vets, will be held at the Scout HQ on Sunday 21st June, 11.30am.

Tug of war: always a crowd favourite in the arena, this is your chance to get a team together and be part of a friendly competition - will the reigning champs, Bridgers Farm, return to defend their title? Whether you’re representing your workplace, a pub, club or just rounding up a team of mates, we’d love to have you on the rope. Drop us an email at stlawrencefair.com to register your team’s interest.

Finally, a huge thank you to our main sponsors: Chatt Estates, PSP Homes, Sussex Stoneworks, Hawthorne Vets, HPP Society, Hayden Swan Opticians and Earlswood Homes. And all our other sponsors, advertisers, volunteers and helpers; your generosity, support and time given ensures the Fair goes ahead for another year!

We look forward to seeing you over Fair weekend (3rd-4th July)!

Hurst local to attempt National Three Peaks Challenge

Rich Lucas, personal trainer and founder of local gym Sapien Training will be taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge with a unique twist – completing the entire challenge barefoot to raise money for the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) Association. The challenge involves climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon, the three highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales, within 24 hours. “I’m a big advocate of barefoot science; as a PT and gym owner, I believe that healthy foot and ankle movement facilitates healthy whole-body movement. I also spend an unreasonable amount of time in tiny climbing shoes or mountain boots with crampons, so going barefoot felt like a nice change!”

Rich is undertaking the challenge in honour of his mum, Jane, who was diagnosed with PSP in 2021. PSP is a rare neurological condition that affects balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing. Despite its devastating impact on families, it remains underfunded and frequently misdiagnosed.

Rich will be accompanied by his fiancé Rosie, who will be doing the driving portion of the mission, and together hope to raise awareness of PSP while fundraising for the PSP Association, which provides support services, information and research funding for those affected by the condition.

“The biggest challenge is undoubtedly the logistics and travel on the day; last week I did Snowdon at 5am just to get a parking space and a clear uninterrupted run to the top.

I got a lot of donations from people on the mountain and to save time I dish out poker chips with a QR code to the donation page!”

Please support Rich using this QR code.

Sayers Common Village Fête launches this 2026

The inaugural Sayers Common village fête will take place on 13th June from 2-6pm at Reeds Lane Recreation Ground.

Shaun Hole, who represents Sussex Vale Rotary, Sayers Common Community Shop and Sayers Common Village Hall in various capacities, has been one of the driving forces, along with others colleagues from the Sayers Common Society. “All the other local villages have their fête or fairs, and we thought it would be good to get all the local organisations together, such as the Sayers Common Society, Rotary, Shop and Village Hall, who do great and perhaps unheralded work in the community, to start a new event for the village.”

Amongst other things, there will be classic cars, a dog show, a cake stall (with a competition being judged by the Keymer & Hassocks WI), you can play pétanque with the Twinning Association and Straw Dogs will be playing live. All proceeds of the fête will go to St Peter and James hospice.

Shaun and team are confident that it will be a success. “We will start off small and let it grow organically but the Jubilee celebrations showed that we can put an enjoyable and safe event on in the village.”

There will be road closures on the day, so see online for details nearer the time.

Hurst Rethink swift and house martin nesting project

By Rebecca Rees

Our 2026 Hurst Rethink Swift and House Martin nesting project is well underway for spring 2026 with Phase 3 seeing the installation of 22 House Martin nest cups and a further 12 Swift nest boxes.

This year, we decided to focus on supporting the House Martins who have a small stable colony of 12 natural nests along the High Street. By putting up artificial nest cups we are giving the returning birds permanent nesting sites and this will encourage them to stay and boost their breeding numbers. It saves the birds a lot of time and energy after their long migration that would otherwise be used gathering mud to build their nests.

Local ecological expert Paul Stevens has spent a busy two days in the village in early April fitting the house martin and swift nest boxes. We were lucky to see the arrival of the first house martins on 9th April, who immediately started visiting their nests above the row of shops on the High Street.

The 12 swift boxes have been fitted to houses within the successful swift nesting area to provide more nests for the years to come as we expect the colony to continue to expand across Western Road, Cuckfield Road, Weald Close and Wilderness Road. Since the project started in 2023, we have f itted 35 swift boxes. It is now said to be one of the most successful swift nesting projects in the county.

We would like to thank all the householders who have shown so much enthusiasm for the project by agreeing to host nest boxes on their houses and we are very grateful to the parish council and Sussex Ornithological Society (SOS) who provided grants to help us fund the nests.

Hurstpierpoint Tennis Club summer camps

By Jonny Goodall and Keith Pullin

A brilliant winter season for Hurstpierpoint Tennis Club concluded recently in the Sussex County league, and things couldn’t have gone much better! We did amazingly, with our top three teams all winning promotion; that’s for both our mens’ and ladies’ teams.

Our men’s 1st team beat the Weald 4-0 in their final match, to finish as division 2 champions. This means we’ll now compete in Sussex’s top league division 1, in both the summer and winter competitions for men’s tennis.

Our men’s 2nd and 3rd teams also won promotion, reaching their highest ever divisions 3 and 6 respectively. Meanwhile, our ladies’ 1st team finished as champions of division 6. Our ladies’ 2nd and 3rd teams also won promotion. Amazing!

The standard at the club has improved enormously in recent years with our lovely new clay courts. We now move onwards to our summer season. With our renovated clubhouse and viewing deck almost complete we welcome spectators. We have a great summer of tennis ahead so come and join the fun this summer at Hurstpierpoint Tennis Club.

We welcome you to play tennis on our fantastic artificial clay courts and unwind in our fantastic new clubhouse, opening soon. Our adult programme includes team training, social tennis, cardio sessions, and group coaching. Juniors are also catered for at every stage, from tiny tots to teenager performance squads.

Don’t miss our Junior summer tennis camps on 23rd24th July, 27th- 29th July and 3rd-7th August. We are also hosting club open mornings and adult tournament afternoons on Saturday 23rd May and 20th June.

Hurstpierpoint Scouts seek volunteers

By Sonia Hudson

It has been an incredible start to 2026 for the young people of Hurstpierpoint. If you’ve spotted a few more colourful scarves around the village lately, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. Since 2025, our youth membership numbers have climbed to new heights, proving that the appetite for adventure, community, and skill-building is stronger than ever in our local area. However, we find ourselves at a bittersweet crossroads. While our ranks are growing, our ‘grown-up’ team needs a boost to keep pace.

The ‘Good Problem’ we’re facing is that our current sections are buzzing with energy, but to maintain the high quality of activities - and to ensure every child gets the attention they deserve - we need more hands on deck. Simply put: we have the young people, but we lack the adult capacity to open the doors any wider.

We currently have a waiting list of eager youngsters wanting to join the fun. Our dream is to open new sections to accommodate everyone, but we simply cannot do that without a solid foundation of volunteers.

You don’t need to be an expert in knots or a wilderness survivalist to make a difference. We are looking for local heroes to fill three vital areas:
• Front-Line Legends: helping out at weekly meetings. Whether you can commit to every week or just once a month on a rota, your presence allows us to run safe, exciting sessions.
• Behind-the-Scenes Stars: our group needs ‘back office’ support - people to help with administration or keeping our HQ in top shape, so our Scouts have a great place to meet.
• Media Manager: are you handy with a camera or social media? We need someone to help tell our story and share the amazing things our young people achieve.

Volunteering isn’t just about giving back; it’s about being part of the energy that shapes the next generation of our village.
Why join us? Well, aside from the undeniable feelgood factor, volunteering with us is a brilliant way to meet your neighbours, learn new skills, and take a break from the daily grind. Whether you’re a parent, a local professional, or recently retired, your life experience is the most valuable asset you can bring.

The goal is simple: more volunteers mean more sections. More sections mean no child in Hurstpierpoint has to stay on a waiting list. If you can spare even two hours a month, we’d love to chat with you about how you can fit into our team. Let’s make sure 2026 is the year we say ‘yes’ to every young person who wants to join the adventure.

To find out more or to drop in for a chat, please contact: Sonia (Group Lead Volunteer) Email: enquiries@hurstpierpointscouts.co.uk
Web: www.hurstpierpointscouts.co.uk

Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Parish Council news - May 2026

Hurst Meadows News

Spring has certainly arrived in Hurst Meadows. Chaffinches, skylarks, song thrushes and many of our other resident and visiting birds have been singing away for the last few weeks, attracting a mate or advertising their territory. We are also seeing the first butterflies f litting about in the sunshine and bats will have come out of hibernation and be visible at dusk.

The range of different habitats the Meadows now provide: from flowering meadow to scrub to hedgerows and woodland provides a rich variety of food and shelter to many species including small mammals and numerous insects.

In the grand scheme of things though, Hurst Meadows is a very small area of countryside and cannot provide everything our local flora and fauna needs on its own. You can really help to build on our good work supporting local wildlife through managing your own garden for nature. There are lots of ideas for how to do this online e.g. on the RSPB website or on programmes such as David Attenborough’s Secret Garden. Key actions are mowing less often, preferably leaving an area of grass uncut from May until September, avoiding using pesticides so our birds have plenty of insects to feed their young, encouraging trees, hedges and climbers and planting pollinator-friendly plants and seeds. If we all do this then we can hopefully leave a rich natural legacy to our children and future residents.

Carpark Charging

The latest update from MSDC is that the proposed parking charges for the Hurstpierpoint carparks have been further delayed and will not be implemented on 1st May as originally planned. As we go to press, no further information regarding any new timetable was available. We continue to press for updates, and these will be circulated via our website and Facebook pages as well as in future Hurst Life editions.

Hurstpierpoint House Martins

In the summer, particularly in the early evening, you may be lucky enough to see groups of house martins hunting for insects over Hurst Meadows and then returning to their nests with food for their chicks. We are fortunate to have a resident group of these lovely birds in the centre of Hurstpierpoint who return every year from migration to breed in our village. A Parish Council Sustainable Communities Grant of Swift leaving its Hurstpierpoint nest box Photo: © Paul Evans £500 was recently awarded to Hurst Rethink towards their house martin nest cups project. House martin numbers nationally are in decline partly because insect numbers have plummeted but also because they are unable to build their distinctive nests on the modern materials that we use on the roof overhangs of our buildings.

Artificial nest cups are designed to be fitted onto suitable eaves in areas where there is already a local house martin colony to assist with successful breeding. In doing this, Hurst Rethink are hoping to build on the success of their Save our Swifts project which successfully improved our numbers of breeding swifts by providing nest boxes. Both species of bird have bred in our village for hundreds of years and add immensely to the character of our locality every summer, so we wish them every success with this new project.

To read the full newsletter, please pick up a copy of May’s Hurst Life or click the images to enlarge them.

Your nearest defibrillator in Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common

Click to enlarge

At Hurst Life, we’d like to encourage everyone living and working in the village to familiarise themselves with the sites of the life-saving defibrillator machines and learn how to use them.

An estimated 60,000 people each year in the UK have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and, sadly, less than 10% of those people will survive. Yet if a bystander is able to start CPR, they could double a person’s chances of survival.

Hurstpierpoint has seven machines: one on the outside wall at the Fairfield Rec on Cuckfield Road, another is situated at the bowls club on South Avenue Rec, a third is inside the medical centre on Trinity Road and one is mounted on the wall in the alleyway next to Morley’s on the High Street. There are also defibs available at Court Bushes Community Hub and the Village Centre. Both of these units can be unlocked by a code given by the 999 operator.
Another defibrillator was installed in the village, paid for by Burgess Hill Lions, is located at the St Peter & St James Hospice Distribution Centre on Albourne Road.
The most recent defibrillator has been installed at the Sportsman Pub in Goddards Green. The unit was kindly donated by Downlands School.

In Sayers Common, there is one on the outside wall of the Community Shop (by the door to the hall), while in Albourne there is one inside the primary school, in the gym of Wickwoods Country Club (up Shaves Wood Lane) and one mounted on the outside wall of Albourne Village Hall, to the right of the entrance doors. Not all of these will be available 24/7 but the outside ones listed (pictured) should be.

All of the machines are portable and contain full instructions. Plus, if you are on the phone to 999, the operator will be able to talk you through using these public devices in real time.

A good place for more information is the British Heart Foundation’s website: www.defibfinder.uk - which gives a live listing to all registered defibs, plus FAQs about using them. If you have any information about changes to these defibrillators, then do please let us know, so we can update our knowledge for next time.

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