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.

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.

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.

Churches of Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Easter Services

Welcome to Hurst Life’s churches of Hurst & Sayers Common Easter services event page. Here you will find our most recent information for everything Easter in our churches.

Christians and churches across Hurstpierpoint join together for a Walk of Witness and Church services.
You would be warmly welcome to join us for this, or for any of the services taking place across the village during Holy Week.

See also, www.holytrinityhpp.org, www.goodnewshurst.co.uk

2026 is detailed below.

Holy Trinity Church

www.holytrinityhpp.org High Street, Hurstpierpoint. 01273 835109 - hurstparishoffice@gmail.com


Holy Communion

Monday 30th March at 7.30pm
Tuesday 31st March at 7.30PM Easter Vigil.
Wednesday 1st April at 11am & 7.30PM

Maunday Thursday

Thursday 2nd APRIL at 7.30pm 8am, Sung Eucharist

Good Friday

Friday 3rd April from 12-2pm - A quiet time and space for prayer and reflection on the journey of the Cross. Please come and go as you please, in quietness.
2pm - Last Hour at the Cross

Holy Saturday

19th April
4th April at 7.30pm, Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday

Sunday 5th April
8am - Easter Communion – a simple said service
9.15am – Easter Communion – a sung service with choir
11am – Easter Celebration Communion – a beautiful service for people of all ages, with songs and activities for children, followed by an Easter Egg Hunt

Good News Church

www.goodnewshurst.co.uk 149 High Street, Hurstpierpoint.

Easter Sunday – 5th April
10.30am - Easter Sunday Family Service

The Parish of Albourne, Sayers Common and Twineham

Contact: Rev Rachel Cornish - rev.rachelcornish@gmail.com. You can also find us on www.achurchnearyou.com

Palm Sunday

29th March
9.45am - Parish Eucharist with procession (donkey and weather permitting) St Peter, Twineham.

Evening Prayer

Monday 30th March at 4pm in St Peter, Twineham.
Tuesday 31st March at 4pm in Christ Church, Sayers Common.
Wednesday 1st April at 4pm at St Bartholomew, Albourne.

Maunday Thursday

Thursday 2nd April at 4pm in Holy Communion at Christ Church, Sayers Common.

Good Friday

Friday 3rd April at 11am, Morning Worship at St Peter, Twineham.

Messy Church

Saturday 4th April from 10-11.30am with crafts and fun for children plus Easter egg hunt at Christ Church, Sayers Common (booking helpful 07739507978 as places limited).

Easter Sunday

Sunday 5 April, 10am at Parish Eucharist at Christ Church, Sayers Common.

Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Parish Council - April news 2026

Reeds Lane Recreation Ground

Despite the heavy rain and poor ground conditions, work commenced on the upgrades to Reeds Lane Recreation Ground in Sayers Common as planned. The new large piece of play equipment, as voted for by local children last year, accessible roundabout and toddler swings have been installed as well as a table tennis table. The play area is now open for all to enjoy. The remainder of the project, including picnic benches, fencing, new bins and the planned improvements to the northern part of the Recreation Ground, will be delivered over the coming months.

Where should I report a local issue or concern?

It is not always easy to know which authority is responsible for a particular service or issue. The Parish Council website now has a dedicated ‘Report It’ page, providing useful guidance, links and contact information to help you report your issue or concern to the right place. Visit https://www.hurstpierpoint-pc.gov.uk/report-it/ to find out more.

Ground-nesting Birds

1st March marked the start of ground-nesting season for birds in England. We are fortunate to have skylarks nesting in our very own meadows, and the season runs between March and the end of August. Breeding skylarks may attempt to raise multiple broods during this time, often building several nests. To help protect the skylarks in Hurst Meadows, please stick to the paths and keep dogs on leads. Even small dogs with excellent recall can unintentionally disturb nesting birds. A dog straying off the path may cause birds to flee, leaving eggs or chicks vulnerable to cold, predators, or abandonment.

To read the full newsletter, pick up your copy of April’s Hurst Life.

World Piano Day comes to Hurstpierpoint

To mark World Piano Day 2026, the heart of Hurstpierpoint will be filled with live piano music as an outdoor, community piano takes over the Village Garden on Saturday 28th March, from 12-5pm.

This special event is being collaboratively presented by the organisers of HURSTfolk and Hurst Festival, Debbie Clare and Michel Olszewski, bringing together their shared passion for accessible, community-led music making.

An upright piano will be placed at the centre of the Village Garden (opposite Morley’s Bistro), inviting anyone to sit down and play - from complete beginners to accomplished pianists. Performers of all ages and abilities are welcome, and the day is designed as a relaxed, drop-in celebration of music rather than a formal concert.

World Piano Day is a global event founded by pianist and composer Nils Frahm, celebrating the piano in all its forms and encouraging participation, curiosity and connection through music. This Hurstpierpoint event brings that spirit firmly into the village, creating an open, inclusive space for creativity and community.

Throughout the afternoon, the piano will be played in short slots, with a mixture of pre-booked performances and spontaneous walk-up players. Audiences are encouraged to stop by, listen, support friends and neighbours, or even have a go themselves.

The event is free to attend and open to everyone.

Hurstpierpoint residents climb Kilimanjaro

Ten Hurst and local residents helped raise over £100,000 for Kidscape by recently completing the grueling climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. At the forefront of the expedition were Josh Braid, who had previously dragged a rocking horse to the South Pole for the charity, as well as Dan Lustig, hairdresser and star of Gogglebox. The others to complete the epic challenge included Si Woodjetts, Sam Wood, Ollie Kuehne, Christopher Tipping, Paul Brodgen, Rob Noble, Jocelyn Crouch, Scott Crouch and Dale Ruebin, who filmed the event for an upcoming documentary.

The group took on a seven-day ascent of Africa’s highest peak (5,895 metres) from 30th January to 8th February to raise awareness of bullying and it marked 40 years of Kidscape’s charity work, protecting children from bullying and harm. Dan told us: “It was both the best and hardest moments of my life so far, but worth every breath and step to reach the summit with my new friends for life.”

Josh Braid, Samuel Wood and Ollie Kuehne extended the adventure with a world-first challenge: A ‘Sea to Summit’ ironman-style triathlon starting with a 3.8km swim around Toten Island in Tanga Bay, then a 450km bike ride over three days to Londorossi Gate and finally a 60km trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro, joining the other heroes for the final ascent.

“The hardest part of the challenge,” said Josh, “was climbing on day three when, after the sea and cycle, our bodies were depleted and we were walking long distances at altitude. Add sickness into the equation and I thought that I was going to have to call off this world f irst challenge.”

The sea-swim was a massive unknown as locals told them no one had attempted it and currents, ships and sharks could all call the attempt off. Local traffic was a real challenge on the cycle stage as well as nasty speed bumps and for good measure their support vehicle got stuck. “The most rewarding moment was reaching the summit with emotions so high and knowing we had completed our world first challenge. To have so much of the team there with us was so special to savour the moment and it was a breath of fresh air with so much positive vibes.”

To learn more about Kidscape and their work visit www.kidscape.org.uk

Japour Gym moves onto Hurst High Street

Jude Poyner, who has been running his gym from the back of Fuel for the last three years, has moved his business to the High Street, opposite South Avenue. Jude started as a personal trainer five years ago and his first job was at a local PureGym, where he began building a steady client base. “After just four months, I felt a pull to create something of my own. I started looking for a space to rent, and by pure luck, I stumbled across Hurstpierpoint—a village I hadn’t even heard of before that day. Excited, I made enquiries about a small space inside a coffee shop on the High Street.”

Slowly but surely, he was able to double his client base and two years ago, he introduced group classes, which welcomed people of every age and ability. “I’ve been part of the Hurstpierpoint community for three years now, and every year I feel more connected and more grateful to be here. It genuinely feels like home.”

Jude needed bigger premises and when the space vacated by the funeral directors became available, he put in a bid, but was beaten to it and reluctantly considered moving to Burgess Hill or Hassocks. “It didn’t feel right—I loved the Hurst community too much. Just as we were about to put in an offer elsewhere, the phone rang. The first bidder for the Hurst property had pulled out. They asked if I wanted to take it on. Without hesitation, I said yes. From that moment, I focused on preparation and taking the time to get the new space looking exactly how it should.”

For more information go to www.japourgym.co.uk

Recycle ink cartridges in Hurstpierpoint

By Colin McFarlin

You may know me best for my articles on recycling at the back of this magazine. As you know, I finish my articles by inviting readers to send to me their recycling questions. And you do, lots of them.

Wanda wrote to me and asked: “Where can I recycle printer ink cartridges locally?”
I had to tell her that the nearest recycling point was in Haywards Heath, but if she would like to set up a local recycling point, I would help her to do it.

Well, thanks to Wanda and the wonderful staff at The Village Centre in Trinity Road, they agreed to host a collection box, an excellent central point and right opposite the car park.

Recently, I visited The Village Centre with Wanda and set up the collection box that is now open and looking forward to receiving, for recycling, your used and your unwanted printer cartridges. We can accept compatible cartridges as well as genuine cartridges - any make.

We cannot accept laser printer cartridges; you still need to take them to the recycling centre (‘The Tip’) in Burgess Hill. Do not throw your printer cartridges used or unwanted in the bin, pop them into the recycling box at the Village Centre reception.

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