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A coffee morning to raise funds for MacMillan Cancer Support is being held at the home of Mr and Mrs Fred Morrad at 8 Norwich Road, Hethersett from 10 a.m until noon on September 26^th. There will also be a cake stall and raffle.

Operation Christmas Child

Hethersett is once again gearing up to help the children of Serbia this Christmas.

Once again Shirley Adams will be co-ordinating the collection of shoe boxes which will be distributed to poor children in Serbia in time for Christmas.

To raise funds for the 2008 venture, Shirley is organising a coffee morning at Marion Roberts Court on September 4^th from 10 a.m until midday.

“I am hoping as many people as possible will come along and make this a special occasion in order to raise money for the poorer children in Serbia. The need is very great again this year,” said Shirley, adding that the coffee event also gave her a chance to thank people for their support over the year.

The event will include a raffle, tombola, sale of books, plants, homemade cakes.

Tools For Self Reliance

The village of Hethersett is busy collecting tools and sewing machines to help craftsmen and women working in Africa.

Tools for Self Reliance works with local organisations in some of the poorest countries in Africa. The charity refurbishes tools in the United Kingdom before sending them to communities in Africa where they are used by local craftworkers to improve their businesses.

Patrons include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Archbishop John Sentamu and Bishop Trevor Huddleston.

Locally a collection is being co-ordinated by Margaret Ford from Hethersett who has already received items as diverse as car jacks and sewing machines. Eventually the local collection will be taken to South well for transport to Africa.

Miss Ford explained that items needed included blacksmith’s tools, anvils, hand pillar drills, hand bench grinders, carpenters’ vices, metal planes, chisels, electric welding equipment, metric spanners and electric sewing machines.

More information is available from Margaret Ford on 01603 811393. The Tools for Self Reliance charity has a web site at www.tfsr.org

Hethersett Society

Hethersett Society enjoyed a talk by Douglas Baker on the early settlement of America by people from East Anglia. Mr Baker explained that many people from Norfolk were keen to settle in the New World.

New Members Appeal

The Hethersett Singers group is looking to recruit new members.

The group began life as Hethersett Musical Society in 1961 and since then has performed a wide variety of material from Gilbert and Sullivan to chorale works.

Over the past year thr group has performed a programme of Italian music in Hethersett Parish Church, sung carols in Norwich Castle Mall, performed an Easter concert at Hethersett Methodist Church and joined with other local choirs for Hayden’s Creation.

Now the group is looking for new members for its new season which begins with weekly rehearsals at Old Hall School, Hethersett, on Wednesday evenings from September 10^th for a concert of Christmas Music in December.

Democracy and Utopia

Democracy, Utopias and Real Politics will be the subject of a 10 week course organised by the Hethersett Branch of the Workers’ Educational Association.

“This is emphatically not a heavy course on political theory – but more of a discussion of the issues and of the history of democracy. There will be plenty to discuss as we continue to strive to provide a variety of subjects,” said co-ordinator Barbara Matthews.

The course starts on Thursday 25^th September at 7.30 p.m at Hethersett High School. The cost of the course is £43 and more information is available and places can be booked by contacting Barbara Matthews on 01603 811128.

The HEAT is On

The next meeting of the Hethersett Environmental Action Team (HEAT) will take place on 13^th August in the upstairs room of the Methodist Church.

The group recently oversaw the village Open Gardens event in June and distributed eco friendly bags throughout the village.

“The cloth shopping bags are proving a success, but this must be coupled with doing away with plastic bags,” said leading Hethersett environmentalist George Beckford, adding that the Green Village group set-up under the auspices of HEAT is looking at other ways to bring environmental issues to the fore in the village.

“The parish council is carrying out a survey of street lighting to see where demand may be reduced and to introduce improvements. We want to know what individual householders have done and will continue to do in order to reduce carbon emissions from their homes. Reducing emissions will also reduce fuel bills as well,” Mr Beckford said.

Aspiring Artists

A total of 35 paintings were sold at this year’s art exhibition by the Hethersett Aspiring Artists’ group in the Village Hall. Such was the success of the exhibition which had “light and shade” as its theme that members are already planning for the 2009 event.