News

Heathfield Community College wins national awards for excellent results

Heathfield Community College has been recognised nationally for its excellent results in 2017 based on data from the Department of Education and Ofsted, analysed by SSAT (the Schools, Students and Teachers network). Heathfield Community College was found to be among the best performing secondary schools in the country, receiving two awards for being in the... Read more

20th March

Local band gives adults opportunity to learn

It’s never too late to learn to play a brass instrument – that’s the message from Sian Buss who runs the historic Warbleton Brass Band. Since Sian, who has been the conductor of the main band for more than 10 years, put out the call for adults to join when the band was running low... Read more

15th March

Dance school goes from strength to strength

Just four years after taking over the helm at East Sussex Dance Studios former professional dancers Jenna Crescenzo and her sister Carys-Mari Hedges are celebrating some major successes. Several students have been accepted into world-class institutions and the school won an incredible 28 medals in a recent competition and over 300 in three years. Former... Read more

9th March

Water problems cause distress across Heathfield area

Many homes in and around the Heathfield area have been affected by water problems since Sunday after a number of pipes burst during the thaw. At 3.30pm on Monday some were still without water. Cross-in-Hand mum of three Sarah Jones was one of those affected. She said: “Our mains water stopped on Sunday morning. Since... Read more

5th March

Mayfield mums run their first half marathon for Cuckoo for Cancer

Mayfield residents Nikki Lee-Billinghurst, Lizzie Young, Lucy Jervis, Alanna Golden and Emma Allchorne raised an incredible £1,300 in sponsorship for running the Brighton half marathon on Sunday 25th February 2018. The ladies have been training together since May last year with short distance runs to fit around busy work schedules and their children’s school hours.... Read more

1st March

The latest generation of 3D OCT screening for eye health comes to Heathfield.

  Looking after your eye health becomes increasingly important as you age, and there are some very simple ways to make sure you are keeping a check on it.  Technical advances now mean that quick and painless scanning can monitor your eyes and detect any changes. This technology is called OCT or Ocular Coherence Tomography.... Read more

23rd February

Heathfield students return from a life changing trip to Africa with The Quicken Trust

Over the February half term, 18 students from years 10 and 12, and three staff members, from Heathfield Community College visited the village of Kabubbu in Uganda to take part in a volunteer project in conjunction with The Quicken Trust. The Quicken Trust is a Sussex-based charity which is transforming the lives of people living... Read more

21st February

Heathfield students celebrate Duke of Edinburgh Award success

On Tuesday 6 February, Heathfield Community College celebrated the success of last year’s Bronze Duke of Edinburgh cohort with the presentation of Final Bronze Award certificates and lapel badges. The Duke of Edinburgh Award gives students a challenge, encourages independence, develops teamwork, helps those in the community and in essence allows them to develop skills which then let them... Read more

20th February

Heathfield Army cadet takes part in international cadet exchange programme

An Army Cadet from Heathfield Detachment has recently returned from the International Cadet Exchange Programme that runs every year in Singapore. Cadet Lance Corporal Tom Rendell, 16, was given one of ten places available to cadets from Sussex to take part in an exchange programme with Cadets from across the world.  They flew from Gatwick... Read more

18th February

Mayfield schoolgirl’s year-long book challenge is fundraising success

A 10-year-old Mayfield schoolgirl is taking part in a yearlong read-athon to raise money for the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) lifesaving research. Emily Finch is aiming to read 365 stories over the course of year. The young schoolgirl took on the challenge to help her grandmother who has had two heart attacks and lives with... Read more

13th February

The Heathfield News launches Valentine’s Heathfield Hug Day

Magnus Agugu is a qualified massager and professional hugger. Magnus can be seen at festivals and around cities distributing hugs, but for Valentine’s day will be in Heathfield brightening everyone’s day.... Read more

12th February

Heathfield businesses pledge to support Michelle’s mission on 26th March

Heathfield's Michelle Samuel is on a mission to turn her home town purple to help reduce epilepsy... Read more

9th February

Services to The Pony Club recognised in New Year’s Honours list

A Mayfield woman was named in the New Year’s Honours list for her service to The Pony Club over the last 30... Read more

31st January

Heathfield pub owner still in shock after former employee is jailed

The owner of The Heathfield Tavern says he and his staff are still mortified after discovering that a now former employee has been jailed after being caught in a secret ‘sting’ by an anti-paedophile... Read more

30th January

BBC News film at Heathfield Community College

Defence of the Arts The proportion of students taking arts subjects has fallen nationally to the lowest level in a decade according to recent research reported at the start of this academic year. “A report by the Education Policy Institute suggests schools have reduced the number of pupils taking subjects like Drama and Art at key... Read more

23rd January

Heathfield based charity launches appeal

Heathfield based charity launches appeal The Robert Poulton Foundation was created to honour the life of talented opera singer, Robert Poulton, who tragically died in 2012, in a fatal car crash in Cross in Hand.  Robert and his wife were based in Heathfield and Robert had connections to the area going back to his grand-father.... Read more

22nd January

Heathfield and District Volunteer Centre needs new Chair to take helm in 2018

In the second of our news features on the amazing volunteers that help to provide vital services to the people of Heathfield and surrounding villages; we are finding out about the HDVC in an interview with their Chair of Trustees, Ann Kenward. The Heathfield and District Volunteer Centre was set up about 18 months ago... Read more

18th January

Heathfield Chamber launches new group to support local businesses

This Tuesday sees the launch of a new monthly forum for business owners in Heathfield and surrounding area. Run by Heathfield Chamber of Commerce, the first meeting will be on Tuesday 16th January between 7am-8:30am in the Tasting Room at Hidden Spring Vineyard.  After the first meeting the group will meet monthly on the third... Read more

14th January

Crematorium in Horam to open later this year

Local businesses such as florists, funeral homes and pubs should all benefit from the new crematorium in Horam that should be open by late 2018. Wealden District Council wanted to provide a crematorium and garden of remembrance within the District to offer a local service for bereaved families. Work started on the site on 19th... Read more

11th January

Can you help with this WW1 local history project?

Inspired by the experiences of her great grandfather, Ernest David Pratt, who was captured and held for two years in Germany as a World War One POW, and the loss of her great, great uncle, named on the Cade St Memorial, Nicky Walker is researching the names of all fallen soldiers from local War Memorials. ... Read more

9th January

Heathfield guides presented with coveted awards

Five Heathfield guides have been presented with their Baden-Powell Challenge Award. The Baden-Powell Award is the highest award a guide can achieve and is designed to push their boundaries and encourage them to try new things. Chloe Honeysett,14, Lucie Miller 14, Grace Coppard 14, Sophie Wilson, 13, and Jasmin Evans, 14, spent the past year... Read more

7th January

Wealden is a great place to live – it’s official

Nine out of ten Wealden residents like living here, and three quarters are satisfied with the way the council runs things according to a survey carried out by Wealden District Council to measure its performance against national comparisons. “Surveys like this are an important way of seeing how we are doing compared to the rest... Read more

29th December

Broad Oak man wins first festive lights competition

The Heathfield News team is pleased to announce the winner of our festive lights competition. Nominations came in from across the area but a display in Broad Oak stood out from the crowd. The winner was 75-year-old David Blackman of Plummers Rest, Street End Lane, Broad Oak. He won a £50 shopping voucher kindly donated... Read more

24th December

Rotary fundraising well supported by local community

Heathfield and Waldron Rotary Club has held a number of fundraising activities this festive season including, for the second year, helping to transport Santa around the streets of Heathfield in a special vehicle. Activities have included street collections and a carol service as well as driving around with Santa. Approximately £2,000 is raised each Christmas... Read more

24th December

Heathfield Community College launches TV channel

After several weeks of working on the first broadcast, and several months of working on the concept, Monday 18 December saw the official launch of Heathfield TV at Heathfield Community College. Around 100 attended the launch of the TV channel whose strapline is ‘for students by students’. The 25 students involved in the channel attended... Read more

21st December

Top tips for a low-waste festive season

Christmas is great fun…but we don’t half produce a lot of rubbish at the end of it. That is why recycling at this time of year is so important. Here are some tips from Wealden Council that will help to save some of our precious resources. Wealden remains the top performing recycling authority in East... Read more

18th December

Get your car cleaned and support your local firefighters

Come down to the local fire station in Heathfield and support your local crews. It’s a great chance to meet the firefighters and get your car looking shiny. For just £10 you will get your car washed, a calendar, a mince pie and a health and wellbeing check. The event takes place this Saturday 16th... Read more

14th December

Success for a Groundbreaking Skills Programme for Adults with Profound Learning and Physical Difficulties

Burwash and Dallington based care homes, Oakdown House and Carricks Brook have successfully introduced a ground-breaking initiative for adults with profound learning and physical disabilities. Residents work individually or together supporting each other on DIY projects like this one to build a bird table. John Brooksbank, from The Great Out-tours, the man behind this project... Read more

11th December

Housing still in short supply says Heathfield estate agent

The multiple new developments underway and about to start will not solve Heathfield’s housing problems particularly for first-time buyers and downsizers, according to Paul Wilson of Rowland Gorringe. “Too many people want houses at the lower end of the market and there is a real demand for apartments and two to three bed properties. We... Read more

8th December

Brighter Heathfield celebrate their first anniversary

As 2017 draws to a close, the volunteers of the Brighter Heathfield group will be celebrating a successful first year. The group came into being in early 2017, when Jean Lenihan felt the urge to go into the Parish Council Offices and voice her concerns over the unloved state of Heathfield – she had noticed... Read more

7th December

Reasons to buy a real Christmas tree this year

There are many misconceptions about the environmental and other benefits of buying fake plastic trees compared to real festive trees. Clive Collins, from award-winning Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm, near Battle, says purchasing a real tree doesn’t just make your home more ‘Christmassy’, it also benefits your health, the economy and the environment. Buying the tree... Read more

10th November

Unity Community Association

It was tidy up morning in Leeves Close, Heathfield at the #UnityCommunityAssociation vegetable garden. An opportunity to discuss the successes of this year's harvest, clearing up for the next planting and a general tidy up. All organised by Diane the driving force behind the... Read more

13th June