BILLERICAYHISTORY TOWN 2016 All you need to know Local Guide The Town Council Clubs & Societies Arts Sport History Education Facilities Provided FREE by Billericay Town Council Guide and Information Directory BILLERICAY – a Great Place to Be 1 CONTENT & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CONTENT Town Council.........................................................................................................Page 3 Youth .....................................................................................................................Page 4 Clubs, Groups & Societies ......................................................................................Page 8 Arts & Crafts .........................................................................................................Page 22 Sports ....................................................................................................................Page 37 History ..................................................................................................................Page 43 Education ..............................................................................................................Page 45 Billericay Services ..................................................................................................Page 51 Places to Visit ........................................................................................................Page 59 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS illericay Town Council thanks all those Bindividuals and organisations who have contributed to the production of the ninth edition of the Town Guide by providing editorial material and photographs. The Town Council members of the Working Party chaired by Councillor Marion Wilson were Councillors John Buchanan, Jo Clark, Jim Devlin and Rod Rapley Fine Commercial Printers assisted by the Town Clerk Deborah Tonkiss and the Committee Clerk Diane McCarthy. 20 Radford Crescent • Billericay Photographs were supplied by members of the Essex CM12 0DU Town Council and other contributors. T: 01277 622860 • F: 01277 658060 M: 0777 444 9261 Thanks to Peter Copsey for proof reading, David E: [email protected] Vinten, Graphic Designer, who helped, advised and converted all the material into the ninth edition and also Jarvis Print for ensuring that the Front cover photograph: Festival Gardens printing deadline was met. Back cover photographs: clockwise from top – Contact the Town Council by writing to the Town fountain at Lake Meadows, bluebells in Norsey Clerk, The Loft, Crown Yard, Billericay CM12 Woods, Sun Corner, Outwood Common and 9BX; telephone: 01277 625732 or emailing: Queen’s Park Country Park. [email protected] Every effort is made to ensure that information is correct, however Billericay Town Council will accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions. 2 BILLERICAY – a Great Place to Be TOWN COUNCIL TOWN GUIDE INTRODUCTION and waste disposal. Billericay Town Council am really pleased to be able to write this provides the services that make Billericay a great Iintroduction to the Billericay Town Guide as place to live. We provide the Christmas Lights, the new Chairman of Billericay Town Council. the skateboard park and other facilities in Lake This is the ninth edition of this guide which Meadows (which is run by Basildon Council), contains a great deal of information about the litter picks, Festival Gardens, hanging baskets social life of Billericay through the sections on, and plantings in the High Street, many of the Arts & Crafts, Sport, Clubs & Societies and Places salt bins in town, together with some of the to Visit. The guide is also useful on a day to day bus shelters and Town Walks and recreational basis for information on the Town’s schools, cycle and walks guides. The Town Council also health services and churches as well as a detailed produces a sister publication to this guide, the map of the Town in the centre fold. Town Crier, which is delivered to every household quarterly and up to the minute news is available The Guide has been produced by the Town on our website at www.billericaytowncouncil. Council as one of the services it offers to local gov.uk or by following our twitter account. residents and is delivered free of charge to every address in the Town Council area. 2015 has been a milestone year for the Council’s Planning Committee as, in conjunction with Cllr Jim Devlin, Chairman Billericay Town Council Basildon Borough Council, we have produced THE TOWN COUNCIL a Supplementary Planning Guide for the illericay Town Council has 20 members Conservation area in and around the High Belected every four years, with the next Street. This Guide will be used by Basildon election due in May 2016. The members all give Council when assessing the merit or otherwise of their time without remuneration and we have of developments in the Conservation area and two members of staff, the Town Clerk and the alterations to shop fronts and other buildings. Committee Clerk. The Council offices at The This is so important for the character of the Loft, Crown Yard, just off the High Street also Town as it will preserve and enhance the look and contain our meeting room where Council and feel of the Conservation area and thereby attract Committee meetings are open to the public. more people to shop and use Billericay High These meetings normally take place at 7pm and Street. We can maintain a thriving High Street they are advertised on our notice boards and on full of character whilst preserving the heritage our website. and surroundings of over 40 listed buildings. The Council has three standing committees, Planning Committee, Environment Committee and Finance & General Purposes Committee, each of which have a number of sub-committees (known as working parties) which report to them. Billericay Town Council is the lowest level of council, known as a Local Council, the other two councils that cover this area being Basildon Borough Council and Essex County Council. Each Council has defined areas of responsibility with Basildon Borough Council covering housing, planning decisions, leisure & recreation, refuse collection and street cleaning whereas Essex County Council covers roads & street lighting, education, social care, libraries BILLERICAY – a Great Place to Be 3 YOUTH Assisted Town Councillors in judging the Best Christmas Shop Window Competition Held cake sales in the Reading Rooms Held a Mother’s Day Gift and Craft Event for Under 10s BILLERICAY YOUTH TOWN COUNCIL Had a stall at Summerfest to raise funds here has been a Youth Council in Billericay for Staged an Essex Urban Games event for 11-16 the last sixteen years, with Youth Councillors T year olds at Lake Meadows working alongside Town Councillors to achieve many things during this time. There are up to Been on a team building day out at Rope twenty members aged between 11 and 18 years Runners, Brentwood of age, and they either attend one of the three Visited the Houses of Parliament senior schools in the town – Billericay School, Mayflower or St Johns, or live in Billericay but go to school outside the area. Elections are held every two years, with the Youth Councillors with John Baron MP last one being held on the 16th October 2014. The Chairman for the past two years has been Harrison Birch and he is assisted by a Vice- Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. The Youth Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month during term time and are mentored by Town Councillors. The Council are a really exciting, enthusiastic group, full of ideas for how they can help in their community. Team Building day at Roperunners During the past Term of Office the Youth The Council spend a lot of their time at meetings Council has; discussing possible projects to undertake during Laid a wreath on Remembrance Sunday their term of office and members always display a Taken part in the Town Council’s Christmas level of enthusiasm, creative and logical thinking Lights Switch-On – handing out balloons to and pure passion which highlights the superb children and standing in for a Choir at the last potential of our Youth Town Council. If you minute would like to get involved then please contact the Town Clerk. 4 BILLERICAY – a Great Place to Be ARMY CADET FORCE GB is led by Christian women from local The Army Cadet Force is a fun churches. These leaders are trained volunteers exciting way to stay active and who are committed to provide a regular schedule have good times. It is a military of activities and skills for girls and young women. themed youth organisation Worldwide (GB operates in over 60 countries) the offering a massive range of charity seeks to enable girls and young women opportunities for girls and boys to develop in confidence, ability, friendship aged between 13-18. You will be and citizenship, and is committed to nurturing able to learn all sorts of things from marching to the unique value of every girl in its care. www. shooting and from first aid to cleaning weapons. billericaybaptist.net/YouthSite/girls_brigade. The Army Cadet Force caters for all and offers a php large selection of adventurous activities like rock climbing, mountain biking, obstacle courses and archery. To find your local detachment go to www.armycadets.com/county/essex-acf. Visit your local detachment for a few weeks at no cost and see if the Army Cadet Force can inspire you. For information about our local company or to add your daughter’s name to the waiting lists, please contact admin@billericaybaptistchurch. net 01277 654316. BILLERICAY BAPTIST