DIARY FORTON POST OFFICE, Methodist Church Hall, Hollins Lane: OPEN Mon - Fri 9am-1pm All activities & meetings may be paused due to Covid-19 restrictions check with organisers Baby & Toddler Group: Fridays 10-11.30am in term time Toffee Stall: Fridays 3.20 - 3.50pm in term time Children’s Judo Club: Fridays 5-5.45pm (younger group) & 5.45-6.30pm (older group) in term time - contact Antony 07738 408731 for further details FEBRUARY & MARCH 2021 Dog Training: Mondays 6-8.00 pm; Tuesdays 6-7.00pm (Monday class outside during summer - contact Elaine 07790 395289 for further details) Fitness/Weight Classes: Wednesday, 6-7.00pm & 7-8.00pm and Saturday, 7.30-8am & 8.10-9am (To book contact Jennie Marie 07502 981608) South Lancaster Speakers Club: Methodist Church Hall, Hollins Lane Most 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7.30pm September-May (Contact David Knox 01524 805554) Singing Club: St Peter’s Church, Scorton Thursdays, 6.30pm - contact Jan Hindle 07730 646581 1st Forton Scout Group meet at the Scout Hut on Hollins Lane Scouts – ages 10½ to 14 – Thursdays 7.00 to 9 pm Beaver Scouts - ages 5½ to 8 - Tuesdays 6.00 to 7.15pm Cub Scouts - ages 8 to 10½ - Wednesdays 6.00 to 7.30pm Brownies - Mondays 6.00 to 7.30pm Please tel 01524 792089 for more information Village Hall The Hall is a Covid 19 secure premises, when Government restrictions allow, groups can return to using the hall. We are working to the recommended guidelines and have hand sanitisers throughout the Village Hall, one way system in place, social distancing to be maintained, face masks to be worn where possible etc. If you would like to hire the Village Hall for your group to use or for your own event, please enquire through Michelle Weir on 07799 370639. There is no diary of events at the present time. Do keep in touch with your friends, club secretaries and organisers. Information about Church Services Parish Council meetings are usually and events on page 21 held on the 1st Monday of each month at 7pm The joys of Spring - Pages 12 & 13 The Parish website address is: fortonvillage.org Coordinator - Neil Adams (791004) email: [email protected] Clerical community job - page 2 The email address for the Village Voice is: [email protected] Planning application - page 3 Content not attributed has been contributed by the editors VILLAGE VOICE Brownies badges - page 5 VILLAGECONTENTS VOICE Except forCONTENTS reports made by WI campaign - page 7 Village Voice Editorial Team & Advertising: David & Rhona Sharp (791758) Except for reports made by Proof Reading: Margaret Mansfield members of Forton Parish Council,members the ofviews Forton expressed Parish in Vaccine experience - page 11 Distribution: West of A6 - Janet Huddart (791571) & Michael Briggs (791026) C o u n c i l , t h e v i e w s East of A6 - Fiona Riley (792245) reports are not necessarily Garden birdwatching - pages 15, 17 & 19 thoseexpressed of the Council. in reports are not necessarily those of the Printed by Colin Cross of Garstang Council. ITEMS FOR THE NEXT ISSUE (April/May) BY 12 MAR, PLEASE 2 3 Parish News Planning Application Chairman’s Comments 20/01296/OUTMAJ Outline application for up to 41 dwellings has been submitted for A time of changes already! By now, many of us ‘oldies’ will have received one of the houses in the field adjacent to Forton Cricket Club. vaccinations and be setting an example as to the behaviour necessary (so we are told) to inhibit the virus spread. It is understandable, but not really acceptable, that 19/01000/OUTMAJ was refused in January 2020 for housing in the same area, the people bend rules, but I am concerned that some of the local churches continued to letter of refusal can be accessed at: hold services, in spite of advice from Lancashire health. Why are garden centres and https://tinyurl.com/y5cxgoet elite footballers allowed, but not hairdressers? The new application does not appear to be any different, so if you objected last time then please object again. If you didn’t see the original application then please take a I admit it has become easy to forget to sanitise hands, but can’t so easily forget a look at this one, and comment as soon as possible: mask when you see everyone else’s (goes with your mobile and your keys!) ... and https://publicaccess.wyre.gov.uk/online-applications/ aren’t the designs creative? The adopted Wyre Local Plan has allocated the land for building in Forton and Hollins Lane and this field is not included in this Plan. You will know by now that Lindsey Hall has resigned after six years as Parish Clerk. FRAG She has done a great job in keeping the councillors on track at a difficult time in Forton’s history. I hope there is someone who can offer similar skills and community loyalty to help the Council continue to make our village a good place in which to live. Janet Huddart Forton needs a new Parish Council Clerk - 4.5 hours per week. If you think you can do this vital community job, please phone the Chairman to get a job description and to discuss arrangements for telling us why you are suitable. Janet Huddart, 01524 791571 or 07773 271255 Jonny Leech - Wyresdale Ward District Councillor Happy New Year to you all! I am hoping that you are all keeping safe and well during these unprecedented and unforeseen times. I have never known a Christmas like this in my lifetime and I pray I will not have to again. I hope that you all had chance to see loved ones, if indeed it was safe and appropriate for you to do so. I want to thank you all for taking your individual responsibilities with regards to coronavirus, and the restrictions, seriously and think that the village as a whole is dealing well under the current circumstances. There is definitely a noticeable reduction in car Forton Playing Field - Can you help? usage in the village and an increase in people walking, whilst taking their daily exercise, which is great to see. Our playing field is maintained and looked after by volunteers from the village and we appreciate the time they give. However, we are now in need of some new Wyre Council and their employees are still working very hard to not only maintain volunteers to help strim and mow the grass, trim the hedges etc at the playing field. our current services, without having to suspend any as we had to during the first lockdown, but also to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our community. We We would work this on a rota basis throughout spring/summer. If you feel you would are using our assets to assist in dealing with the pandemic, such as Thornton Little like to get involved and help, please contact Jenna Metcalfe on 07850 008428. Theatre being a large base for vaccination. We have also made available millions of pounds in grants to local businesses to help them keep afloat. The Council is still Polite reminder - there are no dogs allowed on the playing field and children’s play offering ‘drop offs’ of medical provisions and essential shopping to those that area, only along the public footpath at the back of the field and then to be kept on a otherwise wouldn’t have any other access. lead. Please do not use the playing field to exercise your dogs. The playing field is an area for children to play on and there has been an increase in dog ‘muck’ on the field If I can assist in any way, I would love for you to get in touch. and people seen walking dogs there. Jonny Forton Village Hall and Recreational Ground Committee 4 5 1st Shireshead Brownies Angels, snowmen, wreaths, stars and candles (and much more) have adorned Brownie houses over Christmas after they were skilfully made together as craft activities on ‘Zoom’ in the run up to the end of term. We finished in our usual way with a Christmas party, although like most events last year, we did this virtually. We still had lots of games, party food, dancing and fun! An exciting programme of activities is planned for the coming term when Brownies will be working on their Archaeology badge, and undertaking challenges and activities as part of the Girl Guiding Skills Builder programme. Games, crafts and Lawn Care Lawn Treatment sharing news will continue to be a big part of each unit meeting. From only £14 plus vat Although we still cannot meet together in person, the ‘Zoom’ meetings are working well and proving popular, and we would love to have new Brownies joining us. We even had our first ‘Zoom’ enrolment when Chloe became a Brownie a short while ago! If you know of any girls, aged 7-10 years, do encourage them to give Brownies a go. It’s very easy to join a meeting and make new friends, and new Brownies would be very welcome. Find out more about the 1st Shireshead Brownies by contacting the Owls: Snowy Owl, Charlotte (tel: 07969 436872 or email:[email protected]) and Brown Owl Ruth (tel: 01524 792306). Forton Baby and Toddler Group Well, we managed to get a few weeks back following the second ‘lockdown’, and saw everyone before Christmas. We did not manage our usual Christmas party, but the children still had a good festive time at our last group of 2020. However, to keep control of the virus and keep people safe, we shall be closing our group for the next few weeks.