The sessions, held at Alton Sports Centre, are part of an East Hampshire District Council scheme to get children and young people with disabilities and/or additional needs active and healthy.

These sessions, arranged with support from Inspiring You and High Sports, will be held on Sunday 22 January and Saturday 28 January. The following times are available on both dates: 

1.15pm – 2.15pm
2.30pm – 3.30pm (Full on 22 January)
3.45pm – 4.45pm

Four spaces an hour are open to children and young people with disabilities and or additional needs over eight years old. To make it even more fun a friend or sibling can join them for the hour as well at no cost.

Booking is essential for these sessions as spaces are limited. To book or for more information please contact lisa.clements@easthants.gov.uk or 01730 234384.

When booking please specify preferred times and let organisers know of any requirements the young people will need.

The scheme, called The Money Pot, has already helped groups from around the district by providing grants as a contribution towards equipment, educational days out, events and projects.

But time is running out for youth groups take advantage of the cash, as the deadline for applications closes on Friday 20 January.

EHYC, whose members are aged between 11 and 21, has allocated over half its annual budget to provide grants for groups dedicated to young people.

The Money Pot has already helped towards the cost of new equipment for a number of projects, for example: quality nets for the Ropley Cricket Club Juniors, buoyancy aids for the 1^st Sheet Scouts, equipment and tools for the summer work experience and education project ran by Horndean Parish Council and music equipment for the Jam Nights which take place at Alton Community Centre. It has also contributed towards the working together and problem solving themed day out for a group of young people at Treloar College.

The scheme allows the young members of the youth council the opportunity to consider and award grants, whilst also managing their own budget.

Lara Nolan (Youth Council Coordinator) said: “The young people take their role of approving applications very seriously. The aim of the group is to ‘improve young people’s lives’ and the Money Pot fund helps them to achieve just that. If groups use their creativity and spend wisely then £250 can go a long way.”

If you have a project, or idea which could benefit from £250 worth of funding then please visit the Money Pot section of: www.easthantsyouthcouncil.org, or email Lara.Nolan@easthants.gov.uk, or telephone Lara Nolan on: 01730 234186. Applications for this year are being accepted until: Friday 20 January 2012.

This year the popular event, which is now a much anticipated fixture in local music lovers calendars, will include 8 varied choral, orchestral, youth, celebrity and chamber music concerts.

Local musicians from 6 choirs, 10 schools and the Petersfield Orchestra will be joined by professional conductors, soloists and instrumentalists, with special guests Carlo Curley, Michael Mates and William Godfree.

Apart from the lunchtime recital in St Peter’s Church, all concerts are at 7.30pm at Petersfield Festival Hall. For full details please see the entries for individual dates.

Festival diary:
Friday 9 March – Cabaret evening with Michael Mates and William Godfree
Saturday 10 March – Verdi Requiem
Monday 12 and Wednesday 14 March – Youth Concerts
Tuesday 13 March – Lunchtime concert: The Harris String Quartet
Thursday 14 March – The Petersfield Orchestra
Friday 15 March – Carlo Curley ‘The Pavarotti of the Organ’
Saturday 16 March – Choral concert to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

For more information see the website: www.petersfieldmusicalfestival.org.uk

Members of the Young Farmers Club at The Petersfield School visited Mr Sykes Farm, near Denmead, where farmer Michael Bailey raises about 30 turkeys. 

The Young Farmers learned how they are humanely ‘dispatched’, how to pluck a turkey and how to dress the bird ready for the oven. 

They were taught about the reasons for each stage, animal welfare and the biology behind aspects of the preparation. They also learned about the digestive system of birds.

TPS Science teacher, Dr Sarah Archibald, said: “Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it – one thought the turkey was a goose to start with just because it was white!  But everyone learned a lot, and we are very grateful to Mr Bailey for his hospitality.”

The group of 39 students are currently fundraising and training for a three week expedition, which will take place in the summer of 2013.

They will focus not only on trekking, but also on scientific field work on glaciers and meaningful project work. Following on from the Bohunt Arctic Expedition 2011 it will be a traditional expedition in the very true sense of the word; frontier and adventurous.

Neil Strowger, Headteacher of Bohunt said:

“Bohunt is committed not only to ensuring our students leave us with outstanding examination grades, but also in possession of the wider skills of leadership, enterprise and teamwork. Further, we understand that inspiration and rich experiences outside the classroom are as important as those within it.

“The serious challenges presented by this exciting educational expedition will develop the students participating and add to the learning and motivation of those back in the classroom. I wish them the best of luck for the months of planning, fundraising and preparing that lie ahead.”

In November the students went on their first training weekend. They spent three days camping on the South Downs, being briefed on possible locations and kit, coming up with fundraising ideas and completing team-building tasks such as cooking challenges, campfire building and an assault course. All the students managed everything that was thrown at them, from putting their tents up in the pitch black to having to organise and do all the catering and cleaning.

The students are also very busy fundraising. The entrepreneurial skill that the students develop over the 18 month build up is one of the major outcomes from the whole experience; already the team are showing real flare and courage: busking in local towns, negotiating discounts for items of kit, running discos for students, organising gigs and booking motivational speakers amongst other things. They’ve been helped along the way by the generosity of local people and organisations, for example Trespass and Cotswold Outdoor have offered kit discounts and the Guildford College Group donated £100 to the expedition.

Helen Brown of the Guilldford College Group said:
“Their enthusiasm and obvious excitement, proposed in their words as an ‘experience of a lifetime’ was wonderful to hear and made a real impression on me.”

Over the coming months the students will be continuing their fundraising, organising their groups’ itineraries, completing a hard training weekend in the Lake District, buying their kit and looking for a kit sponsor.

If you would like to sponsor the expedition then please contact Philip Avery by emailing enquiries@bohunt.hants.sch.uk

The auditions (on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 December) in the Council Chamber at the EHDC offices, included bands, singers, dancers, actors and even a puppeteer doing their best to impress and make it to the final.

The final will be an opportunity to step out in front of an audience of over 150 with the backup of professional sound and lighting to give performances the sheen of a true star.

The talent show has been organised by East Hampshire Youth Council and the proceeds from all ticket sales will go to Naomi House and jacksplace, hospices that support children and young people with conditions that mean they are unlikely to become adults.

Edward Ashdown, one of the judges and member of East Hampshire Youth Council, said: “We were really impressed with the standard of the acts that have entered the contest. It was a really difficult task picking the best to go through. I think we’ve managed to pick the best possible balance and range of talents that will make for a great final.”

The finalists are:
8-13- India Wakeland (Rogate), Alicia Hutchinson (Whitehill), James Wynne (Headley Down), Oli Norfolk (Alton), Lloyd Smallwood, Daniel Tucker Price and Ollie Williams (Alton), Issy Crawford, Clara Graham, Elena Windle and Emma Harrison (Bordon), Phoebe Barrow (Alton) and Kirtsen Pether (Horndean).

14-18- Alison Morgan (Headley), Lauren Rust (Whitehill), Louella and Claudia Poulter (Haslemere), Ewan Law (Whitehill), Harry Lovelock (Grayshott), Ben Marston (Petersfield), Elliot Mitchell (Liss) and Matt Simpson (Liss), Henry Crew (Petersfield), Daisy Crew (Petersfield), Shannon Dodds (Horndean), Lois Stacey (Liss), Kieran Murphy, Kip Palmer, Tom Brayley and Ben Davies Jacob (Petersfield), Joe Booley, Justin and Luke Wilson (Whitehill), Michael Chilton, Charlie Matthews, Robbie Humphrey and Connor Peireira (Petersfield) and Charlie Day (Bordon)

For more information, or for tickets (priced at £4 per adult and £2 per child) , contact Lara Nolan Youth Council Co-ordinator on 01730 234186 or email: lara.nolan@easthants.gov.uk

The Mayor and Mayoress of Petersfield, George and Jackie Watkinson, took time out from their busy pre Christmas schedule to join student photographers at The Petersfield School to announce the winners.

First place went to Eliot Finch for his photograph capturing the local beauty of the local landscape of Petersfield in its winter aspect; second was Imogen Andrews with for her seasonal photograph of Christmas Baubles and third was Jordan Bleach with his image of wintering birds at one of our local wildlife spots, the Heath.

Mr Watkinson spent time with students discussing the images. He also commented on the high quality of entries from the photography students, adding that he felt that Eliot’s work was particularly appropriate and well executed.

Joy Jones, TPS’s specialist Photography teacher, welcomed the interest shown throughout.

“We had an excellent turn out and response to the competition and it’s fantastic to celebrate the talent and creativity of our students.  Eliot and Imogen’s work will showcase the ability of TPS students nationally on the Mayor’s Christmas Card which will be sent out across the United Kingdom.”

The star of Downton Abbey and Notting Hill visited the Cranford Road school’s prize-giving where pupils received honours for academic success.

Hugh Bonneville obviously enjoyed himself too – he later Tweeted to his 26,000 followers globally: “Very happy evening with alumni of The Petersfield School celebrating their GCSE results and the school’s status as an Academy. Inspiring.”

The event, which took place at The Festival Hall began with a welcome from this year’s Head Boy Charlie Essex and Head Girl Kate Wilderspin, followed by a flute duet by Year 11 students Lauren Hunt and Zoe Wands and later a brass trio by James Lomas, Joel Knee and Philip Smith.

Principal Nigel Poole reflected on the school’s amazing year of achievements including the conversion to Academy status and the best ever GCSE results.  Hugh Bonneville gave an entertaining and amusing speech about his early years as an actor and the need to grab every opportunity when it comes.

When the formal ceremonies were over, students, parents and guests gathered in the Rose Room for drinks and enjoyed catching up with friends.

Nigel Poole said: “It was a great evening, and I was pleased to see so many friends, ex-students and representatives of the community.  I am grateful to Hugh for giving up his time to join us this evening.”

The school already has an impressive academic reputation. This year’s results were the highest ever with 78% of students getting 5A*-C including English and Maths.

Headteacher Neil Strowger said:
“Academic success is the raison d’être of education, but there is so much more going on during a student’s time at school: discovery of new talents, development of ‘soft’ skills, the building of confidence and fun amongst many others. And yet, how often are experiences designed to focus on those other aspects of school given curriculum time?

“As well as consistently improving results, we are constantly looking at what we can do to improve the life chances of our students. One of this year’s most significant initiatives has seen curriculum time allocated to ‘enrichment’ activities.

“This Bohunt Baccalaureate time has seen children choreographing their own show, learning campcraft, canoeing down canals, learning to jive, fencing, building & flying kites, building an arcade machine, cross-country running and creating giant papier-mâché animals amongst other things.”

The benefits are clear to see:

Running Challenge: nearly 15 miles of off-road running at Weavers’ down, Radford Park, Bramshott Common and Waggoners Wells, as well as around the school field:

• Eleven out of nineteen think their fitness levels have improved, all went to at least one place in our local countryside that they had not visited before and over a third of the group intend to continue jogging/running by themselves.
• “It was a great experience” (Oliver Lindsey)
• “It has boosted my self-esteem” (Jamie Holland)
• “I feel more fit and healthy and will keep up my running outside school” (Harry Shepherd)

Olympics themed giant animal project: Bohunt has been allocated the country of ‘Australia’ to represent at an Olympics event next year. As part of that project Year 8 students decided to build giant papier-mâché animals:

• “I enjoyed every part of the project. Everything was enjoyable and fun” (Year 8 student).
• “I am very happy with the end result because I think that the sculpture of our turtle was very good and I like our painting as it is colourful and made up of lots of designs. It looks awesome!” (Year 8 student).
• “They have produced some exciting, creative work which will be used later as part of the ‘2012 EIP Olympic Festival’ at Mountbatten Centre in July.” (Mrs Shaw, the teacher involved).

PGCE Student Teacher, Paul Roberts, was teaching them about reproduction, sexual health and in particular men’s health. 

He showed them a video about the “Movember” initiative which raises awareness and funds for men’s testicular cancer. 

As part of the fund-raising, men seek sponsorship to grow a moustache in November, and several male members of staff are taking part.

Paul Roberts said: “The students learned a lot about a very important and often overlooked illness in a fun yet informative way.”

With the support of Inspiring You funding and working with High Sports at Alton Sports Centre we would like to offer children, young people and their families the opportunity to take part in these climbing sessions.

These sessions will be Sunday 11 December 2011 and Sunday 22 January 2012. The following times are available on both dates:

12 noon – 1pm
1:15pm -2:15pm
2:30pm -3:30pm
3:45pm – 4:45pm

We are able to offer four spaces per hour to children and young people with disabilities and or additional needs aged 8yrs+ and to make it even more fun a friend or sibling can join them for the hour as well.

This is at no cost to parents/ carers or guardians or the young people themselves. We just want everyone to have fun and some of the benefits are great too.

Gross & Fine Motor Skills
Balance
Coordination
Flexibility
Tactile Stimulation
Independent Thinking
Structured Communication
Problem Solving
Decision Making
Improves self-esteem
Enhances confidence
Builds Trust

Booking is essential for these session as spaces are limited and to book or for more information please contact lisa.clements@easthants.gov.uk or 01730 234384. We will need to know all requirements the young people will need so we can ensure the best experience and equipment is in place for fantastic day’s fun for everyone.

When booking or calling for info please have a choice of times you would prefer so we can aim to accommodate you all for the time you require. We will contact you if your preferred time is not available so your second choice is important to us so we can allocate friends or siblings together at the same time.

Ed has been a member of the Chichester Youth Theatre for 18 months and secured the part of Grumpskin, the Witch’s dwarf servant, having auditioned with more than 500 hopefuls for 80 parts. 

He has been involved in previous productions including “The Firework Maker’s Daughter” and “Alice in Wonderland”.

Ed, who is studying Drama for GCSE, said: “It’s great to be working on such an enjoyable large scale production, and I am really looking forward to the first show.  It’s hard work, though – between 17 to 31 December we’re doing 22 performances!”

The aim is to raise awareness of, and money for, men’s health, such as prostate and testicular cancer; diseases that have impacted on the lives of a significant minority of staff and students.

Participating staff members (about 30) shaved off all facial hair and are now growing and grooming a customised moustache. Pupils are sponsoring their efforts and, at the end of November, will be paying to vote on the winning style of moustache.

Alongside this campaign the school invited NHS representatives to raise awareness on testicular cancer and how it affects many young men. Every Year 11 boy at Bohunt attended the session which was delivered by NHS specialists who deal with men’s health issues, such as testicular cancer, on a regular basis.

Groups of pupils from schools around the district discussed local and national issues at the event, held in the Council Chamber, Penns Place.

The young attendees faced a quiz on age legislation issues, questioned councillors on matters ranging from the increase in tuition fees to traffic lights outside Bohunt School.

Five schools, The Petersfield School, Mill Chase Community School, Horndean Technology College, Eggar’s and Bohunt, submitted teams of pupils to work up a campaign on a national issue.

They presented their work, Dragon’s Den style, to a panel of councillors including Cllr Dean Phillips, Cllr Hilary Ayer, Cllr Andrew Joy and Cllr Ferris Cowper.

The judges provided feedback and scored the teams before the final prize giving. First place was awarded to Bohunt with their presentation on cuts to youth services, in second came The Petersfield School with their presentation on University fees and finally, Mill Chase took third place with their presentation on the Educational Maintenance Allowance being cut.

EHDC Portfolio Holder for Community, Cllr Andrew Joy said all five presentations were informative and entertaining.

“The young people were articulate, engaging and self-assured. They were also delightfully well-mannered and a credit to their schools,” he said

“If they are an accurate reflection of their generation then we should have great confidence for the future.”

The aim of the event was to ensure that Bohunt students have thought about and prepared for further education and/or the world of work.

Neil Strowger, Headteacher, said: “We offer outstanding opportunities for students to develop at Bohunt; for example, in the last year, nearly 100 students completed their Bronze DofE, 22 students have spent three weeks in Greenland, our sports leaders have run lunchtime activities for Liphook Junior School and our Year 11s left us with an outstanding set of GCSE results.

“The reason our students achieve so much is that they are intrinsically motivated to get involved with after-school clubs, as well as their work, because they understand the benefits of achieving their potential and standing out, this careers-fair is one of the key ways in which they gain that awareness.”

Businesses such as Virgin Media, Whitbread, Sainsburys and Lloyds Bank, all the local Colleges and Universities, the Forces and various training providers were there to offer advice and guidance about their own individual training opportunities, as well as give away lots of free stationery!

There were excellent comments from these providers including: 

“I thought the fair was brilliant – great to have so many parents there, and I thought your students were great flag bearers for Bohunt School…. Asking all the right questions and genuinely interested!”

“The students really took the event seriously – a lot of in-depth questions.”

“Your students represented the school really well at what was an excellent event, one of the best that I have attended.” 

Organiser, Ginny Green, said: “It was a fantastic event. We have surpassed ourselves this year and look forward to even more exhibitors attending next year.”

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Bohunt’s Outdoor Programme will see nearly 500 students under canvas this year on a variety of exciting expeditions.

The school says the confidence, resilience and independence gained from having to look after yourself and your group whilst on an expedition is difficult to replicate in any other way. As these are some of the key qualities that Bohunt School is keen to instil in its students, an expanding outdoor programme is a key initiative.

Two academic years ago Bohunt reintroduced the Duke of Edinburgh Award and 54 students took part. Last academic year Duke of Edinburgh numbers had increased to 96 and Bohunt’s first major overseas expedition saw 22 students travel to Greenland for three weeks of adventure, science and community work.

This year the program is expanding by approximately 400%:

• Duke of Edinburgh numbers have increased to 175 (Bronze and Silver levels). Expeditions will go to the Brecon Beacons, the New Forest, the North Downs and the South Downs
• the launch of the 2013 Himalaya Expedition sees 39 students beginning to prepare for an arduous, but incredible, three weeks of high-altitude trekking, glacial science and remote community work
• a Year 8 camp will see 250 students spending three days canoeing, climbing, caving, camping and creating their own campfire entertainments

Students from the school are enthusiastic about the benefits:

“Greenland has just been breathtaking. An amazing experience. I’m so glad that I got the opportunity to do this with such lovely people. I had some of the best moments of my life. So many amazing memories. Thanks!” (Poppy Acton, Y11 student).

“Greenland has been probably the most fun, scary and worthwhile thing I’ve ever done. The people, challenges and scenery will stay with me for the rest of my life.” (Jess Camilleri, Year 11 student).

“I have realized that I can actually do things by myself and I’m not a kid who needs supervision and someone else to organise things for them.” (Frances Treveil, Silver DofE student).

“DofE has been great and has allowed me to see that I can succeed in a range of tough situations. I have gained so much from doing DofE, from confidence and self belief to simply new skills being learnt,  in my case first aid.” (Chloe Thorn, Silver DofE student).

Getting to this point has seen a huge commitment from the school, students, staff and parents.

In order to run the Duke of Edinburgh Award with such high numbers, and at a cost that allows access to all, the school has fundraised over £4500 and over 30 staff and parents have trained (or are training) to be leaders and given up their weekends to wander the English hills in search of students.

To go on the Himalaya expedition students have to fundraise a large amount of money each. Even though the expedition was only launched a couple of weeks ago there have already been cake sales, a disco and cafes run by the students.

The competition has also just announced an additional new main cash prize of £10,000 for the winning act to spend on their development.

There are festival slots across the UK and in Canada, Italy, Latvia and Ireland up for grabs for the best unsigned acts in the country that make it to the Grand Final at The O2, which is incorporated into Live Fest, London’s biggest indoor festival. Three bands from the area finals were chosen to open the main stage at Butserfest 2011 in September.

Live and Unsigned is the UK’s biggest unsigned music competition for original artists and is open to all genres. Whether you’re into pop, RnB, punk, indie, alternative, rock or acoustic, the competition has it all. Each year the competition prize pool gets bigger and better as acts take to the stage and battle it out for equipment, festival slots, studio time and master-classes. Other prizes up for grabs include a UK tour, a selection of Blackstar and TC Electronic amps, extensive coverage on MUZU TV and YouTube and a comprehensive consultation package with Future Music including social marketing, image, brand, access to industry contacts and more!

All acts in the competition are auditioned live which is what makes Live and Unsigned so unique, there are no demos or submissions. Acts that make it through the audition stage will perform to industry judges, A&R associates and celebrity guests in some of the UK’s most prestigious venues.

Those who make it to the Grand Final will get to share the stage with some of the UK’s best musicians at Live Fest at The O2 in London! Acts on the bill last year included Tinchy Styder, Zane Lowe, Roll Deep and The Hoosiers.

Judges set to join the panel in 2012 include Radio 1 DJ’s Annie Nightingale, Tom Deacon and Daniel P Carter, Kerrang’s Alex Baker and Happy Mondays star Bez.

Last year’s winners, The Trinity Band from Derby, have been living the dream since being crowned the best unsigned band in the UK in July. They’ve gigged in Canada and played at some of the UK’s biggest festivals supporting the likes of Chase and Status, Example and Chipmunk. They’re now working on a single in the studio with DaVinChe who’s produced for some of the biggest names in the industry.

Auditions will begin in January 2012 with a number of new audition venues on the circuit including the world famous Dingwalls in Camden.

Acts are urged to enter now as places are in high demand and auditions are limited for what will be a great platform for any act or band to showcase their music.

For information on how to secure your live audition for 2012 go to www.liveandunsigned.uk.com and register today!

Those interested in a Forces career enjoyed interactive videos and one-to-one appointments with Forces personnel, and came away excited and enthused by what they had seen and heard.

Year 10 student, Flora Burleigh, said: “I found it very helpful because I knew I wanted to work in the Army, either in engineering or nursing.  I spoke to Army personnel about what would be involved, and they gave me booklets and I watched some videos.  I now know what I want to do, which is nursing in the Army.”

Laura Asbridge, Co-ordinator for Vocational Courses & Careers at TPS, said: “It was very worthwhile, and gave our students plenty to think about. I am grateful to those who gave up their time for our students.”

 Petersfield is one of the few towns which have been given the honour of hosting the Olympic Torch Relay in the run-up to the Olympic Games in 2012.

The Olympic Torch will pass through East Hampshire on Monday 16 July 2012 and we are planning to line the route with colour and excitement in celebration of this once in a lifetime occasion. Plans are under way to celebrate this global event and to encourage communities from East Hampshire and beyond to get involved.

TORCH WILL LIGHT UP EAST HANTS – MP

Petersfield is one of over 1,000 villages, towns and cities announced by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), through which the Torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame, presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung.  LOCOG will be working with representatives from a number of sectors in East Hampshire to finalise the route. 



Portfolio Holder for Communities, Councillor Andrew Joy says, “We are delighted to welcome the Olympic Torch Relay to East Hampshire and Petersfield in particular. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Olympic Flame and to witness the spectacle of the Olympic Torch Relay on our own home turf. I think there will be a real buzz of excitement.



”Like many communities in East Hampshire, Petersfield is a vibrant town and this will provide a chance for us all to celebrate the Olympic spirit. Petersfield will welcome residents and people from surrounding communities to come to the town to honour and support the members of our community who have been chosen to carry the Olympic Flame.



”This is a fantastic way to mark the countdown to the start of the Games and we are really excited to be part of the world’s celebrations of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: “We are thrilled to confirm that Petersfield will host the Olympic Flame, and extend an invitation to the people of East Hampshire to welcome the Olympic Torch Relay during its journey around the UK.  This is the UK’s moment to shine and I want to encourage people across the district to start planning how they can be part of this once in a lifetime opportunity and show their support for the inspirational Torchbearers chosen to carry the Olympic Flame as we count down to the start of the Olympic Games.”


To keep up-to-date with the East Hampshire’s celebration plans visit out website www.easthants.gov.uk/2012.

Rebecca Ryan, from Liphook, will perform as a ballet girl alongside the central character of Billy Elliot in Mrs Wilkinson’s ballet class. Mrs Wilkinson’s ballet girls feature throughout the show as the children’s ensemble, accompanying Billy on his dancing journey.

Rebecca said:
“Having danced since the age of 5 it’s a dream come true. Waiting to see if I had been picked was a very nerve wracking time!

“Now that I’m in the show I’m so glad that Bohunt are being so supportive; they are helping me with all the time off for rehearsals and I’m really looking forward to my tutor group and tutor coming to see me dance in the show!”

Rebecca was the 2010 winner of Haslemere’s Got Talent, dances with Haslemere Performing Arts, run by Angela Cantan, and Hilary Marsden at the Royal School. Last year Rebecca played an orphan in the musical Annie, alongside her sister and mum, at the Haslemere Hall with the Haslemere Players.

Rebecca has twice been placed as the winner of her age group in The British Arts competition which is held in London and in the summer Rebecca also found out that she had received a distinction in her RAD Intermediate ballet exam, a great achievement for her age.

Based on the Oscar nominated film, Billy Elliot the Musical is an inspirational story of one boy’s dream to realise his ambitions against the odds. Set in the North East of England against the background of the historic 1984/85 miners’ strike, Billy pursues his passion for dance in secret to avoid disapproval of his struggling family.

Multi award-winning Billy Elliot the Musical had its world premiere at the Victoria Palace Theatre on 31 March 2005 and has now been seen by over 3.5million people in the West End and by over 7 million people world wide.

Billy Elliot the Musical features music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, is directed by Stephen Daldry with choreography by Peter Darling. The production features scenic design by Ian MacNeil, the associate director is Julian Webber, costume design is by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Rick Fisher and sound design by Paul Arditti. Musical supervision and orchestrations are by Martin Koch.

The East Hampshire District Sports Awards will recognise the area’s best performers across a range of categories.

Organisers East Hampshire District Council is calling for residents to nominate the people they feel have contributed most to their team or sport.

The awards will be part of a range of special events held to mark the hosting of the Olympic Games in 2012.

Kirsty Cope, EHDC Community Project Worker, said: “Sport helps provide the bedrock of strong communities. It inspires dedication and determination, creates passion and pride, instils discipline and fair play, provides opportunity for fun and friendship, builds character and courage and engenders camaraderie and team spirit amongst competitors and spectators alike.

“As we move towards the games in London these awards will harness all these positive messages and celebrate everything that is good about sport.”

Awards will be handed to elite performers as well as members of the local sporting community – the coaches, officials and volunteers who work behind the scenes to help athletes and clubs succeed.

The winners of the district awards will be put forward to compete for the 2012 Hampshire & IOW Sports Awards.

Nominees are assessed by a judging panel and winners are required to meet criteria specific for each category.

The deadline for nominations is Monday 19 December 2011 and elected finalists are invited to the awards evening on Thursday 16 February 2012 at Penns Place, Petersfield.  

To download the guidance and nomination forms visit www.easthants.gov.uk/2012

These annual prestigious awards are co-ordinated by East Hampshire District Council to publicly recognise achievement in various nominated sporting categories:

• Junior Sportsman & Junior Sportswoman  
• Senior Sportsman & Senior Sportswoman  
• Masters Sportsman & Masters Sportswoman  
• Junior Disability Sportsman & Sportswoman  
• Senior Disability Sportsman & Sportswoman  
• Coach of the Year (Male or Female)  
• Volunteer of the Year (Junior & Senior)  
• Team of the Year (Junior & Senior)  
• Official (Male or Female)  
• Service to Sport (Male or Female)
• Club of the Year

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They were given full press access to the festival and arranged interviews with Forever Can Wait, K’Junga, The Lost Souls Club, We Start Partys, Bury Tomorrow and headliners Funeral for a Friend.

Lauren Coombes, one of the budding journalists said: ‘The bands were great. All of them were lovely to talk to and gave such great interviews. Being an interviewer for Screamin’ Out Loud let me go beyond the music and meet the people behind the instruments.’

Screamin’ Out Loud – produced by East Hampshire District Council with East Hampshire Youth Council – is written by young people for young people and the latest edition is issue 25.

Scroll down to view the online version on issuu.com. Printed versions will be in local schools and colleges in the week after half term.

The magazine welcomes contributions from anyone of school/college age. Please email lara.nolan@easthants.gov.uk for more details.

Lydia Wootton (14) will be competing in the under 16 category of Live and Unsigned UK.

The regional final, held at Highlight bar at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth, is on Sunday, October 23 at 1pm.

Judges will combine audience votes at the event with their own marks to select winners in each age category to go through the area final in November.

The winner of that then goes through to the overall final at the O2 in London in January.

Lydia, a student at The Petersfield School, said she is nervous but hopes people will go along to cheer her on and vote for her.

Tickets to support Lydia at the regional final cost £8.
See www.liveandunsigned.co.uk. com for more information.

Cameras followed Jhon Cosgrove’s culinary antics at his home in July – along with three other contestants from the Havant and Portsmouth area. Motor-mouth mum of four Selena Bartlett, retired boat-lover Anson Lane and chatty hairdresser Terese Scott battled it out with Jhon for the £1000 prize – but we’ll have to wait until the programme airs to find out the result.

Jhon is constantly confused with The Simpson’s ‘Sideshow Bob’ thanks to his trademark bouffant two-tone hairdo, and is the guitarist with popular local punk combo Mike TV. He is also the promoter for Bar Fusion One (formerly Foggys Bar) in St Peter’s Road in Petersfield, and is the compere for the area’s biggest rock festival ‘Butserfest’.

A friend of Jhon’s said:
“I gather the guests at Jhon’s dinner got a bit of a surprise when he insisted on full face-paint and then later on stripped naked at the dinner table.

“To be honest, the only surprise for anyone who knows Jhon is that it took him this long to find a way to get on TV. The rest just sounds like his standard Friday night.”

Jhon’s dinner party features a menu of spicy peanut soup, fake steak pie and cheesecake.

Elvis enthusiast Anson offers a simple menu of asparagus wrapped in ham, fish for the carnivores, pie for Jhon and pancakes for dessert.

The final dinner party is hosted by hairdresser Terese. She’s looking forward to the meal but the simmering tension between her and Selena soon comes to a head.

You can see what happens and find out what the sardonic commentator for the series makes of Jhon on Friday night (14 October) on Channel 4 at 8pm.

About 1,300 people attended the one-day alcohol/drug-free festival on Saturday 17 September, with 24 bands and free activities including inflatable table football, laser tag and a rodeo bull.

The team behind Butserfest is keen to find out what the favourite bands and activities were as well as what people thought of the ticket price for the event. They are equally interested in finding out why people didn’t come to the festival.

Complete the online survey (it won’t take long) and you could win one of 10 Butserfest 2011 t-shirts in the size of your choice.

The survey will close on 4 November and the lucky winners will be told about a week after.

Pearl of Africa Child Care Ltd is a UK charity whose main purposes are to further education and the relief of poverty in Uganda, especially by supporting the Molly and Paul Childcare Foundation, an organisation established in 1983 to build homes and schools for orphaned and destitute children in the Kampala and Masaka districts of Uganda. There are now 7 schools with over 2,200 pupils.

Children from these schools sing and dance in The Pearl of Africa Children’s Choir. TPS was keen to support their visit to the UK to help raise awareness and the desperately required funds to sustain and improve the standard of education, healthcare and living conditions in their schools.

The children spent the day with students in music and arts classes, talking about their life and experiences in Uganda and sharing their music, dance and artistic knowledge, including jewellery-making.

In the evening the choir wowed a capacity audience in the main school hall with heart-lifting songs and stunningly energetic dances.  Students who had taken part in the arts workshops during the day demonstrated what they had learned, and the audience had the opportunity to buy jewellery and crafts made by the Choir.

Vice Principal, Stuart Woods, said:
“The day was inspirational with the workshops involving the students in practical elements demonstrating the choir’s expertise such as drumming and singing; the Academy came alive with a spirit of positivity. You could hear the choir from across the playground and the effect on our students was tremendous. What stood out for me was our students’ ability to socialise with our visitors and share their common experiences of growing up in different schools.

“A real moment for me was at lunch when, without prompting, many students joined the choir to eat and listened to stories about their tour across England and what impact it would have when they got back to Uganda. Thank you to the Pearl of Africa for coming to visit us. We will always remember the day and the terrific concert they gave in the evening- very moving”.

The Alton-based Lounge Bar ran a Battle of the Bands to choose which bands could play on the day, after listening to hundreds of demos sent in by local musicians.

Lounge Bar owner Catherine Jackson said:

“It’s the first year we’ve run the second stage at Butserfest, and I’ve had a lot of very positive feedback about how it went. Thankyou to all the bands who played, you did us proud!”

She added:

“One of the things bands keep saying is how difficult it is to get gigs as more and more of the local venues are forced to close.

“It’s great that so many local bands had the opportunity to play at an event of this scale, and to reach an audience that has difficulty getting to gigs because they are too young to get in to most places.

“One of the reasons The Lounge Bar is an all-ages venue is because I know how passionate young people are about music, and so it made perfect sense for us to get involved with a festival aimed specifically at 14-20 year olds.

“There was an amazing atmosphere, and I’m delighted that the Lounge Bar was able to play a role in making such a special day happen.”

The full line-up for the Lounge Bar stage was:

Alternative Carpark
EnTro-P
Cubrik
In Perfect Silence
Big Red Ass
Sinuism
The Lost Souls Club
Skaraman
K-Junga
Capital Fuzz
Forever Can Wait

Butserfest is an alcohol/drug-free festival aimed at 14-20 year olds and was founded following consultation with local young people, who said there was not enough to do in the area.

Now in its fifth year, Butserfest has grown year-on-year and now has a reputation as one of the best festivals of its kind in the country. It is organised and funded by East Hampshire District Council.

The alcohol and drug free festival’s fifth year saw Funeral For A Friend headline a day of great bands and free activities with a set mixing new tracks with old favourites from earlier in their career.

The two stages featured the best local talent, some playing to their biggest crowd yet, as well as nationally recognised up-and-coming bands.

The day began on the main stage with opening acts This Way Up, The Fringe and The Dirty Tricks, chosen from Live & Unsigned, the UK’s largest national music competition for original unsigned acts and bands.

The crowd at the main stage built steadily during sets from Haslemere band, Follow Wyliss, The Valiant (from Southampton) and Kill ‘Em Dead Cowboy (from Portsmouth). By the time Heart In Hand took to the stage, there was a noisy and enthusiastic crowd ready to rock.

We Start Partys returned for their second year at Butserfest having impressed the crowd and organisers in 2010 with their mix of dance tracks and screaming guitars. Again the audience responded by jumping and cheering to the beat.

Metalcore band Bury Tomorrow played next, before they head on to tour the UK and Europe in October. Lower Than Atlantis, Deaf Havana and Kerrang! regulars Young Guns followed as the clouds opened and the rain came pouring down.

The crowd began to thin as wet evening turned to cold night and there seemed to be no end to the rain, but the hardcore fans who stayed to the end witnessed a great set from Funeral For A Friend.

On the Lounge Bar stage, organised by The Lounge Bar at Alton Community Centre, there were local favourites and bands that qualified through two battle-of-the-bands nights held in Alton. The headliners were Alternative Carpark, with support from Entro-P, Cubrik, In Perfect Silence, Big Red Ass, Sinuism, The Lost Souls Club, Skaraman, K’Junga, Capital Fuzz and Forever Can Wait.

Videos and pictures are being added all of the time to the Butserfest Facebook page. Visit facebook.com/butserfest to see them.

In order to mark the occasion with something truly memorable the Autumn Season production this year is the West End box office sensation Les Misérables.

Set amidst the social and political struggles of 19th century France Les Misérables sweeps its audience through a tale of passion and destruction against the backdrop of a nation in the grip of revolution.

The musical is an adaptation of Victor Hugo’s humanitarian classic about one man’s determined survival in the face of relentless persecution and the triumph of the human spirit.

This version has been especially adapted for young people to perform.
Youth Theatre Artistic Director Nik Ashton said: “This is a sweeping, majestic story, with wonderful music and provides a great opportunity for our young people to take part in an internationally acclaimed piece of music theatre.”

Over 100 local young people between the ages 8-19 will perform in the Petersfield Youth Theatre’s production of Les Misérables. For everyone involved it will be an opportunity of a lifetime and for the audience it promises to be an evening of wonderful entertainment.

Les Misérables will perform at the Petersfield Festival Hall between 17 and 24 September. Ticket prices range from £5 to £15 and can be purchased from One Tree Books from 26th August.

Mr Hinds came to the Catch22 National Citizen Service programme delivered by Hampshire Youth Options, to see its work with young people in Hampshire.

National Citizen Service, which took place in the Privett Centre, is a challenging activity programme for young people in the summer after year 11, for those aged around 16 years old.

Through the NCS young people gain an experience of community service, meeting new people and broadening their experience. Catch22, who run the programme in partnership with the NCS, is providing places for over 1,500 young people to take part across the country this summer as part of the Government’s national pilot scheme. The Prime Minister has announced that he would like to see the scheme rolled out further and faster following the riots in several major cities last week. In the first full-time stages of the programme, young people go on residential weeks both away from and in their home area, where they are able to take part in various games and personal challenges, as well as learn about volunteering in their local community. The programme will bring together all sectors of society, including businesses, schools, and charities to provide valuable life experience and strengthen community bonds. These organisations are introducing young people to different sectors of society and providing training to enable the young people to carry out their own social action projects, aimed at improving something they care about in the local community.
Speaking after the visit, Damian Hinds said: “It was a delight to be able to join the National Citizen Service pilot at Privett for an afternoon last week. The team from Hampshire Youth Options and Catch 22 are delivering a truly inspiring and practical programme and the young people are clearly getting a lot out of it. In a week when the headlines were dominated by terrible news of riots, it was a timely reminder of the other 99% of young people. The group I met are doing great things, planning their futures, adding new skills and volunteering to help their communities. These were pilots and from next year the National Citizen Service will roll out fully. I hope many local youngsters will take advantage.”
 
Duncan Pearse Catch22 NCS Partnership Programme Manager said
“We’re really pleased that Damian could take the time out of his busy schedule to come down and join young people during the second week of their National Citizen Service activity. Damian straight away got involved in the task learning about budget management and the Young People were particularly impressed with his maths skills.
“NCS is a fun but challenging experience for young people who want to gain skills over the summer and learn about social action and how they can help their communities. The programme is unique because it is designed for young people by the young people themselves.
“The young people involved in the local project shared with Damian many of their reasons for taking part- some wanted to learn new skills, make new friends, become more confident and try new activities. It was clear that these young people were getting a lot out of the experience while having lots of fun.”

EnTro-P and Alternative Carpark, who are both based in East Hampshire, won new fans at Bloodstock Festival, which was held at Catton Hall near Derby last weekend (12-14 August).

The bands produced two very different sets. EnTro-P, who won the ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ Battle of the Bands competition at Alton’s Lounge Bar to get to the festival, dazzled with a full on brutal sonic assault.

Previous winners Alternative Carpark were asked by festival organisers to return and play the Jagermeiester Acoustic Stage, where they delighted audiences by producing swing, blues and rockabilly versions of their songs.

Lounge Bar owner Catherine Jackson said:

“I couldn’t be prouder of both bands, they were both amazing. Everyone I talked to at the festival about them were incredibly impressed with their performances, and I am sure the contacts and new friends they have made will help take them closer to the recognition they deserve.”

Jake Archer from EnTro-P said:
“Playing the New Blood stage at Bloodstock was a huge honour for us. We were pretty nervous but once we got on stage we enjoyed every moment. As soon as we’d finished playing we were offered interviews and gigs, and we sold loads of our recently released mini-album too.

“We’ve loved the experience and hope to be back again soon!”

Alternative Carpark’s Stewart Ireland said:
“It’s our second time playing at the festival, and we were delighted to be asked back. There’s always an amazing atmosphere at Bloodstock, and this year was no exception.

“One of the festival’s main organisers came and watched our set, which was great, and we had fans there from all over the country – thankyou to everyone for supporting us and making it so much fun!”

The Bloodstock Open Air heavy metal festival was established in 2005 to bring a wider choice of heavy metal bands to the UK and provide a venue for the best established and unsigned metal bands to perform in front of a large an enthusiastic audience of true metal heads.

Bloodstock Open Air features three days of diverse international heavy metal bands across three stages. Headliners this year include Motorhead, W.A.S.P and Immortal.

Found out more about the Lounge Bar, Alternative Carpark and EnTro-P on their webpages:

The Lounge Bar

Alternative Carpark

EnTro-P

The easthampshire.org team met up with the band at their recent set at Bloodstock – one of the biggest festivals for rock and metal in the country. ACP had been asked back to play after impressing organisers when they won a competition to play on the unsigned stage two years ago.

Alton based EnTro-P also won new fans for their performance on the New Blood stage this year.

Mark Wilson-Pepper (ACP’s lead singer) says it’s impressive that two bands from such a small area are playing at prestigious national festival:
“The quality of the bands in our area is amazing. We saw a lot of bands from Bloodstock and they’re all really good but I think definitely that Hampshire’s got something.”

Simon Bailey – lead guitarist – agreed:
“We play to other areas when go further afield and there are also good scenes there, but there does feel something a bit special about the bands that are coming out of our area.”

You can catch the band next headlining the Lounge Bar Stage at Butserfest near Petersfield on 17th September.

The band are planning to have a short break from gigs after that to concentrate on writing new material and getting back into the studio.

Their album ‘In Revelation’ is available to download from Itunes and Amazon.

Skaraman, K-Junga, and In Perfect Silence wowed judges with their performances at the Lounge Bar at the weekend.

They will be joining headliners Alternative Carpark, EnTro-P, Cubrik, Big Red Ass and Sinuism on the Lounge Bar Stage at Butserfest, which is being held at Queen Elizabeth Country Park near Petersfield on 17 September.

Last week Capital Fuzz, Forever Can Wait and Lost Souls Club were added to the stage after Heat 1 of the BOTB.

Lounge Bar owner Catherine Jackson said:
“I couldn’t be happier with the line-up for the stage – I think the standard is incredible. I never fail to be inspired by the amount of musical talent we have locally.

“The bands we have playing are amazingly diverse – you’ll be able to dance to ska, bop to indie, and rock out to metal. The one thing they all have in common is performance – I guarantee an entertaining day on the stage, no matter what kind of music you’re in to!

“I can’t wait for the festival – I know all the bands will do me proud, and I am thrilled to be able to present some of the best bands around to much wider audience.”

Butserfest is an alcohol/drug-free festival aimed at 14-20 year olds and was founded following consultation with local young people, who said there was not enough to do in the area.

Now in its fifth year, Butserfest has grown year-on-year and now has a reputation as one of the best festivals of its kind in the country.

The full line-up for the Lounge Bar stage is:

Alternative Carpark
EnTro-P
Cubrik
In Perfect Silence
Big Red Ass
Sinuism
The Lost Souls Club
Skaraman
K-Junga
Capital Fuzz
Forever Can Wait

Funeral for a Friend will be headlining the main stage, and other bands playing include Deaf Havana, Lower than Atlantis and Bury Tomorrow.

Tickets for the festival cost £20 from 16 August to 15 September (plus a booking fee), and £25 on the door (only cash will be accepted at the door).

You can book tickets online: http://butserfest2011.eventbrite.com/

The festival, organised by East Hampshire District Council, returns to Butser Hill on Saturday 17 September from 11am-10pm. Welsh rockers Funeral For A Friend will headline the alcohol/drug-free festival with support from Lower Than Atlantis, We Start Partys, Kill Em Dead Cowboy and more acts to be announced.

Opening the main stage will be The Dirty Tricks, The Fringe and This Way Up, chosen from the area finals of the Live & Unsigned competition.

The second stage this year will be The Lounge Bar stage, including the best local bands as chosen by fans. Twelve bands will compete for six places on the stage at two events held at the Lounge Bar in Alton Community Centre on Saturday 6 August and Saturday 13 August. Go to facebook.com/loungebaralton for more details.

As ever, there will be activities, including laser quest, available on-site and included in the ticket price.

The lineup of the festival is still evolving, so keep checking the website, www.butserfest.co.uk which will be updated as acts are confirmed.

Early-bird tickets are available for £15 until Monday 15 August and are available online only. From Tuesday 16 August until Thursday 15 September tickets will be available online and from selected local retailers for £20. Tickets will cost £25 on the door. Online tickets are subject to a booking fee.

To buy online, go to www.butserfest.co.uk and click on the ticket link.

‘Entro-P’ and ‘Alternative Carpark’ will be playing to a potential audience of thousands at Bloodstock Festival, which is held at Catton Hall near Derby.

Alton based Entro-P were the winners of a Battle of the Bands competition at well known local venue The Lounge Bar, based in Alton Community Centre.

Lounge Bar owner Catherine Jackson said:
“We are very proud to send Entro-P this year as our representatives as triumphant winners of our Metal 2 The Masses competition. They have consistently proven themselves as a strong force in the local scene and this is the next stage of their career on the back of recently launched mini album.

“Coupled with the news that previous winners Alternative Carpark have been invited back independently, this just goes to show the incredibly high standards of local music. I’m so pleased they are now breaking through to a national audience.”

The Bloodstock Open Air heavy metal festival was established in 2005 to bring a wider choice of heavy metal bands to the UK and provide a venue for the best established and unsigned metal bands to perform in front of a large an enthusiastic audience of true metal heads.

Bloodstock Open Air features three days of diverse international heavy metal bands across three stages. Headliners this year include Motorhead, W.A.S.P and Immortal.

Stewart Ireland from Liphook and Petersfield based Alternative Carpark said:
“We’re really excited to be playing Bloodstock again this year. We had a great time in 09 when we won the Lounge Bar’s Metal 2 The Masses competition, and we’ve been waiting for this invite back since.

“We’ve recently been touring as far afield as Glasgow and Dudley, so we’re hoping that fans from all over will come to see us play the Jagermeister Acoustic Stage on Friday evening. We’ll be playing a few of the heavy numbers acoustically and some tracks that people may not have heard before.

“We don’t like just getting up and playing the same set but with acoustic guitars because the dynamics are totally different. Expect some surprises with our set – of course you’ll get rock and you’ll get metal, but you’ll also get swing, rockabilly and blues too!”

Set amidst the social and political struggles of nineteenth century France, Les Misérables sweeps its audience through a tale of passion and destruction against the backdrop of a nation in the grip of revolution.

The musical is an adaptation of Victor Hugo’s humanitarian classic about one man’s determined survival in the face of relentless persecution and the triumph of the human spirit. This version has been especially adapted for young people to perform.

Youth Theatre Artistic Director Nik Ashton said:
“This is a sweeping, majestic story, with wonderful music and provides a great opportunity for our young people to take part in an internationally acclaimed piece of music theatre”.

Over 100 local young people between the ages 8-19 will perform in the Petersfield Youth Theatre’s production of Les Misérables. For everyone involved it will be an opportunity of a lifetime and for the audience it promises to be an evening of wonderful entertainment.

Les Misérables will perform at the Petersfield Festival Hall between 17 and 24 September. Ticket prices range from £5 to £15 and can be purchased from One Tree Books from 26th August.

Capital Fuzz, Forever Can Wait, and Lost Souls Club will be joining headliners Alternative Carpark, EnTro-P, Cubrik, Big Red Ass and Sinuism on the Lounge Bar Stage.

Lounge Bar owner Catherine Jackson said:
“It’s the first year that the Lounge Bar has been involved with Butserfest, and we are proud and delighted to be running the second stage at the event.

“We are really lucky to have such a thriving music scene in East Hampshire, and to have a council who supports local bands and gives them the chance to play in front of a potential audience of thousands.

“We are always on the lookout for new talent to play at the bar, and we found plenty on Saturday. It was tough for the judges to make a decision because the standard was really high, but I’m really happy with the choices and excited about how the line-up for the stage is looking so far.”

The second and final heat will be next Saturday (13 August). Another three bands will go through to play the Lounge Bar stage.

Butserfest is an alcohol/drug-free festival aimed at 14-20 year olds and was founded following consultation with local young people, who said there was not enough to do in the area.

Now in its fifth year, Butserfest has grown year-on-year and now has a reputation as one of the best festivals of its kind in the country.

Funeral for a Friend will be headlining the main stage, and other bands playing include Deaf Havana, Lower than Atlantis and Bury Tomorrow.

Tickets for the festival cost £15 until the 15th August, £20 from 16 August to 15 September (plus a booking fee), and £25 on the door (only cash will be accepted at the door).
You can book tickets online: http://butserfest2011.eventbrite.com/

The Guest Speaker was England Women’s Hockey player, Alex Danson, who gave an inspirational speech, urging students to work their hardest to achieve their goals.

The PE department highlighted individual and team successes, and then the final awards, sponsored by Duncan Eves Jewellers, were presented:

Girls Fair Play award: Rebekah Hoffman
Boys Fair Play award: Tom Best
Boys Contribution Award: Robert Humphrey
Girls Contribution Award: Kate Wilderspin
National Recognition Award: Beth Bowden
Girls Sports Personality Award: Nicola Aspinall
Boys Sports Personality Award: Michael Muckelt

PE teacher, Claire Allen, said, “Well done to all those who have participated in clubs and taken part in fixtures throughout the year, and to those who have gone on to achieve these great honours in sport.”

The Year 11 students turned up celebrated the end of their school days in style with a glamorous bash at the Tithe Barn, in Ditcham.

There was a fabulous array of dresses and dinner suits as they donned their best glad rags for the event.

But it was the transport that stole the show with some of the party-goers turning up in fairy tale style in a carriage drawn by plumed horses and carriage, while others made a stately arrival in a vintage Rolls Royce!

There was a record crowd of onlookers to watch their arrival and mingling on the lawn before they took their seats to enjoy an extensive buffet followed by dancing to a local band.

Headteacher, Nigel Poole, said: “As usual we were incredibly proud of our leavers – their dress and their behaviour were exemplary, and proved what fine adults they are becoming.”

Victor Walker, a former member of the Glider Squad, was introduced to the school by Year 8 student, Kayode Balogun.

He talked about his experiences in the war and answered a host of questions.

The students learned many fascinating facts.  Mr Walker told them that he had to carry equipment weighing about five stone on his back every day and was given secret tools and devices to escape if he was ever captured by Germans.  

He also told them about the good and bad experiences of evacuees coming to Petersfield.  Over 1,000 children were evacuated to Petersfield to escape areas like Portsmouth that were heavily targeted by German bombs. One bomb actually landed in Petersfield!

His final message to the students was that war is a terrible thing and not something to be glorified and should only be used as a last resort.

One of the students, Thahmina Shilpa, said: “We were very lucky to meet him and the hour went by very quickly.  Thank you, Mr Walker. ”

Horndean Parish Council placed new outdoor fitness equipment at two of its recreational areas to give locals a chance to go through their exercise routines in the fresh air.

The recreation ground and the Deep Dell play area have both been fitted with a leg press and chest press.

The new equipment at Horndean Recreation Ground were made possible thanks to a £5,000 grant from Star Energy.

Tracy Predeth, Clerk to Horndean Parish Council, said: “We hope that the equipment will be enjoyed by older children and adults and will encourage physical activity and promote healthy living.”

The programme goes live for online bookings on Wednesday 20th July at 12 noon. All activities for Get Activ8’d can be booked on line at www.getactivenow.org.uk or by calling 01730 234384.

Get Activ8’d have some 2012 Olympics Sports on offer such as Archery, Martial Arts, Tennis and Basketball! Also on offer is Climbing, ZUMBA! Glee, Cheerleading, Cricket and Pro-Jumping with Team 101! As featured on Channel 4’s Famous and Fearless series earlier this year!

To find out more about this summer’s programme contact Lisa Clements RAPP Co-ordinator on 01730 234384 or lisa.clements@easthants.gov.uk

The group went head-to-head on Tuesday against a charity based in Oxford to win the prize pot.

Nik Ashton, Artistic Director, said the money is earmarked to go towards refurbishing its building in Petersfield.

The Big Lottery Fund, in partnership with ITV, and with the approval of Buckingham Palace, is marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a special roll-out of Lottery grants.

The awards are being made to projects that will inspire or improve local communities.

Petersfield Youth Theatre has been delivering weekly workshops, school holiday activities and performance opportunities for young people aged five to 25 for 21 years.

At the beginning of 2011 it secured a home from which to run all of its activities. The building, known as The Space, is situated at the end of The High Street, and could benefit from both internal improvements and exterior decoration.

PYT recently applied for a grant to renovate the building.

The theatre group has made it to the regional finals of the Jubilee People’s Millions ‘Big Lottery’ funding scheme, a search for the most deserving local groups, and will secure the pot if it wins the public’s approval.

PYT and another group from the region will go head to head on the Meridian evening news on Tuesday 28 June and the grant will be given to the group with the highest number of votes.

Nik Ashton, Artistic Director, said the money would help refurbish the group’s building in Petersfield.

“Each year we work with over 400 young people in the area and winning the TV vote would make a huge difference to the work that we do. The improvements we plan to make to our new home will not only benefit the young people we work with, but allow us to offer the facilities to other community groups. It’s a really exciting time for PYT,” he said.

The Big Lottery Fund, in partnership with ITV, and with the approval of Buckingham Palace, is marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a special roll-out of Lottery grants. The £60,000 Jubilee People’s Millions awards are being made to projects that will inspire or improve local communities.

Petersfield Youth Theatre has been delivering weekly workshops, school holiday activities and performance opportunities for young people aged five to 25 for 21 years. At the beginning of 2011 it secured a home from which to run all of its activities. The building, known as The Space, is situated at the end of The High Street, and could benefit from both internal improvements and exterior decoration.

PYT recently applied for a grant to renovate the building and is delighted to announce that it has reached the Meridian TV finals. Next week ITV will be making a short film about the group and how the grant will be used.

The phone lines will be open from 9am on the morning of the broadcast and votes will be accepted until midnight. The telephone number to support the PYT bid does not get announced until the morning of the vote.

PYT suggests that people visit the youth theatre’s website – www.pyt.org.uk - register their details and the minute the phone number is announced the group will contact them.

Mr Ashton said: “While no guarantees can be made, the Big Lottery Fund have announced that Her Majesty The Queen will visit a number of the successful projects. We are sure that she would like Petersfield!”

Catherine Gobart has just been appointed as the Youth Project Worker and she is planning to have six drop-in sessions a week for Whitehill Bordon and Lindford youngsters.

But she really needs volunteers to help her run the sessions. The volunteers will need to be CRB checked as well as having their references checked – the cost of which will be met by the project organisers.

To start off with there will be five sessions as follows (but these could change if the youngsters would prefer to meet at different times). And one more session will be added to Wednesdays evenings to make six sessions.

Wednesdays from 2:30pm-4:pm at Bordon Garrison Youth Club – this is for those aged over 11. By the end of July this session will move to Lindford Village Hall.

Thursdays from 3pm-4:30pm at the Waterworks in Chalet Hill – this is for those aged between nine and 13-years-old. There will then be a session from 5pm-6-30pm for 14 to 17-year-olds in the same location.

Fridays from 3pm-4:30pm at the Waterworks in Chalet Hill – this is for those aged between 14 and 17 years old. There will then be a session from 5pm-6:30pm for 14 to 17-year-olds in the same location.

Details of times and the additional session will be available soon on www.whitehillbordon.com

Catherine said: “We really need volunteers to make this fantastic project a success.

“My ambition is that all the activities we will do at the drop-in sessions will be decided and developed by the young people. I want it to be their club – with their rules.

“Some of the topics we could cover are photography, cooking, first aid and gardening – but it will really be up to the group to tell me what they would most want.

“Eco-town funding has enabled this exciting project to get off the ground.”

The Youth Drop-in project is a joint venture with Community First East Hampshire, the Eco-town project and Bordon Youth Umbrella Group.

He beat the Silver medallist in the Under 17s by 12.35m and the Senior Men’s Champion by 2.4m!

Michael is now 4^th in the country for Under 17s and 35^th for all age groups.

Last weekend he attended the Senior Men’s Meet for Portsmouth City, and although only “guesting” in Javelin, he once again beat all the seniors with a throw of 54.95m.  He also represented the team in Triple Jump, recording 11.53m and becoming the “A” stream for his team by out-performing his senior team mate.

Michael was interviewed by a TV crew after his Team Manager had identified him as an athlete to watch, and they have undertaken to follow Michael through the season to check  on his progress.

Claire Allen, PE teacher at The Petersfield School, said, “We are absolutely delighted for Michael.  He is a dedicated athlete who is an inspiration to younger students.  We wish him well for the future.”

The event – organised by Festival for Young People with support from the Guides, Air Cadets, EHDC and other individuals – was the first held in Petersfield and could become a regular fixture in the local skating and BMX calendar.

Competitions included ‘Lord of the Lines’ on the street course and a jam in the bowl area with separate rounds for skate, rollerblade and BMX. There was also a barbecue, stalls and information from the park designers Wheelscape on the planned second phase of the park build.

The second phase will include new toilets, floodlighting and an extension to the skatepark. In the meantime, Petersfield Town Council will be installing CCTV around the skatepark to reduce the possibility of vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

For anyone who missed the chance to show off their skills in Petersfield, the third annual Clanfield Jam takes place on Saturday 9 July at the Clanfield skatepark.

Their stunning performance of “Through the eyes of a child”, based on the best-selling book set during the Holocaust – “The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas” – garnered awards for Best Choreography; Best Make-up Design; Best Video Performance; Spirit of Rock Challenge and culminated with the ultimate prize of First Place!

Lisa Baker, Head of the Arts Faculty, said, “No words can express the feeling and pride of seeing our students perform to such a standard amongst other outstanding schools. The challenging nature of the piece further proves the level of our students’ ability to be sensitive and intelligent in responding to themes.”

Headteacher, Nigel Poole, added, “My sincere congratulations to Lisa, and the many staff who have helped – too numerous to mention – who gave up time after school, at weekends, through long days at The Guildhall and in the holidays – it is much appreciated by everyone including parents, Governors and senior staff.”

One delighted parent wrote, “The dance and drama skills displayed by each and every student combined with the artistry of the choreography and set produced a performance that was even more powerful and polished than in the heats.”

Another added, “It was certainly a moving performance and as parents we are very proud of the pupils for their dedication to all the time spent rehearsing, and a big thank you to all the staff and helpers who helped to make it all possible.”

http://www3.hants.gov.uk/youthtube

Cyclists, runners and walkers helped raise money for Comic Relief by taking to the Red Nose trails of Alice Holt for 3 mile cycles and 1.5 mile walks and runs.

The charity event held on Saturday, organised and ran by the East Hampshire Youth Council was designed to promote physical activity, whilst encouraging people to have fun and raise money for Comic Relief.

Over 60 people and 20 teams entered the challenge, which enabled the Youth Council to raise £155 in challenge entries and over £200 in sponsorships so far.

The event appealed to a range of ages from those trying to spot the red nose signs in their push chairs to teenagers and parents enjoying a day out in the sun shine.

Cycle times were recorded and 1st place went to: The Bordon Punks who completed the 3 mile trail in just 18 minutes. 2nd place went to Team Jones, who completed the trail in 24 minutes, followed by 3rd place which was won by The Highly Flammables for completing the trail in 28 minutes. The team spirit award went to Team Helena and Louise who camouflaged themselves with mud for the occasion. The best fancy dress prize went to The Rebel Alliance, who had themed their costumes on Star Wars characters. The best fund-raisers award went to The Vampirettes and Bordon Punks, who had collectively raised £170 in sponsorships.

Lara Nolan, Youth Council Coordinator who had worked supported the Youth Council in their planning said:
‘We were very pleased with the turn out, particularly as this is the first outdoor event we have planned, so we hope to make it bigger and better in future years.’

For more information about the East Hampshire Youth Council please contact Lara Nolan, telephone- 01730 234186, or email- Lara.Nolan@easthants.gov.uk, or visit- easthantsyouthcouncil.org.

Also there is a sister club at the Villiage hall, froxfield on Wednesday evenings 18.30-21.00.

The Kings Arms is back and with better facilities than before which includes, Table Tennis, Pool Tables, an X box 360, Nintendo Wii, a new IT suite, a Music Studio as well as a gigantic screen where they hold cinema nights. They also boast a Bar where you can buy crisps, drinks, chocolate and sweets (also a few less popular healthy options!)   

The Kings Arms is run by Hannah Turner with support from Lauren Preston and Tom Grant. There is also a dedicated group of adult and junior volunteers who help out as much as they can.

The youngsters love having a place where they can chill out after a day at school, at the Kings Arms they can enjoy the facilities, and the parents know that they are safe.

The Kings Arms Petersfield opening times are as follows:

                   After school                                                Evening

Monday: 3.15pm-5.15 pm                              Extreme: for juniors 5.30 pm- 7.00 pm

Tuesday: 3.15pm-5.15 pm                              Girls only: 7. pm-9.pm 

Wednesday: 3.15 pm-5.15 pm                        Years 7&8: 7.pm- 9.pm

Thursday: 2.30 pm- 4.30 pm                           Years 9&10: 7 pm- 9.pm

Friday: 3.13 pm- 5.15 pm                           Years 10, 11, 12: 7.pm- 9.pm (once a month)

Website: www.facebook.com/thekingsarmsyouthproject

Written by Kieran May TPS and Ben Williams EHDC

We'll collect all your ideas and let you know the results on this page in Spring 2011 (this year!) In the meantime, please start filling in your answers by the closing date which is the end of school spring term, Friday 1st April 2011

Please follow the link below, fill in the short survey, and help make South Downs National Park the best it can be!

http://www.southdowns.gov.uk/rte.asp?id=1111

Raise money for charity and work up a healthy glow with a fundraising fun run and bike ride organised by East Hampshire Youth Council.

The event, being held at Alice Holt Forest in aid of Comic Relief, will see teams of energetic fundraisers completing a cycle ride and then a 1.5 mile run.

As well as trying for the fastest time the teams will also be vying for prizes in a number of other fun categories including best team spirit, best fundraisers and best fancy dress.

The charity challenge is due to take place from 10am-1pm on Saturday 19 March. Participants can start any time but must complete the course by 1pm. Entry will cost £3 per person with teams being made up of three to five members.

The Youth Council hope to get as many people along as possible to help raise money for charity and each person taking part will get a free goody bag and water.

After the challenge fundraisers can enjoy the other facilities that Alice Holt has to offer, such as the children’s play area, picnic areas and café. Bike and helmet hire are also available.

To register for the event, or for further information, please contact Lara Nolan (Youth Council Co-ordinator) telephone: 01730 234186, or Email: Lara.Nolan@easthants.gov.uk.

 

East Hants Youth Council (EHYC) are looking for new members to join their group of vibrant, enthusiastic young people aged 11-21, to help improve life for people in their age group.

You can join in and discuss the issues affecting you and help to make a difference in your community, we aim to give young people  a voice in local government and represent the views of our peers.

If you are interested in becoming part of EHYC, then please come along to one of the following events and learn more about what we do:

Monday 28th February-6.30pm-8.30pm- Bordon Youth Centre, Mill chase Road, Bordon

Monday 7th March-6.30pm-8.30pm-EHDC Offices, Penns Place, Petersfield

The election will take place between Monday 14th and Friday 25th March 2011

The new introductory programme is aimed at players over 16 who have either never played before or who have not picked up a netball for many years.

The ten week course starts on Monday 21 February, 7pm – 8pm, at Alton College Sports Hall, and is an opportunity to learn new skills and brush up old ones.

The course costs just £10 and is run by a qualified coach in a friendly setting.

“It does not matter if you have not played netball before,” said Councillor Jennifer Gray, Portfolio Holder for Lifestyles and Environment.

“The programme is about either trying netball for the first time or getting back into the game after a long break, maybe since school. It is also a good way to meet new people who are also looking to get back into sport and to improve their general fitness.”

For more information and to book your place contact Community Services on 01730 234396 or email Kirsty.cope@easthants.gov.uk. Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

Young people in East Hampshire have started an online campaign after hearing rumours that their annual music festival could be scrapped due to recent budget cuts in local government.

The annual event, which prides itself as a drug and alcohol free music festival for young people, has had growing support from local young people, businesses and bands over the years and has become one of the South's biggest events of its kind.

It would be a shame to lose the festival because there is nothing else for young people who are not old enough to go to the big festivals in the summer but want to see live music and have a laugh.

To join the group and express your feelings about the subject then search facebook for "Join to save butserfest" and add your name to the list.

The old skatepark started to fall apart after rain and constant vandalism damaged the wooden half-pipe and parts of the metal street course.It slowly started to get worse as it became more and more difficult to maintain and after a while, became too unsafe to use.

Costing tax payers and charities around  £160,000 it is hoped that the new park will keep young people of all ages and abilities entertained and be a place where they can chill out and play without fear of getting on anyone's nerves or damaging other property around the town.

Buriton residents have campaigned and have made use of the skate ramps which were removed from Petersfield and they are now located in Buriton recreation ground; the local youngsters are very happy.

The new skatepark will be regularly monitored and there will be numbers on display so that any incidents such as vandalism or anti- social behavior can be reported swiftly, and we can make sure that it is treated with respect by its users. Go down and check it out!

Find Your Talent is the latest government project that aims to encourage young people to participate in cultural activities both in and out of school. It is being piloted across ten different areas with an investment of over £25 million.

Cultural experiences enable children to unlock their talents and realise their potential. Access to the arts, different cultures can raise confidence from a young age help young people develop social skills and help them express themselves in a variety of ways.

Having access to creative projects and culture can bring communities together and help to enrich the lives of families by providing these experiences through all kinds of medium.

To find out more about projects in your area visit www.findyourtalent.org

Over 600 young people took part in the survey designed and run by Horndean Youth Empowerment Project, a group of pupils at Horndean Technology College working with the district council in order to have their say on how to improve their local area.

The results show that what most young people quesioned would like is a swimming pool/ leisure centre built in the area, this would mean that they would no longer have to travel to Havant or Petersfield to use the already stretched facilities there.  

Other ideas included a new Skate park backed by 27% of young people who took part in the survey , a BMX dirt track backed by 26%, and a Gym backed by 24%. Also a significant amount of people said they would like to see a football cage; a safe, enclosed and lit space suitable for 5-a-side tournaments and recreational use.

Linda Munday, the council's community planning co-ordinator, said: 'This is a fantastic piece of research by a group of young people who are really committed to Horndean and its future.

'Finding out what young people want is one of the hardest things for community planners to do so to have this survey conducted by the young people of Horndean themselves is really brilliant.'

According to an Ofsted report pupils face too many ‘dull and uninspiring’ lessons in school.  They are concerned that there is not enough variety in teaching styles and that as a result pupils are not reaching their full potential.

What do you think?

Do the teachers at your school make the lessons as interesting, fun and as interactive as they could be?

How would you make the lessons more inspiring?

Ofsted are concerned that if the children and young people are not engaging properly in learning then they are missing out on an education simply because they find it boring.

Tell us what you think by joining the forum and posting your comments.

More protests in the capital in response to the governments plans to raise tuition fees and scrap EMA( Education maintenance allowance), the financial help for 16-19 year olds in higher education from less well off backgrounds.

In London what was supposed to be a peaceful protest with a ‘carnival’ atmosphere, soon turned into violence as small groups of teenagers wearing hoods and scarves to hide their faces started throwing objects at the police as well as spray-painting and vandalising police vans. One protester sprayed ‘Revolution’ on the wall of the foreign office.This Schoolgirl, one of the younger protesters, was trying to stop a group of lads vandalising this police van further. 

Many of the students present at the protest were there because they are not happy with the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg’s apparent broken promises regarding the cuts. They showed this by burning pictures of him and chanting “Shame on you, for turning blue”.

Many of the students out on protest condemned the violence saying that if they join in then it makes it look like they are only there for the violence and ends up harming the cause. The groups that were engaging in the violence were mostly young men, who were encouraging each other to antagonise the police.

The trouble is that there are no new solutions being thought up in order to please the tax-payers and the students. David Cameron’s proposals to raise the price of higher education threefold, are not sitting well with students and voters because they are worried that this will put people off of going to university unless they come from a well off background. This was echoed in one of the student’s banners on the London protest which read: Rich Parents for All! A tongue-in-cheek remark at the apparent elitism the new system would cause.

The government are reforming higher education and in the new reform students university fees could rise by up to £9.000.
The national union of students (NUS) called it 'an outrage'.

Click on the link to read the article on the BBC website about tuition fees

As part of their GCSE coursework, the students have been preparing presentations on different actors and acting styles, and student, Mollie Claasen, chose Hugh Bonneville.  She contacted him and TPS invited him in to talk about his experiences as an actor.

The actor was given a tour of the school, met the students, and then carried out some drama exercises with them, focusing on status and sub-text, followed by many questions from the floor. 

Lucy Stubbington, TPS Head of Drama, said: "This was a superb opportunity for the students to work with such a renowned actor.  It gave them a great insight into the acting world, and we are very grateful to Hugh for giving up his time."

Their messages have been transformed into posters and banners and will be displayed on litter collection vehicles and schools in a bid to persuade residents to bin their rubbish.

Members of East Hampshire's Youth Council worked on the concepts with East Hampshire District Council to come up with eye-catching designs which should reach a broad audience.

Jake Topp, East Hampshire Youth Councillor, said: "We really want to see East Hampshire's streets kept clear of litter and hopefully our posters will get that message across.

"A lot of litter tends to get dropped needlessly when there are bins close by and it then costs everyone money for it to be collected. If people could just take the effort to keep their rubbish with them until they can find a bin, it would be better for everybody. There are plenty of bins around so there are really no excuses."

Litterbugs can be hit with an £80 on-the-spot fine if they are caught dropping rubbish in the street, including cigarette butts and chewing gum.

Gum on pavements can be a particular problem. It takes five years to bio-degrade and can only be removed with a high pressure hose.

The posters contain the slogans: ‘One small step to the bin, one giant leap for mankind' and ‘Bin your gum or you could find yourself in a sticky situation'.

Young people in the district can get their hands on £5,000 set aside specifically for youth projects but hurry as the deadline is Friday 19^th March.

The scheme is run by the 14 to 17-year-old members of East Hampshire Youth Council, which hands out grants of up to £250 for organisations working with young people.

East Hampshire District Council funds the scheme. Cllr Hilary Ayer, EHDC’s Portfolio Holder for Young People and Community Safety, said: “The youth council will look at the applications themselves and make the decision.”

Lara Nolan, Youth Council Co-ordinator, said the Money Pot, launched last year, has already funded a great range of projects from providing the money for the parts required to manufacture an electric racing car for Horndean Technology College to an educational daytrip for young people from Treloar College focusing on conservation at Marwell Zoo.

Mrs Nolan said: “It was interesting to see the Money Pot funds being used so creatively and I would encourage more groups to make use of the money available.”

The Money Pot will close at the end of March 2010 but if the scheme uses the £5,000 allocated for this year it will be likely to carry on.

To apply to the Money Pot contact Lara Nolan, Youth Council Co-ordinator, on 01730 234186.

Contact: Lara Nolan, Youth Council Co-ordinator, 01730 234186. E-mail: lara.nolan@easthants.gov.uk

East Hampshire Youth Council is a group of young people aged 11-21 who meet on a monthly basis across the district in order to improve young people’s lives.

EHYC has run two exciting projects this year: the creation of an accredited proof of age card for young people who live in the district and the ‘Penny Pushers’ project, which has included an educational DVD about money, a dedicated section on the youth council’s website and money drop-in sessions, starting soon at Mill Chase Community School.

Young people’s groups can apply to the EHYC for grants of up to £250 to help pay for equipment, trips, uniforms and other items.

Youth councillors can choose their level of involvement and many have volunteered to help at council-run events such as Butserfest, a young people’s alcohol and drug free music event, the annual Youth Quiz and the talent contest Show Off.

Members of EHYC are also trained to assess organisations and services for young people by collecting evidence through a site visit on: involvement of young people, equality and diversity, environment and resources and links to other services. If the service or organisation is deemed to be ‘young person friendly’ they are awarded the CAT Mark award, designed by young people from the Care Action Team. The award is designed to recognise excellence and to help services improve their practice.

Anyone wishing to find out more should come along to Bordon Youth Centre on Thursday 4 March from 6.30-8.30pm. Please register your interest by contacting Lara Nolan (Youth Council Coordinator) by email at Lara.Nolan@easthants.gov.uk or call 01730 234186. Help with transport may be available if this is required.

CONTACT Lara Nolan, EHDC Youth Council Co-ordinator, 01730 234186

Twenty-nine local youngsters saw the partially constructed stadium that will host the games and met two athletes that hope to compete.

The trip in early August could become part of a nationwide scheme run for local councils.  East Hampshire District Council worked closely with Mango Events Management Ltd to develop this innovative concept and was the first to try it out.

Mrs Jennifer Gray, Portfolio Holder for Community and Active Lifestyles, said that seeing the construction and meeting top sports stars would give youngsters the motivation to achieve their own ambitions.

"The Olympic legacy does not start in 2012, it starts now," he said. "We can use the Olympics to inspire a generation of children today.

"We are one of the first councils to take part in these tours and we believe they are an innovative and novel way of inspiring children to achieve their dreams.

"They may not be great sportsmen but whether they are artists, performers or even photographers they can be inspired to reach their goals."

Two athletes gave the youngsters a talk on what it takes to fulfil your ambition. Sprinter Ryan Scott hopes to compete in 2012 as does Cecelia Turk, a Paralympic boccia champion, from Waterlooville.

The children were also treated to a demonstration of football skills and beat boxing, and some even took part. The feedback after the event showed the children felt empowered by the day and would be taking up some form of sport. One was delighted to hear that although it is not an Olympic sport; beat boxing could be a career.

Ryan Howlett, who went on the trip, said: "Having started my cycling season with a knee injury that has put me out of competition riding for a few months, I found that the presentations given by Ryan Scott and especially Cecelia Turk so inspiring. It has given me the encouragement I needed to keep me going with a sport I love."