South Woodham Ferrers Town Council

04/09/2026

🎄✨ The countdown to Christmas starts here! ✨🎄

Every Friday in the run-up to our Christmas Fayre, we’ll be sharing a little glimpse of what’s in store this year! 🎅🎁

Consider it your Christmas Fayre teaser… and we’ve got LOTS of exciting surprises planned! 👀✨

We’re aiming to make this our best Christmas Fayre yet, so make sure you save the date!

📅 Saturday 21 November
📍 In the town

🎄 You really won’t want to miss it! ❤️

04/09/2026

August Town Council Roundup

August was another busy month across South Woodham Ferrers, filled with community events, family activities, local achievements and exciting developments.

🌿 Community Litter Pick
A big thank you to everyone who volunteered at our litter pick on 2 August. Your efforts help keep our town looking its best.

🎨 Summer Activities at Champions Manor Hall
Throughout August, families enjoyed afternoons packed with fun, laughter and entertainment at Champions Manor Hall. Thank you to Party Monsters, Papalarny and Moji for providing fantastic entertainment, and Cookstars for offering free cupcake and biscuit decorating sessions. Deputy Mayor Cllr Lisa Kelly, together with Cllrs Price, Knox and Cash, also helped children enjoy a variety of craft activities.

🏊 Free Summer Sports & Swimming Events
It was wonderful to see so many children and families taking part in our free summer sessions at SWF Leisure Centre, including four dry-side inflatable events, three family fun swims and a pool inflatable session. A huge thank you to the Leisure Centre team for their hard work and support in making these events possible.

🎬 Seniors’ Film Club
August’s screening featured Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, starring Jeremy Allen White in a compelling story about the creation of Bruce Springsteen’s iconic acoustic album, Nebraska.

⚽ Play in the Park
Funded by South Woodham Ferrers Town Council and delivered by Chelmsford City Council, Play in the Park once again proved popular, with great attendance at Saltcoats Park throughout the summer holidays. We had over 300 children attend the two summer sessions.

🏆 Gold Award Achievement
We are delighted to announce that South Woodham Ferrers Town Council has achieved the prestigious Gold Award under the National Association of Local Councils' Local Council Award Scheme, reaching the highest level of accreditation just two years after beginning the process. The award was confirmed on 7 August and will be formally presented on 20 October 2026.

💷 Community Grants Open
Applications for grants from local community groups and charities are now open and will be considered at the next Finance & Projects Committee meeting on 13 October 2026. Applications must be received by 1 October 2026. https://www.southwoodhamferrerstc.gov.uk/Council_Documents_16687.aspx

🏗️ Bowls Clubhouse Progress
The lease for the new Bowls Clubhouse at Champions Manor Hall was formally signed at the Council meeting on 18 August, and work has now commenced on site.

🏫 Chetwood School Redevelopment
The Town Council has submitted comments and observations to Essex County Council regarding the proposed redevelopment of Chetwood School (Reference CC/CHL/55/26). These can be viewed on our website under Planning &Environment minutes. Residents can view all the submitted comments via the Essex County Council planning portal. https://planning.essex.gov.uk/Planning/Display/CC/CHL/55/26

Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, supported and participated in the many activities taking place across our town during August. We look forward to another busy month ahead!

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04/09/2026

Next week is Senior Film Club - Wednesday 9th September- doors open at midday.

Join us for the much-loved, feel-good film Belfast — a touching story of family, childhood and community, set in Northern Ireland during the 1960s.
Starring Jude Hill, Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan and Judi Dench.

A beautiful film with plenty of heart — come along and enjoy! Free refreshments provided.

First visit to the film club?? You can get a membership for £5.00 a year! All welcome and see you then.

02/09/2026

Flu National Booking System now open – winter toolkit and supporting resources available

The NHS National Booking System is now open for pregnant women, children aged 2 and 3, and children in a clinical risk group (aged from 6 months to 17 years) with flu vaccinations starting from 1 September. All other eligible groups – including those aged 65 and over, people with certain long-term health conditions and carers – can also book now, for appointments from 1 October.

People can book via the NHS App, online at nhs.uk/bookflu, or by calling 119. The 2026/27 winter vaccinations stakeholder toolkit, produced by UKHSA and NHS England, is available now on the Campaign Resource Centre, with key messages, statistics and ready-to-use social media assets to help you promote flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccinations within your community.

Book, change or cancel a flu vaccination appointment

02/09/2026

🌺 THE BANDSTAND POPPY PROJECT 2026 🌺

❤️ Let’s join together as a community ❤️

We’re getting ready to create something really special for our community — a beautiful Poppy Project for the Bandstand, bringing together handmade poppies to create a spectacular display for Remembrance.

🧶 Would you like to knit or crochet some poppies?
Patterns are available from Champions Manor Hall, so you can get involved from home and help us build our collection.

☕ Or perhaps you don’t knit or crochet?
That’s absolutely fine! Come along to one of our sessions at Champions Manor Hall for a coffee, a chat and a chance to help us attach the poppies to the netting ready for our Bandstand display.

📅 Every Friday from 11th September until 23rd October
⏰ 10am – 12 noon
📍 Champions Manor Hall – Multi-purpose Room

Everyone is welcome — no special skills needed!

Whether you make one poppy, twenty poppies, or simply come along for a cuppa and help out, every little contribution will make a difference.

🌺 Let’s come together, have a cuppa, make some friends and create something wonderful for our town.

Please share and spread the word

02/09/2026

❤️ HEART OF THE COMMUNITY EVENT ❤️

Sometimes you don’t know where to turn for advice, support or simply a friendly face to talk to. That’s why our quarterly Heart of the Community event brings a whole range of local organisations together under one roof. 🤝

☕ Free to attend – come along for a cuppa, a chat and a warm welcome.

Whether you’re looking for help with health and wellbeing, finances, family support, hearing or sight, dementia, caring, mental health, water, local activities, community groups or simply want to find out what support is available locally, there will be someone there to point you in the right direction.

🌟 Advice, support and a warm welcome – all under one roof.

📅 Tuesday 13th October 2026
🕐 1pm – 3pm
📍 Main Hall, Champions Manor Hall
94–104 Hullbridge Road, South Woodham Ferrers, CM3 5LJ

You don’t have to have a problem to come along – you might just discover something that makes life a little easier.

Please share this post with friends, family, neighbours and anyone in our community who might benefit.
Meet your community. Find the support you need.

28/08/2026

Grant Applications Are Now Open!

Calling all community groups and charities — applications are now open for grant funding!

If you have a project that could benefit your community, apply now!

28/08/2026

Just a reminder for anyone that’s booked a place for swimming today - first session at 10am and second session at 11.30am. This is fully booked but please call the SWF leisure centre to see if any spaces have become available.