Local Community Network brings together those with dementia

Last month, a dementia event funded by Mid Sussex District Council’s Local Community Network brought together people living with dementia and their carers for a day of information, advice and lunch.

Organised for the Mid Sussex Older Peoples Council, the event featured talks and information from a wide range of organisations including the Alzheimer’s Society, Raise Your Voice dementia singing project, Sussex Police, Brighton and Hove Buses, Carers Support, Tu Vida, Age UK’s dementia team, Wakehurst dementia walks, and Martlet Manor Care Home. Good Oaks Home Care also attended to offer support, and several local social prescribers were on hand throughout the day.

Sussex Police brought information on the Herbert Protocol, which encourages carers and family members to complete a vital information form about a vulnerable person living with dementia in case they go missing. A form can be found at www.medicalert.org.uk or phone 01908 951045.

Brighton and Hove Buses talked about how all their frontline drivers are trained Dementia Friends to enable patience and understanding, and explained that the buses’ seating, lighting, flooring, and announcements are all designed to be dementia friendly. They brought information on their Helping Hand Scheme card, which you can show to a driver discreetly with a brief written instruction of what assistance you need. To apply for one phone 01273 886200 or go to www.buses.co.uk/helpinghand

Haywards Heath Deputy Mayor Cllr Bashar attended and gave a heartfelt speech to those present.

Wild West Week at Orchards Haywards Heath

Dust off your cowboy boots and saddle up for family fun as Wild West Week rides into The Orchards Shopping Centre from Tuesday 4th to Saturday 8th August.

For five action-packed days, the centre will be transformed into a Wild West adventure, packed with free activities, live entertainment and opportunities for visitors of all ages to join in the fun.

Whether you’re a budding cowboy, a line-dancing enthusiast or simply looking for something different to do during the summer holidays, there’s something for everyone.

Family fun throughout the week

Visitors can enjoy a varied programme of activities, including: Line dancing lessons, Wild West prize bingo, Live country music from Whiskey Over Ice (Friday and Saturday), Rodeo bull rides (Friday and Saturday), Free children’s games and activities, plus lots of food and drink vendors and local market stalls.

Supporting a fantastic local charity

Wild West Week will also help raise awareness and funds for Kangaroos Mid Sussex, a local charity providing vital support and opportunities for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities and complex needs, as well as respite and support for their families. A range of fundraising activities throughout the week will give visitors the chance to support a worthy local cause while enjoying some light-hearted Wild West fun.

Learn to line dance

One of the highlights of the week will be the daily line-dancing sessions led by local favourites Line Dance Fit and Cindy Lou’s Line & Country Dancing. Suitable for all ages and abilities, these friendly sessions are designed to get people moving, laughing and giving something new a try—no experience required. Both organisations have generously donated their time and expertise to support Kangaroos Mid Sussex. A suggested donation of £3 per person will go directly to the charity. Advance booking is required.

Wild West Bingo

Fancy something a little different? Join the Wild West Prize Bingo session at 10.30am on Wednesday morning. For an entry fee of £6 per adult and £3 per child, participants can enjoy six fun-filled rounds with a selection of themed prizes up for grabs.

More than just shopping

Wild West Week forms part of The Orchards Shopping Centre’s ongoing commitment to bringing exciting community events to the heart of Haywards Heath. Centre Events Manager Miranda Virgo said: “We wanted to create something a little different this summer to encourage families to spend time together while supporting our local retailers and our charity of the year. Wild West Week combines entertainment, creativity, music and community spirit, and we can’t wait to welcome visitors for what promises to be a fantastic week.”

So, round up the family and head down to The Orchards this August for a week of Wild West-themed entertainment, community spirit and summer holiday fun.

For more information email hello@theorchardsshopping.co.uk, follow on social media or see www.theorchardsshopping.co.uk

Coro Nuovo concert in St Wilfrid’s Church this July 2026

Music lovers in Sussex are in for a remarkable evening this summer as St Wilfrid’s Church, Haywards Heath hosts an exceptional celebration of young musical talent on Saturday 11th July at 7pm.

Acclaimed local choir Coro Nuovo will present its much-anticipated Summer Prom Concert — an elegant evening of classical favourites and beloved musical theatre performances.

The highlight of the evening will be a prestigious competition featuring three outstanding Sussex Young Musicians, each competing for the coveted title along with financial awards worth up to £5,000. Audiences will have the rare opportunity to experience some of the country’s most promising emerging performers before they embark on what are sure to be glittering professional careers.

From soaring classical masterpieces to memorable show tunes, the programme promises an uplifting and entertaining night designed to appeal to seasoned concertgoers and newcomers alike. With the atmosphere of a traditional summer prom and the excitement of live competition, the concert is expected to be one of the cultural highlights of the Sussex summer calendar.

Tickets are available now: www.coronuovo.org.uk/tickets For further information call 01444 717750.

Marathon comes to Haywards Heath on 3rd May

Training for a race takes commitment, consistency, and attention to detail… but one thing that’s often overlooked? Your vision. Whether it’s reacting quickly to changes in terrain, staying focused in bright conditions, or simply feeling comfortable mile after mile, clear vision can make a real difference to your performance and overall experience.

That’s where the headline sponsor for the Haywards Heath 10 Mile comes in. As a proudly independent, family-run practice based right here in the town, Haydenswan Eyecare is built around community. Co-founder Claire Hayden said: “We’re here for the early morning runners, the weekend joggers, the PB chasers, and everyone in between. Supporting local events like this is our way of giving back to the people we care about most, you.”

As part of Mid Sussex Marathon Weekend, the event comes to Haywards Heath on Sunday 3rd May, and includes Mid Sussex Fun Run, Mid Sussex Mile and the 10 mile, which starts on South Road before entering Victoria Park to complete two course loops covering roads, paths, trails and footpaths in and around Haywards Heath. Much of the route is offroad and mainly traffic free. The fun run starts at 9.30am, the mile (aimed at junior runners) at 10am, with the 10 mile kicking off at 10.30am.

Go to the website (www.midsussexmarathon.co.uk) for more information about all the events. Arrive early, if you are wanting to book a place to run on the day.

Haywards Heath Town Council news in brief – April 2026

Broadway Live 2026

St Peter and St James Hospice are proud to present a brand-new fundraising event, ‘Broadway LIVE 2026!’ The event will be held on Sunday 24th May 11am-9pm on The Broadway in Haywards Heath.

With the blessing of and following in the footsteps of Tim French MBE’s ‘Broadway Sound’, the event has been reinvented, and will see The Broadway closed to traffic, while businesses, cafés, bars and restaurants remain open to join in all the fun and proudly support St Peter and St James Hospice.

With two stages, one at each end of the road, there will be numerous exciting music acts, bands and performers, providing back-to-back entertainment all day. The event is proud to showcase young local talent performing alongside a variety of well-established performers.

It’s a whole day for all the family to enjoy, packed with kid’s activities and entertainment. MORE Radio’s very own Jack The Lad is gearing up and will be there 12-2pm to host and entertain everyone! There will be stalls, food and drink and lots of fundraising activities and kids’ activities to join in with.

Come along to Broadway LIVE and see what all the hype is about as this event returns for 2026 for you to enjoy.

Pop-Up Museum

The Town Council are excited to announce the return of the Haywards Heath Pop-Up Museum. Now across a whole weekend, please visit the Town Hall for free on Saturday 25th or Sunday 26th April, anytime between 10am-4pm, to celebrate the local life and history of The Broadway around 1912 credit Courtesy of Charles Tucket Haywards Heath. Uncover stories from the past and explore unique displays for all ages. Plus, take part in two exciting town-wide scavenger hunts and visit the historical places which shaped Haywards Heath.

Pop-Up Cinema: your vote needed!

Haywards Heath Town Council is thrilled to announce the Haywards Heath Pop-Up Cinema. The Pop-Up Cinema will feature two screenings on the day, one for all ages and one for older audiences. Residents are invited to cast their vote for the films they’d most like to see on the big screen. Choices of film for all ages include Toy Story, Moana, and The Greatest Showman, with choices for older audiences including, Grease, Jurassic Park, and Top Gun Maverick. The screenings will be free to attend, and the event will feature a variety of food and drink vendors to complement the movie magic.

Further details, including location and schedules, will be released soon. This is your chance to help shape a brand-new community event. Whether you’re passionate about animated favourites, classic musicals, action-packed adventures, or feel-good blockbusters, your vote matters. Follow this link to see the list of films on offer and to cast your vote: https://buff.ly/jrxZZxL

Updates and final film announcements will be shared on the town council’s social media pages.

Annual Town Meeting

We’ve also got the Annual Town Meeting taking place on Monday 27th April at 7pm at the Town Hall. An Annual Town Meeting is a mandatory, public, yearly gathering for local electors to discuss parish affairs. It is not a formal town council meeting. This year’s guest speakers are John Bines, who is the chair for Good Neighbours Care, and Sophie Barriball from DVLCC attending to give a summary of the year as Mayor’s Charity.

The Mewes vets and Raystede pop-up event

On Thursday 2nd April, Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare, a well-known local animal charity dedicated to improving the lives of animals and the people who care for them, will be visiting The Mewes Vets for a special pop-in event focused on all things dog behaviour. Taking place from 10am until 3pm, this informal and friendly event will give dog owners and animal lovers the opportunity to meet members of Raystede’s knowledgeable team and learn more about understanding canine behaviour.

Whether you have a new puppy, a rescue dog settling into a new home, or simply want to better understand your dog’s body language and communication, the Raystede team will be on hand to share helpful advice and practical guidance. Visitors will be able to ask questions about common behaviour challenges such as lead pulling, recall, barking, separation worries, and socialisation with other dogs.

The aim of the day is to help owners build stronger, more positive relationships with their dogs, through understanding, patience, and kind training methods. Raystede has many years of experience supporting animals and educating owners, and events like this are a great opportunity for the community to access expert knowledge in a relaxed environment. The team will also be happy to talk about the wider work Raystede does, including animal rescue, rehoming, and welfare education.

Everyone is welcome to stop by during the day, have a chat, and pick up useful tips to help their dogs live happier and more confident lives.

Marion and the Haywards Heath Harriers

From setting up beginner-friendly running groups to launching parkrun in the town, Marion Hemsworth has spent the last 15 years making running accessible to the Haywards Heath community, and her latest project could transform how our community stays active for years to come. Here she talks about her life and love of running.

By Lydia Turner

Marion’s journey to Mid Sussex began in the north of England where she was born in Warrington and brought up in Manchester. It was her passion for teaching that brought her south to attend university in London where she completed a teaching qualification. Marion and her husband then made the move to Mid Sussex, initially living in Ardingly before settling in Haywards Heath where she and her husband brought up their three children. Marion taught maths in schools around Sussex for most of her career, before moving into education management and working as an advisor at the Open University. She finished her career at Haywards Heath College from where she retired in 2010.

In her 30s, Marion dabbled with running, but it wasn’t until she turned 50 that she really found her pace, joining Haywards Heath Harriers and discovering her love of running. Marion said that she started playing squash and then discovered that she was better at the running bit in the squash court than she was at hitting the ball. Running is obviously a passion for Marion. What draws people to running, she believes, is its accessibility. “You don’t have to be a certain standard to run. There’s no entry requirement. You don’t need a team. It fits really well around bringing up children as a way of keeping fit.” For Marion, the appeal goes beyond physical fitness. “I like the fact it’s freedom. And it does make you feel good afterwards, that endorphin boost works for everybody, really. But I also love the social side. We visit park runs around the country with my family, and afterwards you have a coffee, you’ve done something, but now let’s chat, let’s socialise, pick up on everybody’s gossip.”

Marion has had several roles within Haywards Heath Harriers over the years and currently serves as the secretary. What started as simply running with the club gradually evolved into take on the administrative side as well. In 2010, Marion and a friend became aware that there was a group of people who didn’t run with Harriers because they felt that it was too competitive them and that they might not be able to reach the standard set by other members, so Marion and her friend Julie set up a more recreational running group for beginners and the less experienced, not so motivated, not so competitive runners, called J&M Running, which is now well established within the town.

Marion explained how J&M Running also venture out of the town, with trips to the north of the country, back to where Marion was brought up. “We did a Blackpool Lights run, because that area was where we used to go as a family with my mum and dad to Blackpool and the St Anne’s. A group of us also ran the Copenhagen Half last year with Berlin this year for some. We get around!”

Not content with her involvement in both Haywards Heath Harriers and J&M Running, Marion was determined to put her beliefs into action. Convinced that running is an accessible social activity, good for mental and physical health and open to as many people as possible, she threw herself into helping set up a parkrun in the town. Clair parkrun began in 2014, attracting good numbers of people on a Saturday morning and this was also followed by another parkrun at Wakehurst, further expanding opportunities for local people to become involved in the sport that Marion loves.

To read Marion’s full story, please pick up your copy of Haywards Heath Life through all of March.

Why a Haywards Heath pensioner is running a mile for every year of his age

On 18th February Melvyn Walmsley (75) began his challenge to run 75 miles by 18th March for the Haywards Heath based Anglo-Ghanaian children’s charity Lovey Foundation (UK). With its partner in rural Upper East Ghana, the Lovey Save Child Workers Foundation, supports subsistence farmers’ children into primary schools in Bawku Municipal and Binduri Districts. “Otherwise, they become stone-quarry or farm labourers.” Mervyn says. ‘Lovey’ the nickname of Thomas, the Ghanaian founder who started school in his teens, means ‘kind person.’

Melvyn explains, “Since 2013, 693 children have been supported into 12 rural primary schools. None drop out, many enter secondary or higher education. Only 4% of our income goes on UK overheads, Zoom for trustees’ meetings and our website. 96% funds children into school. We have raised funds through concerts in Cuckfield and Brighton, celebrity poetry evenings, selling Easter and Christmas cards and Thomas’s book The Quarry Girl, car boot sales, and sponsorship of road running, kayaking the Thames, walking from Switzerland to Rome, and a trustee having her hair shaved off.”

Melvyn is running 75 miles, from his home between 18th February and 18th March, his late parents’ birthdays. Melvyn shared that in February to March 2023 he ran 72 miles at 72, but that eight months later he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, requiring six months treatment which prevented him from running again until last autumn.

If you would like to find out more about Melvyn’s run or Lovey Foundation, please contact him on melvyn@ loveyfoundation.org.

Defibrillator locations around Haywards Heath

Click to enlarge image

Bentswood Hub – 24/7
38 America Lane, Haywards Heath, RH16 3QB

Birchen Oak Residents – 24/7
3 Alder Way, Haywards Heath, RH16 1AN

Bolnore Village Primary School – School hours
Updown Hill, Haywards Heath, RH16 4GD

Burns House – Office hours
Harlands Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 1LR

Collinson – Office hours
Sussex House, Perrymount Road, HH, RH16 1DN

Dolphin Leisure Centre – Open hours
Pasture Hill Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 1LY

Franklands Village Housing Assoc – 24/7
The Estate Office, Franklands Village, RH16 3RS

Hanbury Park Stadium – 24/7
Allen Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 3PT

Harlands Primary School – School hours
Penland Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 1PJ

Haywards Heath Baptist Church – 24/7
Sussex Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 4DZ

Haywards Heath Social Club – Open hours
United Services Club, Wivelsfield Road, RH16 4EG

Haywards Heath Town Hall – 24/7
40 Boltro Rd, Haywards Heath, RH16 1BA

Marks and Spencer – Store hours
Unit 1, The Orchards, Haywards Heath, RH16 3TH

O2 Store – Store hours
Unit 22, The Orchards, Haywards Heath, RH16 3TH

Oathall Community College – 24/7
Appledore Gardens, Haywards Heath, RH16 2AG

Pure Gym – 24/7
59 South Road, Haywards Heath RH16 4LQ

Railway Station – 24/7
Commercial Square, Haywards Heath, RH16 1DJ

Rohan Solicitors – Office hours
Aberdeen House, South Road, HH, RH16 4NG

St Josephs Catholic Primary School – School hours
Hazelgrove Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 3PQ

Tesco Express – Store hours
39 Larch Way, Haywards Heath, RH16 3TG

Tesco Express – Store hours
Hazelgrove Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 3TH

The Ascension Church – 24/7
110 Vale Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 4JS

Tory’s Café – Store hours
Park Pavilion, Victoria Park, HH, RH16 4HT

Total Orthodontics Ltd – Office hours
Heath Square, 5 Boltro Road, HH, RH16 1BL

Woodside Pavillion – 24/7
120 Middle Village, Bolnore Village, RH16 4GJ

Haywards Heath Scouts: A new centre for community transformation

For over a century, the Scouts of Mid Sussex have been a cornerstone of Haywards Heath, empowering young people with practical skills, adventure, and lifelong friendships. As a volunteer-led organisation, the Scouts have faced increasing challenges in securing suitable premises, limiting opportunities for local youth, and leaving many on a waiting list.

The District Council offered a site at Barn Cottage Recreation Ground which enabled the Scouts to plan a new, environmentally sustainable centre, designed by Ecotecture Architects. This modern facility features high thermal efficiency, solar panels, and air source heat pumps and is bright and airy, ensuring a safe and welcoming space for all.

What sets this project apart is its commitment to the wider community. By partnering with the Bentswood Hub CIC, the centre will become a vibrant hub for Haywards Heath, hosting community programmes during the day and Scout activities most evenings. This collaboration has strengthened funding applications and attracted additional support, ensuring the building will serve as a vital resource for years to come. It has two main spaces, both of which will be hire-able to the local community.

Construction began in March last year, with the groundbreaking ceremony, which was attended by Scout group members of all ages. Completion was scheduled for January 2026. This initiative demonstrates how local organisations can unite to create lasting, positive change, delivering essential services, supporting young people, and enhancing community life in Haywards Heath.

Call to Action: The building work may be complete, but the Scouts and the Bentswood hub CIC still need funds to equip the building with furniture and f ittings and to cover the day-to-day expenses of running the building. Residents, businesses, and community leaders are invited to support this transformative project. Whether through volunteering, donations, or partnership, Haywards Heath Community involvement will help ensure the new centre reaches its full potential, benefiting generations to come.

Donations can be made via Just Giving to The Barn Community Hub and Scout Centre www.justgiving.com/campaign/barncottage