Bodham Playing Field

Committee

Fred Cable - Chair [588887],
Mel Clarke - Secretary [588840],
Paul Clarke - Treasurer [588840],
Derek Sayer [588266], Emma Gosling, [East Coast Warriors] and David Wiltshire [Cromer Youth Old Boy]

The Playing Field Committee would like to thank the Parish Council for their continued support.

For details please contact

Mel Clarke Secretary, Bodham Playing Field Committee, Highlands, Cromer Road Holt, Norfolk, NR25 6QG
Email: secretary@bodhamvillage.co.uk Tel: 01263 588840

Next Meeting: Monday 16th December, 7.30pm at The Red Hart back room.

Tesco Stronger Starts

We were succesful with this campaign and finished in second place.  This means that we will receive a whopping £1000 for picnic tables on the field.  Once we have decided on the design for the field, these will be bought and placed.

Thank you to all who put their tokens in our box.

The Car Boots so far (as at 20th August) have raised nearly £1200 despite five of them being poorly attended due to bad weather.  We now have some of our goodies in the pavilion and seating for refreshments inside if the weather is wet.  Our Yard Sale and Car Boot combined was absolutely buzzing and a great day was had by all.
 

All we need now is for stall holders to come along and help us build what could be a fantastic event.  We certainly have the facilities and we are very friendly.

We have also acquired a tractor tyre, which we know that the children are playing with - this is a simple item but encourages imagination through play, it is definitely being used as we see the movement in its placement.

Coming soon will be three shelters that will provide cover for people watching the football, they will also give the older teenagers a place to meet up, chat and socialise.

It's the little things that can make such a difference.  A great deal of work has been completed over on the field and more is on the pipeline.

	Upcoming Fundraisers
Disabled toilet floor now clean and tidy.
Broken Railings fixed
	If you see damage on the Playing Field, please let us know so that we can fix the problem before it becomes worse.
Entrance to the Playing Field
	The entrance to the Playing Field was badly damaged and dangerous for vehicles trying to get out onto the road. Our thanks go to Cllr Callum Ringer for his help in getting this fixed.
Fruit Trees and Bushes donated by M&J's Plant Paradise
	Donated by the children at M&J's Plant Paradise. These bushes and trees in time will provide fruit to be used by visitors to the field and wildlife.  Any that drop will enhance the soil.
Revamped Picnic Bench and 2 new tables
Three new bike stands We now have three bicycle stands along the hedgerow, which we hope will be put to good use.
Progress on the Rocking Horse All we are now waiting for if the head and the hand rails.  We are please to say that thanks to local businesses and their donations of products, the Rocking Horse will soon be reinstated.  Sadly it will no longer rock as it does not comply to modern standards, but it will still be there as a nod to the past and people will be able to climb and sit on it for years to come.  Products have been donated by Homebase, Cromer and  MKM Building Supplies, North Walsham. We have also asked other suppliers for donations of products to enable us to refurbish the tables for the Car Boot Cafe and we remain hopeful.
	Just waiting for the head and handrails to be refurbished and our old rocker will be back in business.
Car Boots
	In 2024 we restarted our Car Boots. We are looking forward to building on this in 2025.

New Serving Shelf for our Car Boot Cafe.

The Memorial Benches had been repaired and repainted and are now looking good
General tidying up around the pavilion

Bodham Playing Field
Contact: Secretary@bodhamvillage.co.uk
Charity No: 303911
As many of you know, Bodham Playing Field is in great need of regeneration and we are going to work very hard to make it a more inviting space for all of you to use.  This is a village asset and we hope to provide an environment that you want to visit.

We are very lucky to have two of the best floodlit amateur football pitches in Norfolk and with a pavilion that provides showers, changing facilities, toilets (including disabled) and a well equipped kitchen area.
There is also a very well attended croquet club and CCTV. We have a wide range of adult outdoor gym equipment that is very well used. Unfortunately, the children’s play area is not very exciting. The swings and the slide are both very old, but still safe, much loved and well used.

The Rocking Horse

Sadly, the Rocking Horse is beyond a full repair, but as it is over 60 years old we are keen to keep it as a feature. Many of us fondly recall playing on this when we went to Bodham Primary School many years ago and have brought our children, grandchildren and even for some of us great grandchildren.

For some 2 years this item of equipment has been out of use due to its decay and unsafe condition. Much work has been carried out dismantling it and storing all associated parts in dry storage in preparation for refurbishment in the spring. Once complete, although it’s rocking days are over, the horse will become a static piece that children may once again be able to play on.

At our meeting in December, Paul Clarke gave a presentation on ideas for the play area.
One of the ideas put forward is pictured to the left. £30,000

People from our community who attended also put forward ideas to improve the field for all age groups as at the moment there is nothing for 10+ to play on. Some ideas are shown here.

Combined basketball net and goal target wall. £20,000	MUGA is an arena for people to play a variety of sports including: football, basketball, handball, hockey, volleyball, badminton and tennis. £50,000 +
	These would be maintenance free, do not rot, corrode or splinter and come with a 25-year guarantee. This would provide a pleasant meeting place for all members of the village, their families and their visitors.
Zip line £15,000 +	Recycled seating and tables. £650 each

All of these ideas come at a very high price as you can imagine.

We started our fundraising in December 2023 and we will be holding at least 3 events each month in an effort to bring to life some of these projects. We know that we will have to aim for things in bite size chunks and that we are unlikely to achieve it all, but we must dream big and try hard!

If we are going to achieve this goal, we will need help and support. We have three people on our committee but we cannot do it alone. If you can volunteer for just one event or even part of it, it will make a huge difference to what we can achieve. If you feel you can help, just let us know. We are lucky to have volunteers who keep the pitches cut and weeded, the hedgerows trimmed and sort the CCTV.

We really need feedback from some of the younger members of our community,
Especially those aged 10+. Please encourage them to be involved in this project.

We are in the process of putting together grant applications and as part of that we have to prove that we have consulted with the community. Without this evidence we are less likely to be successful. Please could you take a few moments to talk to your family and email the Secretary, Mel Clarke on secretary@bodhamvillage.co.uk with your thoughts and ideas about what you think could enhance the Playing Field. For example:
Organised activities e.g. Rounders games , Fetes, Open Days.
Play equipment, such as footballs, racquets, bats to be available to borrow.
Seating Areas.

Join our Facebook group Bodham Playing Field to see how we are getting on and share our progress and event posts with your friends. The more people who attend our events, the more money we are likely to raise.
We cannot guarantee anything except that we will try our best. And your responses will help us to prove that we have consulted with the community.

Every journey starts with the first step and we have taken ours . Let’s do this!

Please come along to our Annual General Meeting at the Village Hall on Tuesday 6th February.
 

Playing Field Adult Equipment

Grants to put exercise equipment on the Playing Field have been obtained from the following sources: Norfolk Community Foundation (£5,000), Active Norfolk (£1,000), Sport Relief (£1,377), Bodham Bingo Club (£450), Bodham Horticultural Show (£422), Bodham's Big Weekend (£250). Awards for All also contributed and the equipment was installed in February 2009 and officially opened by Norman Lamb MP on Easter Saturday 2009. The new equipment has been well used and equally well received by everybody.
 

Floodlights

Planning permission has been granted to the Playing Field Committee to use the floodlights on three evening per weeks instead of a single evening per week. Thanks are extended to Bodham Parish Council for applying for and paying for this application.

Bodham Croquet Club
The lawn is on Bodham Playing Field. Junior sessions on Monday evenings. Club days are Thursdays and Sundays. New members welcome.

Please contact:
Harry Bruford, Dell Cottage, The Dell, Bodham, Norfolk, NR25 6NG
Tel: 01263 588122 email: Hbruford@aol.com

The Log Cabin is now erected and fully functioning as a Clubhouse. Thanks our Chairman, who in the Autumn of 2008, painted Clubhouse with wood preserver. This was well done and much appreciated.

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