Sutton Bonington
COFFEE BREAK. Meetings of the Coffee Break group in Sutton Bonington are re-starting on alternate Wednesdays at 10.30am in the Baptist Church Lodge. More information may be obtained by contacting Iris Bonner on 01509 672788.
FACE TO FACE. Face-to-face activities are returning at Sutton Bonington Baptist Church, including meetings for children and adults.
The Church’s creche, junior church and Revelations groups for secondary school aged pupils have returned and “The Little Seeds” group has returned to provide fortnightly music, song and stories for babies and toddlers.
“Rock Solod”, a youth club for school years seven to nine meets on Tuesday evenings and a student welcome event has been held for new ande returning students at the University of Nottingham’s village campus.
GROUPS WORKING TOGETHER. Two environmental groups in Sutton Bonington are working together to further their aims.
The Sutton Bonington Greening group is a group of local volunteers dedicated to creating a more environmentally friendly and sustainable community and is working with Sutton Bonington Hedgehogs to raise awareness in the village about hedgehogs and what people can do to encourage and protect them.
The two groups are looking at creating some local wild areas with minimal management so as to encourage hedgehogs and create a safe environment with abundant cover and food for them. The groups are also considering putting in similar measures to those taken by the neighbouring East Leake hedgehog group. This would include regularly posting information around the village and on the village social media pages about what people can do to help protect hedgehogs and releasing sightings maps and photos so that people can share their hedgehog sightings with others.
Another idea is the instalment of a Hedgehog Highway throughout the village this would involve people, who agree to this idea, putting small gaps in their fences to allow hedgehogs to move safely throughout the village without having to cross busy roads.
And tips have been given to those who want to help, protect and encourage hedgehogs in their own garden, being told there are simple and easy ways to do so.
The first is to make their pond Hog Friendly: Hedgehogs like to drink from garden ponds and can sometimes get stuck. So, making ‘steps’ out of rocks leading to and from the water can help them get back out again.
Secondly the advice suggests having a Hog House: You can buy or make ‘Hog Houses’ for hedgehogs to take shelter in and put them in your garden and the following sites can be viewed to find instructions for building hog houses - Homes for Nature | Free Teaching Resources to Download - The RSPB Hedgehog House Plans DIY -
Thirdly those involved are invited to put out food for hogs:. Although special hedgehog food is available cat food is also perfect. . They will eat wet cat food or dry biscuits. Sunflower seed, nuts, suet pellets with insects and mealworms can also be left out for hedgehogs but should not be done regularly or in large quantities as they can be bad for hedgehogs in large amounts (they’re like sweets for hedgehogs).
Contrary to popular opinion milk is bad for hedgehogs. Although hedgehogs will drink milk they should not as they are lactose intolerant. Special hedgehog milk is available, but it is safer and healthier to leave out fresh water.
Shallow or flat bowls are best when leaving food and water for hedgehogs as it is easier for them to access the food. For more information on what and how to feed hedgehogs, please visit - What Do Hedgehogs Eat? And How to Feed Them - Woodland Trust
As a fourth step, those interested are invited to make a wild area: We all like a tidy garden, but leaving a small wild area in your garden where different weeds and flowers can grow will not only make a safe covered area for hedgehogs to hide and eat in but will also increase biodiversity.
Sutton Bonington Hedgehog Group can be found on Facebook and an invite is given to anyone to go on line and join.
CHARITY DONATIONS.
Donations to a local homeless charity and a collection for Water Aid were part of a Harvest Festival service at St. Michael’s Church in Sutton Bonington.
Donations of food and toiletries were sent to The Friary, a charity in West Bridgford which supports the homeless, long-term unemployed and vulnerable adults.
MEMORIAL CANDLES.
Memorial candles will be available for families to light at St. Michael’s Church in Sutton Bonington on Sunday, November 7. Church officials have said as they are unsure of the national health picture at that time, they have decided against holding a service but families will be able to go to the church and light candles between 4pm and 5pm on November 7.
PARALYMPIC STAR.
PLAYGROUP.