This section of the Parish Council website is provided for local village organisations. The page is still being developed, the list below is not an exhaustive list, if you represent an organisation that you feel should be listed please use the email contact form alongside. You can access the organistion details by using the links below.
Dedham Baby & Toddler Group.
The Dedham Parent and Toddler Group hold weekly sessions on a Tuesday, 10:00am to 12:00pm, during term time in the Sports Pavilion on Duchy Field. On the first Tuesday of each month, a Health Visitor is present for Baby Clinic. The group is open to all ages up to Pre-School age. We have a variety of toys for the children to choose from, including books, puzzles, baby toys, ride ons and offer a craft/activity each week. We are a small friendly parent run group and enjoy meeting for a weekly chat and support. The cost is £2.50 per session, a snack and a drink are also provided. Please come along and check us out.
Dedham Comrades in Arms (CIA)
We are ex-servicemen who meet on the last Friday every month between 10.45 and 12 at the Duchy Barn in Dedham for coffee and a chat.
Dedham & District Horticultural Society.
Meetings are held in the Assembly Rooms, Dedham, at 7.30 pm with speakers’ evenings on the first Wednesday of most months. The Society has a varied programme of talks and events including a spring and autumn show each year and one or more outings; see below for more information or the Society’s Spring Newsletter. The annual subscription is £6 and new members are always welcome.
After the AGM in May the 2016/17 season started well with the ever-popular Plant Sale in front of Dedham Church where members donated surplus perennials, shrubs, annual and vegetable plants; many a bargain was to be found which all helped to raise money for the Society. The June Coffee Morning (plus cakes!) was held at Grove Hill House courtesy of Lyn West and her husband; members and friends enjoyed a slightly different garden (more of a smallholding) practising self-sufficiency in vegetables, fruit, meat and eggs with a polytunnel for salad crops. There was also the usual plant stall for members and guests to take advantage of.
Recent talks have covered the following topics: THE A-Z OF ROSES, MALMAISON CARNATIONS, HOW TO GET THE BEST FROM YOUR FUCHSIAS, COMPANION PLANTING and CONSTABLE’S LANDSCAPE.
The Autumn Show took place on 10 September with classes covering Vegetables, Flowers, Decorative Art, Cookery and Photography – all in all it was a very colourful display in the Assembly Rooms.
Outside visits are also very popular and in the last few years members have been to Wisley, Kew Gardens, Wakehurst Place, Nymans, Hever Castle, Somerleyton Hall and Copped Hall. Last June the choice was Capel Manor Gardens which is also home to the RHS trial grounds; members were able to draw on the many individual show gardens for ideas. As a follow-up to his earlier talk, Mark Cable took several memberson two guided walks from Dedham to Flatford, via East Bergholt, to see many of the scenes painted by John Constable.
Non-members are welcome to join in all the Society’s activities; however there is a £2 entry fee (which includes refreshments) for the Speakers’ Evenings; there is also a ‘gardening magazine swap’. Check out the Parish Council list of events for details of meetings in 2017.
The current officers of the society are: Chairman - Colin Biggins, Hon. Secretary - Elizabeth Ellis and Hon. Treasurer - Betty Cox.
| colinbiggins869@btinternet.com | Colin Biggins - 01206 322565 | Elizabeth Ellis - 01206 231164 | ||||
| DDHS Information - January 2017 | DDHS Website |
Dedham Films & Dedham Films Live.
Welcome to Dedham Films. Our aim is to give you a special cinema experience where you can meet friends, have a glass of wine or beer and then sit back and enjoy great films on the big screen in your own village. Oh yes, and enjoy delicious ice cream during the interval. Films are screened in Dedham Assembly Rooms on the third Wednesday of every month and entry is only £4.00. There’s no membership fee – you can either buy your ticket from the newsagents, WA Hood on Dedham High Street, online by clicking on the Ticketsource icon on our ticket page of the website, or take a chance there will be tickets left and pay on the night at the door. We have our own state-of-the-art equipment offering big screen cinema quality pictures and great sound. Come and see wonderful films, new and old, from anywhere in the world. Films you wanted to see but missed and films you didn’t know were out there. If you love cinema you’ll love Dedham Films!
| dedhamfilms@gmail.com | Dedham Films and Dedham Films LIVE |
Dedham Footpath Group.
Formed in 1975 Dedham Footpath Group exists primarily as a means by which lovers of the Dedham Vale and the surrounding countryside can be given an opportunity to enjoy rambles through friendly association with like-minded people. Dedham alone boasts over forty separate footpaths all of which have something to recommend them. The more popular both with local people and visitors usually include sections along the River Stour towards Flatford Mill in one direction or Stratford St Mary in the other. There are many more much less popular but still worthy of exploring however and these are often included in routes worked out by members who elect to lead.
Most walks are circular starting and finishing at a point where cars can be parked and often include a pub or tea rooms often at the end of the ramble. Approximately half are within the Dedham Parish although some do require a drive of up to fifteen miles. A typical outing would be of four to six miles and last about two hours. The emphasis is more on friendly chat and noting things of interest rather than serious striding out. Dogs on leads are mostly welcome except where the leader has requested otherwise. The programme of walks is fixed for the year at, or soon after, the AGM of the Group in January or February of each year and at that meeting a visiting speaker will be organised to talk on matters of common interest. The AGM has for the past few years been held at The Duchy Barn behind Royal Square in Dedham and is always on a Monday evening. Walk leaders are crucial to the success of the Group as without them it would not be possible to produce a programme for the year. There are usually walks in most months the exceptions being December January and February although a New Year’s Day walk is an established and popular feature of the post-Christmas holiday mood.
The annual subscription is presently £6 per person. Members are covered for third party insurance on organised walks. In the mid-summer months most walks take place in the evenings and at other times Sunday mornings or afternoons are generally favoured. The person agreeing to lead can decide the distance, date/time and starting point and will need to give details soon after the AGM so that the whole year programme can be published and circulated.
AGM - 2016. The Committee took the decision recently to produce two walking programmes for 2016. The seven walks detailed here are for the first six-monthly period up to the end of June 2016. For the second half of the year it is hoped a similar programme can be put together. The need for leaders other than members of the committee is very much to be desired and we hope some of you will come forward during the first part of the year and pass on your ideas to John Osborn or any other member of the committee by email or through some other means
| mandp1967@btinternet.com | Dedham Footpath Group - 2016 Information | Walks programme to June 2017 |
Dedham Arts Group.
Dedham Arts Group was formed in 1967 by a few local artists who enjoyed painting for pleasure. It comprises around 40 members with a wide range of artistic styles. The Chairman is David Tomlinson
Meetings and Art Workshops This friendly group meets every fortnight in either the Littlegarth Studio, Dedham, Essex, or nearby at the Stratford Institute, Stratford St Mary. These sessions are well attended. Workshops and demonstrations are included in our programme and include those given by Liz Seward, Hashim Akib, Charlotte Stewart and John Talman. Outdoor painting sessions take place in the summer in a variety of settings including the beautiful countryside surrounding Dedham.
Exhibitions Exhibitions are held twice each year in the Littlegarth Studio. In addition, up to four members at a time may hold their own exhibitions at the Littlegarth Studio.
| Dedham Arts Group |
1st Dedham Guides
Duchy Barn
Weekly events:
Mondays 10.30am - 1.30pm The Watercolour Group £2 per session including tutoring and refreshment. All monies go to the Duchy Barn fund. Anyone is welcome to join the group and in the summer visitors to the village join us for a look at the barn and sometimes refreshments.
Tuesdays 10.30-12noon Coffee Morning – just turn up!
Wednesdays 2.00-5.00pm Bridge in Dedham Duplicate Bridge Club. No partner needed. Contact Judith on 322938 for more details
Thursday 10.30-12noon Coffee Morning – just turn up!
Thursday 7.00pm-10.00pm Bridge in Dedham Duplicate Bridge Club. No partner needed. Contact Judith on 322938 for more details
Friday 10.30-12noon Coffee Morning – just turn up! ....and on the last Friday in the month Military Veterans gather together
Friday 7.30-9.15pm Youth Club – open to young people from the village
The Barn is also available for private hire: £15 per session for local groups; £40 for parties – contact Anne Rowledge 322394
Dedham Sports Club Quiz Team
The Sports Club Quiz team is captained by Tracy Hill and takes part in the Constable Quiz League. There are 7 teams this season that played last season, playing from the same venues, so we are keeping the same format as last year, which should make it nice and simple this season. That means that league matches will be three teams at two venues, plus one team on a bye who are setting the questions. There will also be all team group quizzes every few weeks, starting at the Cross Inn on 5th October. The teams taking part in the 2014-15 season are Dedham Sports Club, Bromley Cross Inn - Great Bromley, The Case is Altered - Bentley, The Brook Inn - Washbrook, Hare and Hounds - East Bergholt, The Kings Head - East Bergholt and The Royal Oak - East Bergholt.
Dedham Youth Club
The Dedham Youth Club is devoted to the young people of Dedham who either live in the village or have attended Dedham Primary School. Children are generally invited to becomes members once they have completed their SATs in Year 6 and are welcome to continue their annual membership throughout their high school years. There are currently 60 members. The Youth Club strives to create a safe environment where the young people can meet up and enjoy themselves freely as young adults under the supervision of our dedicated Youth Worker. Activities are often organised, with occasional theatre trips. Sweets and Drink are available to purchase. The Youth Club meets on Friday nights from 7:30pm at the Duchy Barn. Entry fee applies.
For more information contact: Mark Dempsey Chairman
markdempsey@hotmail.com 07503 009790
Good Neighbours' Club
The Good Neighbours' Club meets on the second Friday of each month in the Duchy Barn in the afternoon. Contact Betty Callaghan for more information, also check the Parish Magazine for more details.
Dedham Players
The Dedham Players is one of the leading local amateur theatre groups drawing on the Colchester, North Essex and South Suffolk regions. We produce 2 to 3 productions a year and always strive to present an interesting variety of shows and display lots of local talent. Our next production will be Humble Boy by Charlotte Jones directed by Ian Amos. It will be presented In the Assembly Rooms Dedham from Wed 15th to Sat 18th April 2015. Tickets are £8 and are available Online and in person at Shakespeare House Gallery in Dedham High Street or by phone on 03336663366. Apart from occasional open air productions at Castle House, Dedham, the productions are staged in the Assembly Rooms.
| Dedham Players | dedham.players@gmail.com |
Dedham Branch of the WEA
The WEA is open to all adults irrespective of background or qualifications. Our aim is to provide courses in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere where students can learn at their own pace. Many find the confidence to develop new skills or to pursue further academic studies. Dedham branch of the WEA hold their courses at The Alfred Munnings Art Museum, Castle House, Castle Hill CO7 6AZ
| Dedham Branch of the WEA |
Assembly Rooms
In the heart of Constable Country, this stylish, elegant and historic building has recently been completely refurbished to provide a unique venue for meetings, weddings, gatherings, and events of many kinds. Use the web link below for more information about the facilities offered, the history and refurbishment and tells you how to contact the Assembly Rooms for more information.
| Dedham Assembly Rooms | Assembly Rooms office - 01206 323921 |
Dedham Watercolour Group
Dedham Watercolour Group meets every Monday morning at the Duchy Barn from 10.30 am onwards. All ages and levels of experience welcome, especially beginners! A charge of £2 is made for each session on a 'pay as you go' basis - coffee/tea and biscuits are provided. For further details contact Avril Biggins on 01206 322565
Dedham Community Farm
At Dedham Community Farm we offer Animal Facilitated Therapy combined with Occupational Therapy to clients of all ages in the community. It is well known that animals, nature and activity have a therapeutic value to humans which enables us to be restored to better health and wellbeing by interacting with them on a regular basis. We provide a variety of activities on the farm such as animal care, land management, woodwork, conservation, gardening, work experience and much more. We have a diverse client group covering mental health including adolescents, Autism, learning difficulties, people with depression. We also provide training placements for Occupational Therapy Students and young people on Alternative Education. For further information please contact Gill De'ath on 01206 322070 or 07984 320347.
Further, we are always on the lookout for volunteers to help on the farm, so if you can spare a couple of hours a week and would be willing to lend a hand feeding the animals or general maintenance or helping with the paperwork, please ring Gill (number above) or Cath Hine on 07825 952560
