Village Website
It is planned to complete this work over two nights on Monday 13 January and Wednesday 15 January 2025 - overnight between 8pm and 6am, weather permitting.
Closures and diversions
The A14 westbound will be closed between junction 47 to 46 and divert traffic as follows:
Exit at junction 47.
This new service will run a circular route through villages starting and ending in Stowmarket. Woolpit is on the Stowmarket/Thurston route.
There is more information on the Transport Page of this website
Inori Aikido Dojo, your Local Martial Arts Club, is starting a Beginners Course on 9th January at Woolpit Village Hall. Anyone who’s making New Year’s resolutions can come and try Aikido, a dynamic Japanese martial art that offers a great way to exercise your body, mind and spirit.
Take a look at the Aikido page in the Clubs and Organisations section
Have you ever wondered what happens to the contents of your recycling bins?
Take a look at the YouTube video of the Great Blakenham recycling centre. Lots of good advice.
The County Council has launched its 2024 rural transport survey. The survey is open until 30 November. Your feedback will help us shape the requirements for future rural transport services.
Online 2024 rural transport survey
Do you have know someone without access to off street parking who would benefit from a cross-pavement charging solution? We are looking for people to participate in a 12-month trial testing a slot channel product.
What is a slot channel and how does it work?
A slot channel is installed into the pavement outside your property to allow an electric vehicle charging cable to be carried within the channel from your property to your parked vehicle, without causing a hazard on the footway. It allows you to charge an Electric Vehicle off your home electricity supply, which is much cheaper than commercial charging costs.
How the trial will work:
Suffolk County Council will fund the channel installation and participants will be expected to provide feedback throughout the trial. Participants will need to have an electric car to charge once the slot channel is installed and a home charger to connect to.
How do I take part in the trial?
Please share this information with anyone that you feel might fit the criteria and ask that they email Josie Taylor at josie.taylor@suffolk.gov.uk if they would like to be considered for this trial.
In view of the current drive to encourage councils to move to a .gov.uk domain name for websites and emails the Woolpit Parish Council is making the move to .gov.uk. on 2nd September 2024.
This means we have changed our email addresses for the clerk and councillors.
helen.geake@woolpitparishcouncil.gov.uk
john.guyler@woolpitparishcouncil.gov.uk
nick.foster@woolpitparishcouncil.gov.uk
gayle.jenkins@woolpitparishcouncil.gov.uk
tom.gallagher@woolpitparishcouncil.gov.uk
michael.hardiman@woolpitparishcouncil.gov.uk
clerk@woolpitparishcouncil.gov.uk
deputyclerk@woolpitparishcouncil.gov.uk
Huge thanks from Penny Mathieson, Julie Waters and Kathy Parker to everyone who attended or donated money to the Afternoon Tea fundraiser. We were blessed with beautiful weather, a lovely setting (thank you Woolpit Cricket Club for the use of the facilities) and yummy cakes.
An amazing £518 was raised. The money will support people affected by Breast Cancer
The Mindful Life Group is offering an online mindfulness course that is fully funded to support older adults (over 65) and carers or former carers in Suffolk. The course is designed by a clinical psychologist who is also a mindfulness teacher.
The course is based on the mindfulness-based stress reduction course developed by John Kabat Zin but has been adapted for these populations.
We have had really good feedback from participants, and we have found that it improves peoples' attention and memory, as well as reducing loneliness, low mood, stress, anxiety and chronic pain.
We currently have courses starting in October, all courses are fully online and are six weeks long.
Places are free but limited to around 15 per course
More information can be found on our website: https://the-mindful-life.com/
It’s easy to take part, and anyone can share their views at https://healthwatchsuffolk.co.uk/ageingwell/ . The survey will close 22nd September 2024. We are looking to share the survey as widely as possible and hope that the timeframe will allow you to publicise the work with your local community in newsletters, online or on notice boards.
The project will ensure people’s views are included in this year’s Annual Public Health Report from Suffolk’s Director of Public Health. Together with local decision-makers and organisations, the Suffolk Public Health and Communities team wants to use the findings to explore opportunities to make our county as age-friendly as possible.
If anyone needs support completing the feedback form, they can call Healthwatch Suffolk for free on 0800 448 8234. They can also use the online contact form at https://healthwatchsuffolk.co.uk/contact/ . Alternative survey formats (such as hard copy, easy read or translated formats) are available from the Healthwatch website or on request although I’ve attached a printable copy that can be returned to FREEPOST HEALTHWATCH SUFFOLK if preferable.
The road will be closed to ensure the safety of highway users and our operatives. For the duration of the closure, traffic will be diverted via A1088, A14, A143 and vice versa.
A six week Health and Wellbeing Group funded by Mid Suffolk and Babergh District Council will be held at The Woolpit Village Hall starting on Tuesday 25th June 13:30 - 3pm. It's a mixture of exercise [at a suitable pace], breathing, relaxation, drinks and snacks followed by talks on various subjects around health and a time to socialise and get advice from the Spotwellbeing Team who have a background in Physio and OT. The idea is for people to manage their health as they age well. I have attached a poster for you to distribute as you see fit.
For more information look on the Group's page and look at their poster
With the growth of the village we are finding that more and more people are becoming marginalized by the lack of public transport from the village to Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket and Elmswell Station. WGNS would very much like to help people within the parish to live life the best they can and enable them to get out and about. The village has the community bus Wednesdays and Saturdays to Bury St Edmunds and Dans Coaches are providing a service to Stowmarket on Mondays and Thursdays. The regular bus service to Bury St Edmunds runs daily, Monday to Friday, unfortunately not during school holidays. We have the very long summer holiday approaching so we are fairly certain our services will be required even more. Unfortunately some parishioners are unable to walk to the bus stops due to mobility issues therefore they are totally reliant on friends and family to get them to coffee mornings or other events in the village. If you are able to join the WGNS and take on some of the driving tasks we would be very grateful. Its more of an ad hoc service so requirements are not on a daily or even weekly basis. If you can only help now and again that would be gratefully received.
Please call or text the WGNS phone 07738756470
or email us woolpitgoodneighbours@outlook.com
The race will pass through part of the village. It starts in Haughley Park at 7.30 p.m. and passes through the park for 775m before leaving the park and turning left on to Wood Road, Woolpit (270m north of the bridge over the A14). At the end of Wood Road, the course bears left through Borley Green /The Heath and after 400m bears left again on to Shelland Green. Full details of the race are on website: http://stowmarketstriders.org.uk/friday-5
The company has created a Community Liaison Service which you can contact with questions and concerns.
The email address is community@buryroad-woopit.co.uk.
Phone number 0800 0352874.
The website is www.buryroad-woolpit.co.uk
Mid Suffolk Council has launched a new £2million initiative which could see hundreds of people claim a free home insulation upgrade.
The Cosy Home installation including funding for loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and draft proofing works to make more private sector homes in the Mid Suffolk district more efficient, reduce their carbon emissions and lower energy bills for residents.
The district council is encouraging any resident that meets the criteria to express an interest, while funds last.
For more information visit: https://www.midsuffolk.gov.uk/web/mid-suffolk/w/mid-suffolk-cosy-homes
The Rectory Lane car park known to many as the tennis club car park which is owned by the Woolpit Recreation Ground Charity, has received some much needed repairs to pot holes. The work was carried out by Sisk, the contractor under taking the A14 concrete road replacement as part of its community engagement. This was just a repair and in the constant wet weather it has not had time to settle. Sisk did the work and brought in materials free of charge. I for one am very grateful.
Suffolk County Council and National Highways have introduced temporary speed reductions made under temporary traffic regulation orders for some roads in the area used to avoid the road works..
You will find the list of roads affected on the National Website https://nationalhighways.co.uk
formation is available on the website https://nationalhighways.co.uk
The parish councils of Woolpit, Elmswell, Beyton and Thurston have come together with Vertas to address the problems caused by our poor scheduled bus service. Vertas has made the minibuses available to us in the mornings and early afternoons when they are not required to do their usual job of taking children to and from school.
Pickup on the Woolpit ‘triangle’ at 9.40am or a liittle later - arriving on Angel Hill in Bury about 10.15. Returns from Bury at 1.30 from Angel Hill.
Booking a seat - This is not a scheduled bus service - therefore booking is essential at least 2 days in advance. The minibus can take wheelchairs. Elmswell is providing a central point for bookings.
To book a seat ring the Elmswell Parish office 01359244134 weekdays between 8am and 4 pm or email clerk@elmswell.suffolk.gov.uk
Cost - The return fare from Woolpit will be £6 to be paid in advance. (Sorry no bus passes)
The driver cannot take payment for the journey. You can pay in advance by cheque or cash via the Elmswell or Woolpit Parish Council offices or by BACS. If you have made a booking, you can pay WPC by a cheque or cash. If the office is closed, just put your payment in an envelope (marked with your name and date of travel) for the Parish Clerk into the Institute letter box.
As this is a trial, we need your feedback – good or bad. You can tell Peggy Fuller the Parish Clerk, Julia Ewans or Trace Gardiner about how your journeys went.
We are told that Dan's Coaches are planning to run a scheduled bus service No.390 to Stowmarket on Mondays and Thursdays beginning on 4th September. Picking up in the centre of Woolpit at about 10.50 on Mondays and 11.20 on Thursdays. Copies of the timetable will go up at the bus stops or you can find more information at Suffolk On Board Suffolk on Board - Bus / Bus timetable updates
The gate between the new and old carparks is now closed. It was never intended that the access to the new car park would be from Heath Road. When ever possible, please use the new larger car park at the back which is accessed via Old Stowmarket Road.
In the old car park, all parking spaces on the Heath Road side of the bin store are for the disabled.
It’s important to always keep an eye out for scams. They can and do affect anyone. Something might be a scam if:
How to protect yourself from scams
There is more information on how to protect yourself from scams on the Citizens Advice website. www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scamsadvice
Friends Against Scams also have advice on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from scams. www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk
If you need advice, or want to report a scam or rogue trader,
call us via 0808 223 1133.
If you have any concerns about a company that has contacted you, call us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
There is more useful information on the Trading standards website click here
Warm Homes Suffolk wants to help the people of Suffolk live in homes that cost less to heat, so they can reduce their energy usage and enjoy lower bills.
There is advice available at ww.warmhomessuffolk.org for householders, renters and landlords.
Grants to help insulate and make your property more energy efficient are available.
The scheme has now been launched. Here are the contact details
WGNS mobile phone 07738756470
Operational 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday
If calling outside of these hours leave a message.
In the event of an emergency call 999
Michael J. Perry has announced his retirement and the closure of the business.
He has written this short history of the firm which you will find in the History pages by clicking here.
You can find the new timetable on the website (Click here for Bins)
Please read the report on the defibrillators in the Information Section (Click here) before you find yourself in an emergency
We would like to start a village photo gallery.
Here are a couple to get us started.
Blue door with wreath
And let us have village news for publication.
