Category Archives: Horley village

Don’t forget to apply for Educational Grants from the Michael Hardinge Trust

As the new academic year approaches, now is the time to apply for educational grants. The Michael Hardinge Trust makes grants available to all children and young people in Horley at various stages in their education. Two kinds of grants are available:

  • Universal grants – a fixed sum paid to every child on request at up to four stages of their education: rising fives about to start school (£100); at the start of secondary education (£300); at the start of A Levels, college training apprenticeships etc (£500); at the start of further education/university (£1000).
  • Discretionary grants – awarded at the discretion of the trustees in response to a written request by a village resident or a local school or educational institute in relation to a specific educational project or activity.

Universal grants are due at the start of the educational year and must be applied for no later than three months after the first day of the relevant year. If you have an eligible child or you are a young person but haven’t yet applied, now is the time to do so.

To apply for a grant, please write to Jane Williams (the trustee responsible for co-ordinating grants) at jag.williams@btinternet.com giving your details and the reason for the grant.

For more details and the full grants policy, see: MHT Grants Policy

 

 

 

Hornton & District W.I. – next meeting on 4th September

Hornton & District W.I.’s next meeting is on Thursday 4th September at 7.30pm in the Methodist Chapel, Hornton. Emma Hamer, the president of Hornton & District WI says:

We have managed to secure Tracey Barnbrook, who will talk about ‘Why you should listen to your gut’. If you’ve ever felt ‘sick and tired’ of feeling ‘sick and tired’ then Tracey will explore what simple things we can do to look, feel and function better.  

We are also embracing the WI’s Dental Health Matters Campaign, which highlights challenges in accessing dental care and urges government action on NHS dentistry. 

We’re combining our WI love for creativity with our commitment to helping those in need by making bags for essential dental care items. You can also donate dental health items like toothbrushes, dental floss or tooth paste and we can fill the wash bags that we have already made. We will then donate these bags to women’s refuges and shelters and food banks.

We look forward to seeing you on September 4th. New members are always welcome.

Planning Application in for Massive Solar Farm overlooking Horley

Update from Horley Parish Council:

If you are not already aware, a full planning application has now been submitted by Elgin Energy for a massive Solar Power Station to be built north of Hanwell and straddling the Warwick Road.  See map:

Part of the installation will overlook Horley along the skyline to the west of the Warwick Road and will be clearly visible as the slope of the site faces directly towards the village.  The Parish Council will oppose this development, principally on the grounds of its detrimental visual impact not just from the village but from the surrounding countryside.

The full planning application consisting of many pages of studies and reports is available on the CDC planning website https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Display/25/00407/F#undefined.  The reference number is 25/00407/F.

If you would like to make any comments on the application, you can do this via the CDC site using that reference number.  The current closing date is 6th September 2025, and this will be your final chance to make your views known to Cherwell District Council. 

3Hs Gardening Club Annual Produce Show – Saturday 9th August

This Saturday (9th August) the 3Hs Gardening club is running their annual produce show, where members show produce they have grown in the garden, items they have prepared in the kitchen and flower arrangements.  Chairman Mike Patching says:

Despite the less than ideal growing season this year I am confident that as in other years there will be fine examples of our craft. All of the exhibits will be judged and cups and shields awarded.

Competition will strong and from 2:30pm, after the judging has taken place, you’ll be able to come along and view the entries and watch the awards being presented all free of charge. This year for the first time, light refreshments are being provided by the Hornton WI. 

So, what’s not to like? Come along and see what the Gardening Club do and maybe consider joining.  They are a small group meeting once a month with expert gardeners and various speakers throughout the year, all for the princely sum of £10.

Just come along and enjoy a pleasant afternoon, you’ll be made very welcome.

Children’s Summer Camp

We are pleased to confirm that the Children’s Summer Camp is going to be running on Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th August this year.

Here’s how to sign up:

 Horley Summer Camp sign-up

and more details of what’s planned:

Hornton & District W.I. – next meeting on 3rd July

Hornton & District’s next meeting is on Thursday 3rd July at 7.30pm in the Methodist Chapel, Hornton.

For our next meeting, we are delighted to welcome Hornton’s very own Roger Corke to our W.I. to talk about his writing life. Although a veteran TV documentary maker, Roger is now a published author, too, with his debut crime thriller , Deadly Protocol, recently being published. It’s about the murder of a scientist who is researching the Holy Grail of medicine – a cure for cancer.  Members will be able to hear all about the crime writing process, how to get a book published and most importantly, where Roger gets his inspiration from. Due to Roger’s popularity, non-members will be welcome to attend for a small donation to the W.I.

Hornton & District W.I.

The next meeting of Hornton & District Women’s Institute will take place on Thursday 5th June where we will be visiting Rousham Gardens Rousham | House & Gardens at the earlier time of 6pm.

Rousham House & Gardens, B4260 Oxford Road, Just beyond Hopscroft Holt OX25 4QU  What3Words: ///depending.line.grit

Rousham is 18 miles away and will take about 40 minutes by car so lift sharing is recommended. We could leave the Green at Hornton at 5.15pm.

Rousham is completely unspoilt and uncommercialised – no tea room and no shop – just glorious gardens to explore at your leisure. Bring a picnic and comfortable shoes and it is yours for the evening. Don’t miss the walled garden with its herbaceous borders, small parterre, pigeon house and espaliers. One of England’s most important gardens, Rousham represents the first phase of English landscape design and remains almost as its designer William Kent left it.  Many of the features that delighted its 18th century visitors are still there for 21st century visitors to enjoy. A favourite of many great garden designers, Monty Don says “Kent is the great genius of eighteenth-century garden design and Rousham is his masterpiece, one of the greatest gardens in the world!”

Please feel free to bring friends, neighbours, husbands or partners. Note: No Dogs and No Children under 15.

Entry to the garden will be free to Hornton & District WI members and will cost £10 for non-members.

‘Stay and Play’ group for babies and toddlers at Horley Old School

The baby and toddler group is continuing on Friday mornings – see below for latest dates.

Email: babygroup@ironstonebenefice.org for more information.