Hassocks Goes Gold

Welcome to Hassocks Life’s Hassocks Goes Gold event page. Here you will find our most recent information for everything Gold in Hassocks.

Every September, something rather special happens in the village: Hassocks Goes Gold. While many of you are aware that, in 2017, a much-loved Hassocks resident and Windmills pupil, Pearl Dixie Bartlett-Bundy died from bone cancer, aged ten, but newcomers to the village may wonder what this is all about. Back in our August 2019 Hassocks Life issue, Rachel and Jamie Bartlett-Bundy introduced their wish for Hassocks to go gold in memory of their daughter, Pearl Dixie to fundraise vital funds for research to stop similar tragedies affecting other families.

See also, Hassocks Goes Gold Facebook

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Hassocks Goes Gold - the update so far for 2026

By Rachel BartlettBundy

What a Gold September it’s been already, and it’s not finished yet! Congratulations to Kiddie Capers Childcare for winning The Bestest Gold & Pineapple Window Display at their Little Hassocks site. Pictured is nursery worker Cole receiving the award on behalf of Kiddie Capers and all the children who made the window shine with their beautiful artwork. Proper Coffee & Cycling were second with their stylish window, designed and painted by local artists Abigail Lock and Josephine Cobb; and coming third was the fabulous artwork of the Hassocks Day Nursery children displayed in Hamlyn Smith. Thank you so much to everyone who adds a little gold to their windows over September. It makes this village of ours so special and it’s lovely to see so many shops joining in.

As September comes to a close it’s a huge thank you from me to this amazing village. Thank you to the shops and the residents and the boundless enthusiasm and encouragement from all of you in supporting this crazy gold venture that came from such a sad cause but has turned into a village wide celebration. A celebration of life, however short, and of the love and hope for better. It fuels me every day that things can be improved for those children who face a diagnosis of cancer. This village, and the support you give to Hassocks Goes Gold every year, has enabled a real and concrete difference to their chances.

The money raised all goes directly to The Children and Young People’s Cancer Association. They are the biggest and most effective children’s cancer charity here in the UK and work tirelessly to support the children and their families affected by this terribly cruel disease. The #PearlPower fund that I set up with them in Pearl’s name directs funds specifically to research more effective and kinder treatments because that’s what was lacking when Pearl faced Ewing Sarcoma, and it’s what I would have given my life to have had available to save hers. Sadly, it wasn’t to be, but I’m confident that the research we fund is making a difference to future families.

Thank you so much for being a part of Hassocks Goes Gold this September 2026. The fund will remain open until New Year’s Eve because I’ve learnt that the Gold never stops in this village! So, if you’ve still money to give, please scan the QR code.

On 1st Jan 2027, I’ll be starting it all up again for the absolute biggest Hassocks Goes Gold ever! Thank you for remembering my beautiful daughter Pearl. She still lights my every day, and I know that she still touches many of you who were lucky enough to know her during her ten years of life and those who only know of her as #PearlPower.

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All about Age Concern Hassocks

Deirdre Huston popped into Age Concern to chat with Assistant Centre Manager, Lindsey Fitch, about what’s on at this village hub.

Newcomers to the village may not be aware that we have a thriving Age Concern centre off Dale Avenue, near the small green and the high street. Lindsey explains: “We try to tell people we’re here, but, unfortunately, because we’re tucked away, sometimes people miss us, or they don’t realise how much happens here.” For over thirty years, the centre, which is run by a local independent charity, has been helping older people in this area.

Lindsey says: “Our aim is to improve the lives of older people in Hassocks and the surrounding villages by providing a caring and friendly environment for all.” Every weekday, the dining room caters for both regular and occasional visitors who enjoy a homecooked three course meal for only £7. We ask people to book in advance or up to 10am on the day they wish to dine with us. We also run a Minibus on a Tuesday and Thursday picking up from Hassocks and the surrounding Villages. Lindsey says: “Lunch is a delicious experience which our clients enjoy very much.”

The friendly, welcoming day centre lunches are aimed at clients aged 55 plus. However, anyone can drop by to have a browse in the shop or purchase a hot or cold drink and a slice of homemade cake. The coffee shop is open from 9am to 3pm from Monday toFriday and 9am to 11.45 on a Saturday. The terrace and Community Garden help provide a relaxing space where people can enjoy being outdoors.

The centre offers outings to places like Birling Gap and One Garden at Stanmer. “Those two outings are very popular, and people seem to really enjoy them,” says Lindsey.

Some services are run by independents who make a small charge. You must book, directly, in advance for the hairdresser, chiropodist, massage, reiki and reflexology. There is no need to book various sociable activities which aim to improve the quality of people’s lives, including Chair Yoga on a Friday morning, Chair Pilates and Tai Chi on a Monday afternoon. The Tuesday Art Club offers people the chance to get out and be sociable. Lindsey says: “You bring your own artwork, in any medium, and then you can relax and enjoy making art in company.”

Hassocks Village Market and the Repair Shop are usually held at Age Concern on the 4th Saturday of each month. “Market Day is very good for us,” says Lindsey, “as it draws people here to see what else we offer.” She explains: “We would like people to see us as a community hub which has lots of other things going on, too.”

The centre has a light, well-sized charity shop to help raise funds. They are now holding a rummage sale every other month, with the next one on July 13th. Lindsey says: “The rummage sale offers us a last-ditch attempt to shift good quality stock and clothing from the shop, which we would prefer to sell rather than recycle.”

Prices are very reasonable with most adult clothes for one pound and children’s clothes for fifty pence. There is also a quality rail, where items are individually priced. “Those items are still a bargain,” says Lindsey, and adds: “We hope to welcome you to Age Concern soon.”

What can you bring to the Hassocks Repair Café?

By Juliet Merrifield

What a year 2023 was! Over 400 items were brought in for repair last year, double the number in our first year. In January we moved to our new location at Age Concern, linked with the Hassocks Village Market on the fourth Saturday of the month. We were blown away by the numbers of people bringing items for repair, and apologies to the people who had to queue a long time.

Our talented volunteer repairers managed to repair 75% of the repairs attempted. That’s a lot of items given life extensions and kept out of the landfill. Based on the Repair Café Carbon Calculator (using averaged data), these successful repairs will result in emission savings equivalent to more than 9000kg of CO2, equivalent to flying 60,000 miles (that’s three times round the world). Hats off to the team!

What can we work on? The answer is a very wide array of household items.

• mechanical and electrical items, such as vacuum cleaners, toasters, kettles, coffee makers, air fryers, radios, CD players, keyboards, lamps, clocks
• we can also PAT test electrical items to be sure they are safe to use
• wooden items, such as picture frames, chairs or tables with wobbly legs, knife handles
• garden tools ¬- we replace handles for forks or spades, secateurs, repair cords for hedge trimmers and lawnmowers
• treasured objects that need to be delicately glued like statues, toys
• textiles - repair or replace zips, sew up seams, replace buttons, stitch up little holes and tears
• sharpening knives, scissors, garden tools
• There are only a few things we don’t work on: microwaves, bicycles, pressure cookers, child’s car seats. If you’re not sure about something, just get in touch, as we may be able to help or refer you to a professional.
• items must be clean
• it must be something you can carry in
• if a part is needed, you need to purchase it (or refund us if we supply it) • you bring items for repair at your own risk, we can offer no guarantee for repairs
• repairers are entitled to refuse to repair items

The Repair Café Hassocks team are all volunteers, and we welcome new people to join our friendly group. It’s a free service and we are able to cover our costs like rent of the space, public liability insurance, special equipment and publicity costs through small donations.

You can bring items to the repair café at the Age Concern centre on Dale Avenue on the fourth Saturday of every month, except August and December. No booking needed, just bring items between 9.30 and 11.30 am. Small repairs can usually be done on the day. If parts or special tools are required, our repairers may agree to take an item home to work on and arrange collection later.

Contact us by email repaircafe@hkdtransition. org.uk, phone 01273 040110, or visit us onFacebook www.facebook.com/repaircafehassocks

The Repair Café in Hassocks relocating in January 2023

By Juliet Merrifield, HKD Transition

From 28th January, the Repair Café will be relocating to the Age Concern Centre on Dale Avenue. Along with Hassocks Village Market, we’ll be part of a new village hub and we hope to see lots of people there.

You can bring items for repair between 9.30-11.30 am. We can usually complete simpler repairs that morning by 12.30pm, and more complex tasks can be taken home by our repairers for pick up later. No need to book, but if you’re not sure we can work on something, do email or message us on Facebook.

The Repair Café’s second year was very successful, with many more items brought for repair: a grand total of 246 assorted hedge trimmers, toasters, radios, clocks, vacuum cleaners and jackets, shirts and coats needing zips and buttons. There were also some more unusual items successfully repaired: a 60-year-old doll missing an arm, a raclette grill, a violin, a 70-year-old leather holdall, a small wooden box with a ‘magic’ closure and a toy rabbit that had been chewed by a puppy.

Thanks to generous donations we covered all our costs and ended the year with a small surplus. Our amazing and talented repairers achieved an 80% success rate – not everything is repairable but we can have a go and more often than not we can get things fixed. We can also offer advice on items that you may be able to fix yourself or refer you to professionals who can help with things that we can’t.

We’re always keen to recruit new repairers to keep up with rising demand so if you’re good at fixing things, whether electrical items, sharpening tools, sewing zips or other more specialist items please do contact us at repaircafe@hkdtransition.org.uk.

The Hassocks Village Market moves to Age Concern's car park from Jan 2023

From January 2023, Hassocks Village Market will be at a new site.

For twenty years, the market has been a familiar sight every month on the forecourt of National Tyres Centre, but now it is moving! Market Manager, Catriona Hawksley says: “A big thank you to the National Tyres Centre for hosting us. We’ve had lots of different managers and staff, and they’ve always been very supportive.” Catriona explains: “For a while, there’s been a lot of uncertainty about the market’s site because it might be developed at some point, so we’ve been on the look-out for somewhere new.”
She continues: “We’ve had lots of friendly talks with local charity, Age Concern, and we’re really excited to be moving the market to the Age Concern car park.”

The new site will have more space which will enable the market to include more stalls. But that’s not the only advantage! Catriona says: “The new site will be less noisy because it’s away from the road, making it a more pleasant and sociable shopping experience, more conducive to people meeting and chatting with friends.” All the usual stalls will be there: look out for fresh vegetables, meat, a bakery, cheese, beer, cakes, chocolate, plants, chutneys and jams, Middle-Eastern inspired foods and salads, Rushfield’s pies and sausage rolls, homemade soaps and natural cosmetics.

“We are hoping there will be more craft stalls too, such as jewellery and homemade candles,” adds Catriona. This is very much a local market. “Many of our stallholders live or produce their goods in Hassocks, while others are from nearby villages or towns.”

Local charity, Age Concern, will have their shop open and they will have their own stall. Market visitors will also be able to purchase hot drinks and light refreshments from their café.

The first Hassocks Village Market at the new site will be on 28th January from 9am to 12.30pm and thereafter on the 4th Saturday of the month, as usual. Why not go along and show your support?