“We are urgently in need of a new volunteer booking secretary for Ditchling Village Hall.

We are currently a group of five villagers who are trustees of the hall and manage the hall along with our meetings secretary. We have a self-employed part time caretaker and cleaner.

We need a new bookings secretary to join our team. This role is essential to the operating and smooth running of the hall.

The booking secretary coordinates and confirms bookings using our simple online system, generates invoices and answers hirer questions about bookings. Basic IT and email skills are required but full training will be provided. Support will be given by the other trustees and the retiring booking secretary.

This role might suit someone recently retired, someone looking to gain more employable skills or taking a career break. The likely time commitment for the role is around 3 hours/week but is totally flexible around the individual.

If you would like to know more please contact Victoria Ingham at chair@ditchlingvillagehall.uk or talk to any of the hall trustees.”

The Players’ first online AGM will be held at 7pm on Thursday 3rd September.

To join us you will need a Zoom link – please email secretary@ditchlingplayers.org.uk for details. We’d love to see you there.

1. APOLOGIES
2. MINUTES OF THE LAST AGM
3. MATTERS ARISING
4. TREASURER’S REPORT
5. TO RECEIVE AND ADOPT AUDITED ACCOUNTS
6. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
7. TO CONFIRM IN OFFICE THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENTS
8. TO ELECT CHAIRMAN, OTHER OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
9. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Chairman’s Report 2019/2020

Who would have thought that at the beginning of the year that we would be living in such extraordinary times! I hope everyone is well and has coped with lockdown as well as could be expected.

This year’s Chairman’s report will be very short as unfortunately due to the difficult times we are experiencing there is not much to report. This is my last year as Chairman of the Ditchling Players and as from 3rd September I will be stepping down but will remain on the Committee.

Spring 2019 was our last performance which was How The Other Half Loves by Alan Ayckbourn directed by Penelope Bennet. This was a great success and was enjoyed by all. Since then we have not been able to produce another performance. Last Autumn we had to cancel Private Lives due to the ill health of one of our actors. The Spring 2020 production was cancelled because of the Coronavirus pandemic and the Autumn production has also been cancelled as this virus is still with us. Although some public performances are allowed with many restrictions the Committee decided that it would be impossible to put on a play with social distancing in place. All of this has been a big blow not only for our audiences but also for the actors and everyone else who are involved with the Ditchling Players. 

We are hoping to continue with Private Lives in the Spring, May 2021 providing that the Coronavirus has either disappeared (unlikely) or a vaccine is available (hopefully). Sara Fisher is directing and the cast is willing to carry on. All being well we hope that 2021 will be back to normal.

We have had a couple of play readings at the beginning of the year and we hope that we can return to them next year. The social committee are still hosting a Christmas dinner at the Jack and Jill in December. Bookings for this will be available in the Autumn. Please refer to our website for all future listings and information for future events.

Sadly we have lost one past Ditchling Player member this year. Sonia Stock had been our vice president for many years and had directed and acted in many of our plays. An obituary by Ian Clayton was in our previous newsletter but I would like to pay tribute to Sonia for all her support and brilliant plays she produced. She will be sadly missed.

Dame Vera Lynn also passed away last month. Although she was not a member of the Ditchling Players she did come to see many of our performances with her daughter Virginia and was a great supporter of everything that went on in the Ditchling village.

I would like to thank the Committee for all their support they have given me in the last three years. Thanks to Sue Hanna for being a very efficient secretary. Thanks to Penelope Bennet for being the treasurer and making sure all our funds are safe and up to date. Thanks to John Merrett for chasing our members for their subscriptions and for sorting out our insurances. Thanks to David Tettersell for all his hard work in publicity. Thanks to Sara Fisher for persevering with Private Lives and for all the extra support she has given to the Committee. Thanks to Craig Cheek for all his help with stage set up and design, and lastly to Neil Iosson for designing and controlling our website, newsletter, Zoom meetings and Facebook page. I would also like to make a special mention to Penelope and David for organising Front of House.

Finally, I have really enjoyed being in the Chair and I hope you have enjoyed having me. Let us hope that 2021 will be a more successful year and that we can all be together and finally see the wonderful performance Private Lives. Good luck to the next Chair person.

All the best for the future of the Ditchling Players,
Diane Burman, Chair

We regret to announce that due to the coronavirus pandemic we are forced to cancel our May production of Private Lives. We hope you will join us for our next show in autumn 2020.

We regret that we have to postpone our autumn show Private Lives by Noël Coward due to illness. This was due to be performed 20-23 November. It will now be rescheduled to spring and be performed 20-23 May 2020.

We wish our cast member a robust recover and hope our audience is not too disappointed.

All tickets for November will be refunded – those bought online will be refunded automatically. Please contact tickets@ditchlingplayers.org.uk for more details.