Projects
Temporary Heaters for St Nicholas Church
The boiler in St Nicholas Church has stopped working. HVS has therefore arranged and funded the hire of heaters for the Church until after Easter. Thanks from the Church.
March 2024
Lavells Lake - Support for new Hide
With funding from HVS, Lavells Lake has built a view point overlooking the lanfill from the bottom of Lavell's car park field. The view point will provide a simple means to shelter from rain and wind, and somewhere to rest and linger for longer periods, as it is a through a prolonged stay that one can really witness the movements of across a range of bird species, from birds of prey, to wildfowl, to herons, egrets, to finches, pipits, thrushes, swallows and martins and numerous other passage birds, not least wading species.
Village Shop - Lost It or Use It Banner
Following the shock news of the impending closure of the Hurst Village Shop and the subsequent 3 month reprieve, HVS have agreed to fund a 'Use It or Lose It' banner which will be displayed outside the cricket ground.
April 2023
St Nicholas School - Coronation Mug
To celebrate the Coronation, HVS is giving a coronation mug to all pupils and teachers at St Nicholas Primary School. A total of 168 mugs.
Say No to 200 Houses Appeal - HVS Donation
HVS contributed £7,000 to the San No campaign's fight against the Tape Lane Appeal
View more details the successful Tape Lane Appeal
November 2022
Hurst Cricket Club
HVS worked with Hurst Cricket Club in attracting a donation of £1,000 from The Sandra Charitable Trust, and matched this with a further donation of £1,000. This has enabled much needed improvements to be made to the pavilion and facilities at this most picturesque of cricket grounds. HVS would like to thank the cricket club for enhancing this sporting hub in the village and attracting so many people of all ages and abilities to enjoy and play cricket, and as the results show, very successfully too!!!
Say No to 200 Houses - Banners & Leaflets
Following the outline planning application for 200 houses on the field between Tape Lane and Lodge Road, a Joint Team was set up consisting of HVS, HPC, the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group and Protect Hurst Action Group to Campaign against the proposal. HVS financed the £700 cost of 4 banners in the village, plus flyers to distributed to all households in the village to advertise Drop In Meetings on 11th and 12th March 2022, as well as the leaflets detailing the key objections that were distributed after the event.
View more details about the outline planning application.
New Noticeboard outside the Village Shop
HVS have donated a new noticeboard (made by Hurst Resident, James Girdler), to go outside the Village Shop, to replace the old, rather sad looking one.
This is the start of the shop front refurbishment that the shop owners are undertaking.
July 2021
Donation to Church Parish Room Restoration
In May 2021 HVS made a considerable donation of £3,000 to the restoration of the St Nicholas Church Parish Room restoration fund.
Over the years it has fallen into a significant state of disrepair so it will be fabulous to have the room brought back to life and available for all the village to use.
Gates for Footpath around St Nicholas School
In March 2020 HVS contributed to the new gates at St Nicholas School for the re-routing of the footpath around the school playing fields.
St Nicholas School Bicentary Mugs 1818-2018
St Nicholas School has just had its bicentary and HVS funded some commemorative mugs for the school pupils.
NHS Workers Thank You Banner
HVS contributed to the village banner thanking the NHS and Key workers during Covid.
HVs in 2020 contributed to a new hide at Lavell's Wetland Trust
Benches in the Community Orchard
in 2019 HVS contributed to the benches in the Community Orchard
Kissing Gates
In April 2018 HVS donated towards replacing the styles on two of the Rights of Way paths in the village which were being purchased by the Ramblers Society
Public Right of Way Maps
We have installed these maps in display stands at Warren Road, Forest Road and the Townsend Pond.
They are also for sale at the village shop for £1 and are proving very popular.
You can download a version here.
Entrance Gates
In November 2016 entrance Gates were erected on four roads leading into the Village of Hurst -.
Twyford to Hurst
Wokingham to Hurst
Winnersh to Hurst
Binfield to Hurst
These were installed as part of our campaign to stop speeding in the village.
We are advised by the Police that over 50% of those caught speeding through the village are local residents.
Defibrilator at Dinton Pastures
HVS contributed to the cost of installation of a defibrillator at Dinton Pastures (March 2016)
Hurst Village Sign
A special day for the village on Saturday 25th April 2015 when Rt Hon Theresa May, Home Secretary, unveiled the village sign.
Featured in the design by local artist Sally Castle is the 11th century church, the 150 year old cricket ground, the bowling green (reputed to be the second oldest in the country), farming, trees representing the early Windsor Great Forest, the Loddon lily, the village duck pond including the 21st century duck house.
The children from the village primary school had been involved in selecting what went into the design
400 attended the family party which started at 1.30pm. There were drinks, food and balloons for the children.
Cllr Wayne Smith, chair of the HVS, said he was delighted that so many had turned out to join in the fun day and to witness the unveiling of the sign that had taken two years in planning, designing and erecting.
It was the heritage of Hurst in a picture in a wonderful setting.
Friends of Lovell's Lake
HVS made a donation to the Friends of Lovell's Lake to enable them to purchase all the material required for the new viewing season in 2015. Friends of Lovell's Lake are a local charity that works to conserve and improve the wetland habitats of the nature reserve.
Hurst Bowling Club
HVS made a donation to the Hurst Bowling Club towards the funding of their new pavilion in March 2015.
The Queen's Diamond Jubilee - June 2012
Despite the rain, Hurst celebrated the Queen's Jubilee in style over 4 magnificent days which included activities from football training and a “Dads” 5-a-side competition, bowling, events in Churches, pubs and the wine estate throughout the weekend, a very detailed Treasure Hunt around the village as well as a truly magnificent Street Party and a Hurst’s Got Talent contest. The Horticultural Society also raised £220 from their tea stall for Help for Heroes. The bonfire Beacon was lit at exactly 10.15pm as one of the national chain of beacons.
The event was financed by HVS and as a result there was free entry to the grounds. There was also a huge amount of work from many village groups which made it such a success.
The Cricket Club
In 2010 HVS paid for the fencing around the cricket ground to be replaced with railings - opening up the centre of the village in the process.
Wayne Smith, Chair of HVS, said, "I am so pleased with the positive response we have received. Phone calls, e-mails, text messages have come in from villagers, congratulating us on the improvement to the village by opening up the view of the cricket ground.
"I would like to thank Fencing Products of Winnersh for carrying out such a tidy job, which fits in so well with the surrounding green space Also many thanks to Hurst Cricket Club, in particular Steve Rumble and John Jewell, who not only allowed us to carry out this work, but have given us their active support."
