News Blog 2026

Our next planned event is a FREE Make and Magic afternoon on Saturday 20th June from 2pm to 4pm in the main School Hall.

There will be puppets, suncatchers, keyrings, windchimes and masks to make, plus a magician who does balloon modelling too! The suggested age range is 4 to 11 years, but parents, carers and older children are welcome to also have a go. An adult will need to stay with the children for the 2 hours.

There will be refreshments and a raffle or tombola. We do have a card machine but technology is not always on our side so cash would be appreciated.

Future events

Later this year we are considering an indoor food and drink event, so if any of you are makers and bakers, we would love to hear from you. Currently this event will not include food to buy and eat on the day- but plenty to take home and enjoy.

We are also in the early planning stage with a Stradbroke amateur dramatics group to provide a pantomime in January or February 2027. Watch out for further updates.

The annual cost of membership is only £10 and you must be over 18 years of age. Once you sign up you will be given a membership card and a Tote number. You may have more than one number with £10 payable for each number held. You may pay in cash or by cheque. Fees will be collected from you by one of our dedicated volunteers. 

If you prefer, we can provide you with details of how to pay online and your volunteer collector will send a reminder each year when your membership is due for renewal.

From March 2026 onwards the draw will be made by the Lead Volunteer (Angela Pickup) on the first Thursday of each month. 

There will be 4 cash prizes each month of £50, £40, £30, and £20 with a bonus draw in December of £100, £50, £35, and £25. Prizes will be delivered to you personally by your volunteer collector. 

Details of winners are published each month and displayed on the noticeboard outside the Old School Room and in the Newsletter.

The aim of the Tote is to raise funds for the community. The Tote gives back 50% of stake monies in prizes with the remaining 50% going to the Charity. Currently the monies generated help meet the shortfall in the costs of producing the monthly Newsletter, and part fund the “Meet up Mondays” group and the Pantomime.

Please support your community and join us today by contacting

Angela Pickup on 01449 766483 or at angela.pickup@mendleshamcommunitycharity.com 

Our thanks go to all the children and teachers at Mendlesham Primary School for taking part so enthusiastically in our challenge. We received  their responses at the end of November and with over 80 entries Trustees had a very difficult job to decide on the winners but eventually reached agreement. The wining entries appeared in the January 2026 newsletter and are available here.

We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we have.