Chairman’s Annual Report – 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, I would like to reflect on what has been another active and rewarding year for Honeybourne Parish Council, made possible through the continued support and involvement of our community.

The Parish Council remains committed to listening to our residents, and this year we have worked to address feedback on matters that affect daily life in the village. We have arranged with Worcestershire County Council Highways for a data box to be installed on Weston Road to collect speed data within the parish. Additionally, the village volunteers have established a Community Speed Watch team and, following comprehensive training with the West Mercia Community Speed Watch coordinator, will soon be monitoring vehicle speeds on approved roads, helping to keep our village safer for everyone.

We have continued our programme of improvements to the Sports Field, this year installing gravel bands to further enhance drainage and playing conditions. In response to residents’ concerns about the footpath, the Parish Council made representations to Worcestershire County Council, who installed a new surface on the public right of way leading to The Leys, improving pedestrian access during winter months.

The Parish Council awarded grants to several valued community organisations this year, including the Village Hall and Friends of St Ecgwin’s Church. We also made a donation to South Worcestershire Citizens Advice Bureau, recognising the vital support this service provides to residents across our area. The Parish Council was pleased to support Honeybourne Hawks U11s Football Club with a grant this year. The team has had an exceptional season in the Ambassador League, remaining unbeaten in all competitions and progressing to the semi-final of the league cup – an impressive achievement for a village team that has become one of the most respected in the local area. The Friends of Honeybourne Station volunteers continue their dedicated work to make our station welcoming, installing planters that will bring colour and beauty to the platforms in the coming spring and summer.

Huge congratulations to Honeybourne’s darts team for winning the Wychavon Parish Games darts competition in October! Our five-strong team secured first place and maximum points, bringing home victory for the parish. The team proudly collected their trophy, a wonderful achievement for Honeybourne. The Parish Council is proud to support residents’ participation in the Wychavon Parish Games by funding entry fees for anyone wishing to compete in the various sporting events held throughout the year.

We are pleased to congratulate Vice Chair Bal Dubb, along with Sue Henson, Mandy Wigget-Jones and Jaime Owen, who have successfully completed wellbeing training through Wychavon District Council and were recently awarded certificates for their achievement. This demonstrates our community’s commitment to personal development and engagement with district-wide health and wellbeing initiatives.

In July, the Honeybourne Village Fete volunteers once again organised a fantastic event, which I was delighted to officially open. Blessed with good weather, the day featured activities for everyone, including a popular dog show, and brought the community together in true Honeybourne style. Our thanks go to all the volunteers who worked so hard to make the day such a success.

2025 marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and we celebrated this milestone with a memorable event featuring a Silver Band concert and local schoolchildren reading poems – a fitting tribute that brought the community together in remembrance. In November, I was honoured to lay a wreath at the War Memorial and attend the Remembrance Service, and to represent Honeybourne at the Poppies to Paddington initiative organised by Great Western Railway. The  poppy display in the churchyard provided a poignant local tribute to those who served.

The annual Christmas Lights Switch-On at the Village Hall on 28th November was once again well attended, bringing residents of all ages together to celebrate the festive season. We were delighted to welcome pupils from Honeybourne Primary School who sang carols beautifully, and the Silver Band provided musical entertainment throughout the evening, adding to the festive atmosphere enjoyed by everyone. The Town Crier played a vital role in getting everyone involved and bringing the community together. The event featured a craft fayre, pop up bar, and mobile food stalls, and Santa was there to greet the children. We were fortunate again with good weather, which made the evening all the more enjoyable. Our sincere thanks go to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly to organise the event, the local businesses who generously sponsored raffle prizes, and the residents who sponsored lights in memory of their loved ones.

We were pleased to welcome our Interim Vicar,  Revd. Jon Barwood, to Honeybourne. Jon kindly blessed our Christmas tree and helped us turn on the lights at the Switch-On event, and we look forward to his continued ministry in our parish.

The Parish Council was honoured to recognise the outstanding service of our Royal Mail staff this year. Both Sarah Layton, our post lady, and Andy Clear, our postman, have each dedicated 25 years of service to Honeybourne – a combined 50 years of reliable mail delivery to our community. Through rain, shine, and snow, they have been familiar and cheerful presences in our village, and we are grateful for their exceptional commitment to ensuring residents receive their mail reliably. We presented them with certificates of recognition and letters of appreciation on behalf of the Council and all residents.

We welcomed two new Parish Councillors this year – Sandra Walsh and Judith Mellor, who were co-opted onto the Council and have already made valuable contributions. We also said farewell to Councillor Trevor Askew, who stepped down from the Council. We thank Trevor for his service to the parish and are grateful that he continues to lead the volunteer team maintaining our public rights of way – vital work that keeps our public footpaths accessible for all to enjoy.

The Parish Council has continued work on the Neighbourhood Plan Review, appointing new planning consultants to take this important project forward. We were successful in securing a grant from Wychavon District Council which, together with Parish Council reserves, is funding this important review. In the coming months, we will be conducting surveys and engaging with residents to gather your views and feedback – your input will be vital in helping to shape the plan for Honeybourne’s future.

Behind the scenes, our Parish Clerk achieved the Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA), further strengthening the professional governance of the Council.

None of what we achieve would be possible without the dedication of our Parish Councillors, the hard work of volunteers across numerous community groups, and the ongoing support and engagement of residents.

As we look forward to 2026, the Parish Council remains committed to enhancing our village and serving the community. On behalf of all the councillors, I wish all residents a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Heath Jobes

Chair of Honeybourne Parish Council