Grenoside Reading Room

An Appeal from David Pepper:

It came to light 2015 that some of our brave men that went to war from, or were born in Grenoside, have had their names missed off the cenotaph at the bottom of Norfolk Hill, Grenoside. No criticism of the original committee is either made or intended. They were tasked with a very difficult job, as there would have been such an emotional outcry as to who should be included at a time of great emotion. Theirs was a truly difficult task.

A small group of people from Grenoside have come together in an effort to put the omissions right. We have now obtained formal permission to have the missing names of all those who served who died or were killed in action during WW I and WW II added to the Grenoside Village Memorial.

After much discussion and advice from a stone mason, it would appear the WWII stone can be turned over and reused by re sizing the wording and bringing the letter (font) size in line with the original WWI sizing. The WWI names to be added can be put on the back face of the cenotaph but this will mean a lot of onsite work. The initial costings are approximately £10,000. Detailed quotes are being obtained, and alternative cheaper methods are being looked into.

The next huge step is to raise enough money for this to happen!
Therefore fund raising must start urgently if we are going to reach our goal of having everyone’s names added before our deadline of November 11th 2018. So we would ask anyone who has an interest or believes they can help, even if you would just like to make a donation, however small, to please contact us. We will, in due course have more information and will give updates as to our progress.

Please get in touch with either myself David Pepper on 01142467859 or Alan Hooper on 01142463692 or e mail: ecclesfieldpc@aol.com

As part of the Heritage Open Days national celebration of 50 years of Conservation Areas, there will be a chance to look back to the work of local volunteers which led to the formation of Grenoside Conservation Society and to some of its achievements.

An evening event is planned at the Reading Room for Thursday 7th September at 7.30pm. It is hoped that past and present members of the Society and others who have contributed to its work will be able to attend and contribute their own memories.

David Dulieu, a founder member, and current chair Megan Smith will introduce the evening. They will recall some of the leading figures from the earlier years as well as activities which have left their mark on the village. These include building the Great Wall of Grenoside, establishing Grenoside Green and the longstanding work programme which has helped enhance the local woodlands. There will be a small display of pictures from the past and additional items for display will be welcomed.

Anyone who is interested in finding out more about the work of the Society or contributing to our practical conservation work, will find the evening informative. New members are always welcome. For further information, please contact David (0114 2468757) or Megan (0114 246 7362).

DORA BURKINSHAW
Following the passing of my dear friend and neighbour Dora Burkinshaw donations totalling £358 were made to Grenoside Reading Room, a cause close to Dora's heart.

I have known Dora since the 1960s when, as a small boy, I visited my Great Aunts, the formidable “Misses Ashton” next door on Woodside Lane. She was always kind and interested in us all. Our friendship continued until my own children, nieces, and nephews christened her “Dora the Explorer” after the popular television character.

My family and other Grenoside residents have had the privilege of being Dora's neighbours and friends, often sitting in her garden as she rested from her frequent weeding expeditions, drinking ginger beer or strong tea, whilst the children availed themselves of her never-ending supply of chocolate.

Dora's life story is an interesting one. She was born in 1918 as a blacksmith's daughter and she worked at Grenoside Hospital as Matron's Maid, for Lady Mabel Smith at Barnes Hall during WWII and for Arnold Scholey's dental practice in Firvale. She experienced happy times camping in the Lake District as well as sadness at the loss of her husband Stan, far too early in their lives. Her ability to live with so little and still be happy always impressed me.

As she became less mobile over the last few years she relied on visitors to let her know how things were going in Grenoside. She was always interested in the building work at the Reading Room and, once completed, she would ask me about the activities and the Monday Cafe (she particularly enjoyed the left-over lemon cake).

Thanks to Dora, her family and friends the funds raised will pay for new blinds to enable films and slides to be shown and to keep the sun at bay during the summer, which will be much appreciated by all our users for many years to come.
Andy Rickards
Grenoside Reading Room

Trustee Opportunity with Friends of Ecclesfield Library CIO

About the Opportunity
Friends of Ecclesfield Library CIO (FoEL) are keen to recruit one or more new dedicated Trustees to join the management committee of a registered charity. The Trustees ensure that the Library is serving the needs of the local community and library users in the best way possible.

We need trustees to guide the organisation and make decisions that ensure that our vision, aims and mission are achieved. Now that the Library is up and running, it is vital to look to the future both in terms of funding and also how the building can be used more widely for the benefit of the community.

About FoEL
Ecclesfield library is an Associate Library staffed entirely by volunteers. FoEL are dedicated to improving the quality of life for people in the local community.
Ecclesfield Library provides community lending library and associated services to the public four days a week as well as running regular activities and events to provide income.

What are we Looking For?
We are looking for people who want to become a regular part of our trustee committee to make the necessary decisions that prioritise where money is spent and what activities are provided. Board meetings are held monthly at the Library, time and date by mutual agreement. We would like trustees who are interested in helping the library volunteers during events and activities.

We would particularly welcome those with the following skills and experience:

Book-keeping or accounts (e.g. Quick Books).

• Marketing, publicity or organising events.
• Fundraising whether small scale events, or writing funding bids.
• Office administration or management experience.
• Experience in a customer-service environment.
• Previous experience on trustee or management boards.
• Involvement with local community groups.

Practical Considerations
We aim to provide any training that is identified, but no training or specific skills are required to join us. See here for the main duties of a trustee:Essential Trustee Jigsaw.pdf

If any volunteer wishes to work directly with young or vulnerable people, a DBS check will be required.

For more details visit the Ecclesfield Library website.
Contact the library during opening hours on 0114 246 3615 or enquiries@ecclesfieldlibrary.co.uk

Friends of Ecclesfield Library CIO is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered in England, No. 1158802.

Thanks to all who made donations, to the War Memorial Fund, at the Reading Room on Remembrance Day. £100 was raised, further donations to the fund can be made by cheque made payable to Ecclesfield Parish Council (war memorial fund)

To celebrate International Coffee Day a special coffee tasting event was held at the Reading Room with coffee supplied by Smith Street Coffee, a local Company.
All the proceeds (£250) are going to the Macmillan cancer charity.

The Grenoside Art Group Annual Exhibition will be held at the Reading Room on:

Saturday 15th October 11.00am- 5.00pm
and Sunday 16th October 10.00am- 4.00pm