Hillam News - June 2025
Hillam News - June 2025
Hillam News – June 2025: The Voice of Hillam Village
Overview: A Community Chronicle in a Growing Village
June 2025’s Hillam News presents a vibrant mosaic of village life, built and sustained by volunteers who guide community facilities, celebrate historical milestones, and showcase local initiatives. The issue underscores the strong sense of belonging that characterises Hillam, Monk Fryston, and Burton Salmon, from VE Day commemorations to ongoing environmental and sustainability efforts. It acknowledges the leadership of volunteers, highlights opportunities to get involved, and signals the evolving relationship between residents and the groups that keep the village connected and informed, including editorial volunteers, parish council newcomers, and neighborhood organizations. The tone is warm, practical, and forward‑looking, inviting participation and generosity of time and ideas to keep the community thriving. (p. 1)
Editorial Note: A Reminder to Respect Community Resources
The issue opens with a practical reminder about the Community Centre and its recycling facilities, which are provided and managed by volunteers rather than by the council. Readers are asked to respect the rules: the cardboard drop-off is not a general waste bin, the main waste bin is for hall users, and all cardboard should be flattened. The piece stresses that misusing these facilities wastes volunteers’ time and undermines residents’ ability to dispose of materials conveniently. When bins are full, residents are urged to take waste home rather than leave it behind, as it will not disappear by magic. The call is for courtesy and responsible use of shared community resources. (p. 1)
New Parish Councillors: Welcoming Hillam’s Fresh Civic Voices
The magazine introduces two newly elected Parish Councillors in Hillam, sharing brief biographical notes and perspectives on the village’s needs. Mike Cooke emphasizes a strong sense of belonging, community involvement, and a varied background spanning finance and education that could support governance and leadership. Ali Oliver highlights a commitment to volunteering, a readiness to engage with Hillam in Bloom and other local initiatives, and a desire to maintain a peaceful, welcoming village atmosphere. Both individuals express warmth toward Hillam’s social fabric and a readiness to contribute to its development while acknowledging their own limitations and preferences for straightforward, practical governance. (p. 3)
No Mow May: Making Space for Nature and Safer Streets
The No Mow May discussion frames Hillam’s mowing policy within a broader environmental context. It explains how the Parish Council seeks to balance aesthetic appeal, road and pedestrian safety, and wildlife conservation by creating short grass strips and nature corridors along verges and roadside edges. The article grounds its approach in national conservation reports such as Making Space for Nature and The State of Nature, which highlight declines in wildlife and the need for better-connected habitats. A practical plan emerges: a 2–3 foot mown strip where footpaths exist, longer corridors where feasible, and ongoing maintenance by both contractors and volunteers to ensure safety and sightlines. The piece invites residents to support, volunteer, and participate in Hillam in Bloom and related efforts to enhance biodiversity. (p. 4)
Further detail explains that volunteers will help maintain the newly created strips, with named individuals contributing to the upkeep on Betteras Hill Road and the village square. The message connects wildlife-friendly mowing with broader community projects, aiming to make Hillam safer for pedestrians, dogs, and horses while supporting pollinators and other wildlife. The call for volunteers is explicit: the community is urged to join in mowing, tidying, and helping with Hillam in Bloom to sustain this collective effort. (p. 4)
Sustainability, Lottery Funding, and Community Action
The article on Lottery Fund support reviews how funding from the Lotteries Community Fund has underwritten energy efficiency and sustainability improvements at the Monk Fryston and Hillam Community Centre. Highlights include the installation of an air source heat pump, a second storage battery, upgraded fire doors, LED lighting upgrades, and automated controls. The result has been a notable reduction in CO2 emissions since mid-2023 and even brief Net Zero status over the summer of 2023. The Lottery Fund’s grants have also supported the school’s Eco Schools achievements, with recognition of the pupils’ environmental work. Looking ahead, the CA plans to spend remaining capital on new fire doors and to invest in a new CA website with an expanded sustainability section. The broader intent is to formulate a Community Facilities Development plan to guide future fundraising and projects, including potential regional energy transition initiatives. (p. 5)
The piece also announces a Summer Job Wanted advertisement from a local youth offering a willingness to take on a variety of tasks, including pet sitting, with a view to contributing to the community during the warmer months. It provides a direct contact route for potential employers and invites local families to consider a capable, reliable local candidate. (p. 5)
Hillam Historians Revisited: Wartime Savings and Community Resilience
The Hillam Historians feature revisits a chapter from Hillam’s past, focusing on wartime savings and the social fabric that supported the war effort. The article reflects on the community’s commitment to national savings schemes during 1942–1945, recounting the role of local savings committees in encouraging residents to purchase war bonds and savings certificates. A series of weekly drives—Warship Week, Tanks for Attack, Wings for Victory, and others—generated substantial funds, with Hillam residents collectively contributing tens of thousands of pounds over the period. The narrative explains how these savings were acknowledged with official certificates and how funds were distributed to service members and local welfare among armed forces families. (p. 6)
Hillam in Wartime Memories: Personal Voices and Collective Heritage
Across memory pieces and archival materials, the wartime memories section records the work of the Hillam Red Cross and War Comforts Fund, which sustained service members through home-front efforts like house-to-house collections and community events. The section highlights the meticulous record-keeping that underpinned these efforts, including attendance logs, minute books, and distribution registers managed by dedicated local volunteers. The narrative stresses the importance of preserving these records for future generations, framing them as a living part of Hillam’s heritage. (p. 6)
Our Wartime Memories: Reflections and Recollections
The memories feature continues with quotes from attendees of the VE Day commemoration and related presentations, underscoring the emotional and educational impact of revisiting local history. Residents describe the event as moving, informative, and a powerful reminder of the village’s resilience and sense of community. The reflections also acknowledge the work of volunteers who gathered oral histories, organized displays, and curated artifacts that illuminate Hillam’s role in the war years for current and future generations. (p. 7)
VE Day Celebrations and Local Archives: A Living History
As plans for VE Day commemorations unfold, the Time Team’s archival presentation offers a snapshot of Hillam and neighboring villages’ wartime experiences—from Home Guard parades to the removal of a roadblock for a moment of local pride. The display of wartime memorabilia enriches understanding of daily life during conflict and the communal effort to support service members. The text emphasizes that many contributors lived their entire lives in Hillam, Burton Salmon, or Monk Fryston, making the memories deeply personal and widely shared. (p. 7)
Continuing the Conversation: Interest in Repeating the Wartime Presentation
The editors invite readers who missed the original presentation to express their interest if there is sufficient demand to stage a repeat later in the year. The call to register interest on the CA website signals the community’s appetite for further exploration of its wartime past and for opportunities to engage with archival material and oral histories. (p. 7)
Business Spotlight and Community Collaboration: Beautiful North
The June issue acknowledges a local business feature that appears on pages 14–15, highlighting the beneficial relationship between Hillam and neighboring areas and showcasing how local enterprises contribute to village vitality. While the feature notes the business and its services, the emphasis remains on how such collaborations strengthen the community fabric, support local employment, and broaden the appeal of Hillam to visitors and residents alike. The piece invites readers to explore the feature and engage with local commerce as part of a thriving village ecosystem. (p. 14-15)
Local Heritage: A Glimpse into Hillam’s Past Through Historians and Community Memory
Continuing the thread of local history, the issue underscores the importance of Hillam Historians and the ongoing project to connect past and present. The archival materials, oral histories, and community-led research are framed as essential for understanding how Hillam’s identity has evolved and what values the village cherishes today. The editors emphasize that history is not a static record but a living conversation that informs current decisions and future planning, underscoring the role of volunteers in preserving memory. (p. 6-7)
Cricket Club: A Call for More Senior Players
The community sports section notes that Hillam and Monk Fryston Cricket Club are seeking additional senior players to bolster their lineup. The appeal signals the club’s openness to new members and its role in bringing villagers together through sport. Details about how to join or learn more are provided on page 16, inviting interested players and supporters to participate in practices, matches, and social events associated with local cricket. (p. 16)
Creative Voices: A Local Poem and Community Arts
The magazine includes a locally authored poem, offering a moment of reflection, beauty, and creative expression within the broader tapestry of community life. The poem serves as a reminder of the village’s cultural richness and its capacity to nurture artists, writers, and readers who contribute to Hillam’s public dialogue. (p. 18)
Arts and Crafts Fair: Celebrating Local Talent
Pages 19–23 are devoted to an Arts and Crafts Fair, a cornerstone event that brings residents together to showcase handmade work, crafts, and creative offerings. The feature highlights the fair’s role in encouraging local artisans, fostering intergenerational participation, and supporting community fundraising. The pieces emphasize planning, participation, and the value of shared spaces for creativity, social connection, and economic activity within the village and its surrounding areas. (p. 19-23)
Community Resources and Connections: Classified Ads and Useful Numbers
The final pages compile classifieds and practical information that support everyday life in Hillam and the surrounding villages. The Classified Ads section gathers local opportunities, services, and notices, while the Useful Numbers list provides essential contacts for residents seeking assistance, information, or to get involved in community projects. The arrangement reinforces the issue’s overarching aim: to connect people, resources, and opportunities in a practical, user-friendly format. (p. 24)
Closing Thoughts: Gratitude to Volunteers and an Invitation to Engage
The edition closes with a note of thanks to the volunteers who sustain Hillam News and the various community initiatives described throughout the issue. It underscores the importance of volunteer effort, the value of shared spaces, and the ongoing invitation for residents to contribute their time, ideas, and talents to strengthen the village’s social fabric. The tone remains hopeful, inclusive, and action-oriented, encouraging readers to participate in upcoming events, join the parish council conversation, and help preserve Hillam’s distinctive, welcoming character. (p. 1-24)
