July 2024

Sam the Scarecrow, made by the Children’s Church, is now at his new home in the Weald and Downland Museum. He can be found next to the tin Church, sheltering from the sun.

July 2024

East Dean Flower Festival ran over the weekend of 20th/21st July and was a huge success. Celebrating the Olympics, flower arrangers from across the Valley Parish, and beyond, showed off their skill, and their imagination. As well as the flower arrangements, the ladies of the parish also ran refreshments in the Village Hall, offering delicious cakes and lunches.

The weekend raised £2000 for the Standing the Test of Time buildings appeal.

February 2024

It’s been a long process, but thanks to the hard work and determination of Jennifer Neelands East Dean and Singleton now have new church notice boards. The team at Wests have done an amazing job, matching colours and reproducing the original designs. The notice boards are now ready to stand the test of time for years to come.

January 2024

We are delighted to welcome home the East Window in The Blessed Virgin Mary, Singleton. Thanks to the generosity of the people of the village the William Wailes window has now been restored, repairs made, and new fittings provided. Other windows in the church have also been restored and repaired, meaning the building should stand the test of time for another 100 years, at least.

Harvest Thanksgiving 1st October 2023

All Saint’s East Dean was the venue for our Parish Harvest Thanksgiving service this year when we came together to give thanks for all that God has given us, and to share our blessings with others by donating to the Chichester Food Bank. Thanks to the ongoing generosity of the people of the Valley Parish we were able to send extra items to the Food bank, in addition to the regular contributions from each church.

An Evening with Ivor Novello 30th September 2023

The Reverend Canon David Nason entertained us royally on Saturday 30th September with music from Ivor Novello and an interesting history of his life and music. The audience not only got to hear some of his most well known pieces but also joined in with the singing. Raffle tickets had been sold before the performance began and over an after show drink, with canapes provided by the parish congregation, the draw was made. Prizes included membership of West Dean Gardens, signed books from the Repair Shop and a voucher for dinner at Bills in Chichester.

A total of £1200 was made to support our Standing the Test of Time fundraising appeal.

Remembrance Sunday 2022

Once again, The Valley parish came together to remember and give thanks for all those who have lost their lives as a result of wars and conflicts. At our morning service in West Dean, the church was filled with paintings that Beech Class had produced, reminding us of the scenes from war that so many people experienced. Pupils from the school also laid a wreath on behalf of the school, read the names of those on the Singleton War Memorial, and also read the Kohima Text during the Act of Remembrance.

At the RBL Act of Remembrance, pupils from Singleton School laid their wreath, and also read the Kohima Text. The Singleton School Wreath is now inside the church, at the War Memorial.