Quick links

Hawstead on film:

To watch a short video made by Andy and Janet Taplin in support of our bid for Suffolk Village of the Year (2014), visit our Picture Gallery page. 

Village information:

Visit our Documents page where you'll also find previous copies of the Village Voice and its predecessor, The Hawstead Journal.

Upcoming parish council and community council meetings. For all other village events and updates, take a look at our Events page.

Parish council meetings: 

Parish Council meetings are held on the second Thursday of January, March, May, July, September and November in the village hall at 7.30pm. The agenda will be posted here a few days before each meeting   

Please note that archive material posted onto the website before 25 May 2018 may include limited personal data for which consent to publication has not been given.

This website is maintained by local volunteers, for which thanks.

Any enquiries regarding this website can be addressed to Hawstead Parish Council.

E-mail

clerk@hawstead-pc.gov.uk
 

Also on the Contacts page you'll find MAPS!

Welcome to our village website where we hope to keep you updated with local projects and events. Our website also includes historical information and data about Hawstead.

Please note that there is a separate website for village hall bookings: www.hawsteadvillagehall.co.uk

Whilst some historic parish council information can be viewed on this website, please note that there is a separate website for current parish council information http://hawstead-pc.gov.uk/

Regular events starting January 2025:

• Carpet bowls every Tuesday starting 7th January from 7.30pm, all welcome
• Fish & chips van every Wednesday starting 8th January from 6.50-7.30, cash only please.
• Yoga every Thursday starting 9th January from 9.30-11, all welcome.
• Fitness every Thursday starting 16th January from 7-8pm, all welcome. 

Postal vote applications

If you vote by post and want to continue, you will need to reapply

Residents who applied for their postal vote on or before 31 January 2024 and who wish to continue with this arrangement, will need to reapply for their postal vote before 31 January 2026.

Anyone that does not re-apply for their postal vote, will have their postal vote removed on 31 January 2026.

If the council has your email address, they will contact you to reapply, the communication will come from the GOV.UK service, starting from 20 October 2025.

If the council does not have your email address, written notices will be sent from 17 November. They encourage early and online re-applications.

You can reapply for your postal vote by visiting: Apply for a postal vote - GOV.UK, or returning the postal vote application form on reverse side of the written notice.

Under the Elections Act 2022, postals vote can only be held for a maximum of three years. Some residents will have already been contacted digitally via the GOV.UK notify service.

Christmas bin collections

It's the most wonderful time of year when we all forget what day of the week it is and then realise we haven't put the bin out - d'oh!

To keep us all on track, here are the revised Christmas bin collection days for 2025.

Fitness classes at Hawstead village hall

For anyone looking for a spot of exercise, we have two classes available at the village hall.

One is a gentle chair-based fitness class led by instructor Caroline Jack, who has been teaching similar classes in and around Bury St Edmunds for 20 years. The class is pay as you go and costs £7 per class.

The other is a yoga flow class aimed at all abilities with the aim of stretching, toning and improving flexibility. All you need is a mat (if you also have a yoga cushion, block or belt then please feel free to bring these too, but they are not essential.

Details on the flyers below.

50% eco-friendly insulation

Anyone in Suffolk can receive a 50% discount off their purchase of 200mm or 370mm wide insulation rolls (up to £200) with free delivery, from High Loft, the UK's leading eco loft insulation brand. 

Go to www.bit.ly/suffolkloft and fill in the short form to receive your personalised link to order, or call High Loft's insulation experts on 01706 248203. The offer is open to anyone in Suffolk and will close once the allocated funding has been spent.

The Suffolk Climate Change Partnership (Suffolk County Council, Babergh & Mid Suffolk District Councils, East Suffolk Council, Ipswich Borough Council and West Suffolk Council) has teamed up with High Loft to help Suffolk residents make their homes warmer and save money on their energy bills.  

High Loft also offers Klarna as a payment option, allowing you to spread the cost of your insulation purchase.

To find out more visit www.greensuffolk.org/at-home/funding.

Information for dog walkers

Hawstead Green and the local footpaths are a popular spot. To keep our beautiful village an enjoyable space for all of us, please could dog owners kindly remember to:

• Keep their dogs under control in public areas
• Pick up and dispose of their dog waste responsibly

​Thank you to all those dog walkers who are already doing this - your kind consideration to the rest of the community is much appreciated.

Litter picking

A big thank you to Charlie Rigall who has worked tirelessly for many years to keep Hawstead litter-free. Thanks to Charlie's efforts, the village has been kept looking at its best for all residents.

Charlie will be stepping away from this role and hanging up his litter claw for the last time. If there is anyone keen to follow in Charlie's footsteps, please do get in touch with the clerk. 

Also, watch this space for details of a community litter-pick event planned for later on in the year.

Save the dates!

Get your diaries ready, upcoming Hawstead village events for 2025 include:

Most documents posted on this site are in PDF format. To view, you'll need Adobe Reader which you can download for free at Adobe.com

History recorder updates

You can view our history recorder's updates for 2024 at: History recorder reports

Village Voice

The latest issue of Hawstead's Village Voice is now available to download and read: Village Voice Autumn Edition 2024

Connecting Communities - help with travel

This is a transport service provided by Suffolk County Council. Its aim is to help people get around the county who might otherwise struggle because of limited bus services. 

You can use the service to travel locally, whether that's to visit friends and family, go to the shops, or to get to school, college or work. 

To access the service, you'll need to call 01638 664304. The service runs from Monday to Saturday between 7am and 7pm.

You can find more information at Suffolk on Board, connecting communities  

Bus timetable updates

Suffolkonboard has updated some bus timetables. You can find updates at Suffolkonboard, timetable updates. 

The route from Hawstead is the 375. To see changes, click on the route number in the link above.

Here is also a PDF (correct as of 9 July 2024). Please refer to the Suffolkonboard website to check for any alterations if you're relying on this route. 

Route 375 Sudbury-Bridge Street-Lawshall-Bury St Edmunds

Anglian Water pipeline - UPDATE

For news and updates about the pipeline works, please go to our Local News and Information page.  

A new pipeline will be constructed from North Lincolnshire to Essex and there may be some impact as of early 2024 when work begins. 

Cost of living help: to find out what help you may be entitled to, visit:

• GOV.UK, help for households
• Suffolk.gov.uk, cost of living support

West Suffolk Council has also prepared this PDF information sheet for local residents:

Report a scam: if you think someone has called you to trick you into giving them your personal details or money, you should hang up and dial 159.  The number will enable you to speak to your bank directly, for more information and a list of the banks taking part, visit: Stop scams UK

Cyber security: if you're looking for more information about staying safe online, visit: Cyberhood watch, Avast

Identity theft and fraud: if you think you've been a victim of fraud or identity theft, you can report it at: Action fraud

You should also report any suspected phishing attempts to: Action fraud, phising 

Useful phone numbers (only dial 999 in a genuine emergency):

• Non-emergencies - call 101 or visit https://www.suffolk.police.uk/contact-us/report-something
• Susipicious activity - call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or visit https://www.crimestoppers.org.uk/
• Cold callers - call Suffolk Trading Standards 0808 223 1133
• Fraud - call Action Fraud 0300 123 2040
• Scam texts - forward to 7726