Events

Please see the current events section and calendar for activities and availability

Calendar

Current events

Highland Cow Pottery &

Cream Tea Experience

Creative Pottery Workshop with Deb’s Pottery Shack

Friday 16th May

Ever fancied making your own Highland Cow out of clay?

Now’s your chance. Join Deb’s Pottery Shack at Great Wood Community Hall on Friday 16th May for a relaxed & fun-filled workshop, where you’ll get hands-on with clay & create your very own Highland Cow masterpiece.

Then, after the first workshop sit back & enjoy a delicious cream tea, the perfect way to round off the experience.

Visit our page to find out more

Past events

Mothering Sunday Cream Tea & Mother Moon Art Exhibition

We had such a lovely afternoon at Great Wood Community Hall for our Mother’s Day Cream Tea and Mother Moon Art Exhibition.

We had 49 guests seated and were joined by 15–16 members of Teankulele and Silver Long Johns, who kindly volunteered their time to play music throughout the afternoon. It created such a warm, joyful atmosphere. Guests were treated to a delicious afternoon tea with homemade cakes, scones, brownies, sandwiches, and endless cups of tea, all served with care and smiles.

The exhibition by artist Simmi Sandhu added a heartfelt touch. Her Mother Moon collection, exploring love, loss, and motherhood, was on display with Simmi there to share the story behind each piece.

A huge thank you to our brilliant volunteers – for baking, prepping, setting up, serving, and tackling the big clean-up at the end. These events wouldn’t happen without them. We also held a raffle with brilliant prizes, big thanks to Tesco Meir Park Community Champion for their support, and to everyone who joined in.

All funds raised will go towards our ongoing refurbishment work at Great Wood Community Hall.

SEE HOW WE'RE TRANSFORMING THE HALL

Checkley Parish festival of lights

Saturday 30th Nov 2024

A Magical Day at the Checkley Parish Festival of Lights! ✨🎄

On Saturday, 30th November 2024, our community came together to celebrate the holiday season at the Checkley Parish Festival of Lights. With festive activities across multiple venues, it was a day full of holiday cheer and community spirit.

Festive Stalls at Great Wood Hall: From 1 PM to 6 PM, Great Wood Hall was filled with local stalls showcasing Christmas crafts, handmade gifts, and seasonal treats—perfect for holiday shopping while supporting local artisans.
🎅 Santa’s Sleigh & Light Procession: At 4:30 PM, Santa led a magical light procession from Jubilee Park to Great Wood Hall, spreading Christmas cheer as families and friends joined the journey.
💡 Lights Switch-On & Pyrotechnics Show: At 5:00 PM, the exterior of Great Wood Hall lit up with a dazzling display of lights and pyrotechnics, creating a breathtaking moment that captured the magic of the season.

Thank you to everyone who attended, participated, and supported this community-wide celebration. We can’t wait to see you again next year for another day filled with holiday magic.

🎃 Family Halloween Party 🎃

👻 Our Family Halloween Party Was a Spooktacular Night!

On Saturday, 26th October 2024 we hosted a frightfully fun evening filled with Halloween magic for all ages. Families and friends came together to enjoy a night of spooky fun, laughter, and dancing.

🕸️ Here’s What Made the Night Special:

Fancy Dress Competition: Families got creative with their costumes, with prizes awarded for the best-dressed groups.
Spooky Games and Activities: From pumpkin piñatas to eerie mazes, there were plenty of thrills and laughter.
Music and Dancing: The dance floor was alive with Halloween hits and plenty of moves that would make any ghost groove!

Thank you to everyone who came along, dressed up, and helped make the evening a fantastic success. We look forward to welcoming you again next Halloween for another night of spooky family fun! 🎃👻

Great Wood Community Fair

21st September

On Saturday 21st September from 12pm to 4pm, Great Wood Community Hall held their Great Wood Community Fair.

This event was a celebration of local talent and community spirit. visitors enjoyed an eclectic mix of stalls ranging from handmade soaps, unique jewellery, home fragrances, children’s arts and crafts, to herbal remedies and more.

Everyone participatde in our community raffle with fantastic prizes donated by local businesses, and some even tried their hand at archery.

The event was free admission - and everyone was invited to bring all the family and discover the best of our local craftspeople and artists.

Social Friday

Social Friday at the Hall

We had our first Social Friday on 19th July, from 11am to 12pm, at Great Wood Hall.

We enjoyed tea, coffee, and biscuits and learned about the history of our villages with our fascinating history books and photos.

This was a wonderful opportunity to socialise, explore our library, and learn more about Great Wood Hall.

A Festival of Carols and Readings for Christmas

10th December

Doors Open 2.30pm

On Sunday 10th December - 2.30pm start we have a festival of carols for Christmas

Come and see Tean community singers, Great Wood and St Thomas school choirs and Uttoxeter town brass band.

free admission, bring all the family and join in a christmas celebration.

Checkley Parish Santa Sleigh Route

11th December

From 5pm

I'm excited to announce that Santa's sleigh will be visiting Upper Tean on December 11th, starting from 5 pm!

However, due to securing Santa's sleigh for just one magical evening, the route will be a bit different from the usual.

Santa will follow the main routes around the village of Upper Tean (Blue route on the map), and will make several stops along the way (Santa hats on the map).

Santa's first stop will be Great Wood Hall from 5pm.

A live tracker of Santa on his journey will be released on Monday 11th just before he begins the journey.

Great Wood Community Hall's Christmas Fayre

2nd December 2023

On Saturday 2nd December - 10am start we had our very own Christmas fayre.

The community came to see santa, warmed up with a nice hot drink and shopped for that perfect gift, MP Jack Brereton even popped along.

Checkley Parish festival of lights

1st December 2023

entertainment and stalls opened from 4pm at Great Wood Community Hall, followed with a Light Procession from St Thomas Catholic Primary School leading to Great Wood Community Hall

The community came to see santa, and our festival of lights, they took part in the light procession, listened to some beautiful live music and school choirs, joined in with Christmas carols, visited the stalls and watched the pyrotechnics.