Last Saturday night, 21 March 2026, saw the latest edition of the annual Welford Cricket Club quiz night as Old Wick Giants successfully defended their title for the third year running!
A great time was had and massive thanks to all the volunteers who made it such a great success. Especially our hairy bakers (@rvstrat and Martin) who created a 5 course feast.
Fantastic food, fantastic atmosphere and a fantastic night.
Thanks again to everyone who made it such a success.
Bacon butties starred at last Saturday’s football matches at Synder Meadow as the new pavilion was opened up for the first time. The building complete, it is impressive on the side of the pitches and the stands make for excellent viewing.
A cheque for £30,000 was presented by the football club to the Parish Council, witnessed by our local MP, Manuela Perteghella, a keen supporter of the project. A Stratford Herald reporter and photographer captured the celebrations.
There is still much to do to fit out the interior. More help and fundraising is needed. £300 was raised from the sale of bacon, tea and coffee on this bright Saturday morning. A very many thanks to the willing volunteers who made it all happen.
A comedy night on 10 April is now sold out and will feature Josh Pugh, Jules O’Brian and Pete Teckman. A surprise act is also now confirmed. Bar and raffle on the night.
May’s events will include the next village quiz. Venue and date to follow. Later in the year, on 10 July, close-up magician Angus Baskerville will be performing at the Four Alls. All proceeds to Synder Meadow.
After nearly 5 months of activity at Synder Meadow, the shell of the new pavilion was completed in March 2026. On budget, the pavilion has taken shape on the edge of the football fields. With spring round the corner, spectating from the stands will soon be possible.
The next phase of construction is to complete the internal spaces and this will be the project focus in the months to come. Fundraising is ongoing apace and everyone’s help and support is needed and appreciated. Site meetings with the Birmingham Football Association and the English Cricket Board were positive and are being actively followed up.
Quiz night winter warmers included curry and chilli in November and February. Together they raised around £2,300. The ongoing Buy-a-Brick campaign has proven most successful, raising around £17,000. However, support is welcome in any form, from donations to offers of help. If you think you have the skills, do get in touch.
The Cricket Club has a quiz night to raise funds for the Synder Meadow fit-out.
Make space in your diary on Friday 10 April at 19:30 for the much anticipated Comedy Night with celebrity comics Josh Pugh, Jules O’Brian and Pete Teckman. Also at the Memorial Hall. Hit the button below for more information and to book. Proceeds support the next phase of the Synder Meadow Pavilion project.
Friday 6th February 2026 saw a second successful fundraising quiz night at Welford Bowling Club. Tickets sales of £900 were topped up with the raffle bringing total takings to £1,315 for the evening. First prize was a two-course meal with a bottle of wine at the Bell Inn.
Fifteen teams battled it out for quiz supremacy having had their fill of chilli provided by the Friends of Synder Meadow. Vegetarian chill, provided by the Plantarium Cafe went down a storm.
Once again our seasoned quiz masters, Chris and Jane, set some tricky questions and collated the scores. The competition was fierce among the Welford quiz teams; final scores for the top teams were separated by only one point.
Welford on Avon Cricket Club has plans for a quiz to be held at the Welford and Weston Memorial Hall in March. Details to follow.
As 2025 ends and we usher in a New Year, progress on the new pavilion at Synder Meadow gathers pace. November saw the pavilion take shape as the piles were driven in and the walls were lifted into position. December saw the roof laid, windows and internal partitions installed. January sees the windows and doors glazed, the insulation going in and cladding going on.
If you’ve been to Synder Meadow recently, you’ll have seen how far Welford’s new Community and Sports Pavilion has come. The outer shell is advanced and the building is looking impressive. The project is on track for completion in February. The long-held vision is now a real asset for our village.
Thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of the community, around £14,000 has been raised since late November. Our quiz night at the Bowls Club in November not only launched the Buy a Brick campaign but also raised over £1,000. Just as importantly, it brought people together and showed the strength of support behind the Pavilion.
Buy your tickets for the next quiz night on 6 February at Welford Bowls Club. £60 per table of 6, to include the quiz (and prizes!) and a served hot supper. There will be a raffle too. Bring friends and family and help keep the momentum going.
As the outer shell nears completion, we are making a renewed request for your support through the Buy a Brick option. Many residents have said they plan to take part, and now is the perfect time.
When you Buy a Brick, you are sponsoring a ceramic tile that will be displayed on the Pavilion’s Wall of Support, featuring your name, a short message or a company logo. It’s a simple, lasting way to show your support and help fund the Pavilion’s internal fit-out, which is the next vital stage.
See updates on the Pavilion website and at the old butchers. A leaflet with upcoming events and ways you can support will also be delivered through your door.
Lively events are being planned by the Friends of Synder Meadow team. Dates will be announced soon. Do get involved and support your village. Please get in touch if you can help at all. Donations are welcome too.
Alongside community fundraising, we are pursuing grants and funding opportunities. Applications are already with several organisations, including the Football Association who we are meeting soon. More submissions are being written.
We remain hopeful that these, combined with community fundraising, will help complete the Pavilion to the high standard Welford deserves.
Thank you once again for the encouragement, generosity and goodwill shown so far. Together, we’re creating a welcoming hub that will benefit the village for years to come.
Friends of Synder Meadow
By anyone’s standards the Curry and Quiz fundraiser held at Welford on Avon’s bowls club on 26 Nov 25 was a great success.
Many thanks to everyone who came. Good cheer was in abundance and the community spirit was clear. Tables were full and ticket receipts were £720. Tickets included curry, covered costs and a donation to the pavilion fit-out fund.
Run by the Friends of Synder Meadow, the focus of the evening was to raise awareness of the Buy-a-Brick campaign. The brain-child of Gez Thompson, willing benefactors of the pavilion donate £150, £500 or £1000. A personal message, family or company name is then inscribed on a tile and placed in a feature location within the public space of the completed pavilion.
Donations through Buy-a-Brick can be made though the website.
Or Text / WhatsApp Gez Thompson on 07989 308978
By the end of the day, donations for Buy-a-Brick totalled £2800.
On arrival, groups of six took a table and then a curry to start the evening. Delicious chicken korma, tikka makhani and rogan josh was provided by willing volunteers. A special thank you to Mani at the shop for providing the naan bread and Sandeep’s wife for the dal makhani. Homemade brownies made an appearance thanks to Gez.
Raffle tickets were on sale through the evening and took £395. Top prize was tickets for two to the racing at Stratford Racecourse.
Tables full and bellies filled with homemade curries, the quiz delivered on fun and competitive spirit. Congratulations to the winning team, Oldwick Giants, who took the glory and the prize hamper.
Sonia Hockaday and Gez Thompson updated the room on the progress of the pavilion build at Synder Meadow. With the piles complete, steel frame in place and the scaffolding now up, the pavilion is starting to take shape.
Special thanks to the quiz masters, Chris and Jane, for keeping the evening moving and providing some quirky quiz questions.
Thanks also to Welford on Avon bowls club for providing the venue and in particular the bar personnel who went above and beyond to help.
The Friends of Synder Meadow are a self-styled group who have got together to coordinate fundraising events to bring the new pavilion at Synder Meadow to life. They are a small, energetic bunch and welcome any help on offer. To get involved, please touch base by filling the form on the contact page. Any help is welcome, from baking a cake to helping to write these pages!
We are all looking forward to the next quiz, pencilled in for 6 February 2026 at Welford Bowls Club. Watch this space.
A fundraising festival is also planned for early May. Details to follow!
Groundworks to level the site at Synder Meadow Pavilions were completed and piling began by the end of October. In a few short days they were in and the attenuation tank installed.
The beginning of November saw foundation pads and beams dug and the rebar installed. With inspection now complete, the concrete pour can follow.
On week commencing 13 October 2025
Despite the rain, exciting progress is underway! Hinton Design & Build are now officially on site and construction has begun on the new Synder Meadow Pavilion.
Initial surveying complete
Site stripped and prepared
Piling mats installed
Haul road stripped and laid
All works overseen and formally signed off by the appointed archaeologist
This is the first step in turning the long-awaited plans into reality – a shared space for sport, events and community life.
Thank you to everyone who’s supported the project so far. More updates to come as the build progresses.
Hinton Design & Build (Hinton Group) were today formally appointed as primary contractor to construct the new pavilion at Synder Meadow. They were selected from a group of six that had responded to the opportunity to tender for the contract.
Welford on Avon Parish Council are delighted to confirm that Hinton Design & Build has been appointed as the main contractor for the new Welford Pavilion at Synder Meadow. Based in Bromsgrove, Hinton brings a wealth of experience in design and construction across the West Midlands and beyond. This appointment marks a vital milestone in bringing our vision for an inclusive, multi-purpose sports and community hub to life.
I’d also like to extend heartfelt thanks to Trinity Property Consultants, our Quantity Surveyors and Project Managers, for expertly steering the procurement and tender process, and to Halligan Consulting Engineers for providing the mechanical and electrical performance specifications. With such strong partners, we are well supported on this exciting journey.
Councillor Jamie Hockaday, Welford on Avon Parish Council
Family-run Hinton Design & Build Ltd were selected for offering:
Construction follows demolition of the existing structure and is scheduled to begin in early October 2025. Completion will be in early spring of 2026.
Hinton Design & Build Ltd recently completed the nursery building at the Rosebird Centre in Stratford upon Avon.
On Thursday 4th September, the old clubhouse was finally demolished by the expert team from City Demolition. After a few days of preparation, local residents, Parish Council members, a reporter from the Stratford Herald, and our very own MP, Manuela Perteghella, gathered to witness the beginning of a brand-new chapter for the space.
With the rain holding off just long enough, the demolition began under grey skies but bright energy. Much to the delight of all, MP Manuela Perteghella even climbed into the cab!
Then the experts from City Demolition took over, swiftly and safely deconstructing the old clubhouse in a matter of 28 minutes, bringing down decades of history in a powerful and symbolic step toward the future.
The removal of the old clubhouse marks the beginning of exciting plans to build the new sports and community pavilion.
Stay tuned – there’s so much more to come!