
Thornton Community Centre – Easter Sunday


A village in Leicestershire and in the heart of the National Forest, overlooking Thornton Reservoir.



21 tables, in two halls, full of a huge variety of beautiful bargains.
Please come along to our Clear Out sale, and help us to raise money for essential repairs for our church whilst at the same time finding yourself new treasures and gifts.
Bacon and sausage baps, and tea and coffee will be available from the ‘café’.
Saturday 28th, 11-2. Entrance 50p per adult.
Every penny of profit will go to the repair and maintenance of our beautiful church.
A Friends of St Peter’s fundraising event
Another very successful fund raising night on behalf of the Community centre.
58 ‘quizzers’ in 10 teams came to the centre on Saturday to test their knowledge and logical capabilities.
There were the usual 100 questions, a mix of a picture round, general knowledge, connections, logic and riddles.
All teams scored in excess of 80 out of 100. But the team that came top for the second time in a row was the ‘Bluetits’ with a score of 92.
£51 in cash prizes were handed to the winners and runners up. There were 14 raffle prizes won. Leaving a total of £475, donated to the Community centre towards essential works on the heating system.
Thank you to everyone who took part and for your generosity in purchasing raffle tickets and donating prizes, and to those who helped set up and later dismantle the tables and chairs.

Thornton Artisan Festival 2026 to Celebrate Local Creativity and Community Spirit
A brand-new celebration of art, craft, food and community is set to bring Thornton to life this summer as the Thornton Artisan Festival 2026 takes place from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th June at the Thornton Community Centre and Grounds, Main Street, Thornton.
Organised by the Community Events Committee supported by local artists and crafters, and residents McSmith Events.
The three-day festival aims to showcase the area’s creative talent while uniting residents and visitors for a vibrant, family-friendly weekend.
The festival has been designed with a clear purpose: to promote local talent and independent businesses, boost community pride, attract visitors to the area, and support small creative enterprises and local food producers.
All profits will go towards funding new central heating for the Community Centre, with £24,000 needed to complete the essential replacement of a failing 53-year-old system.
Festival organisers promise a lively and inclusive atmosphere, with the Community Centre and its grounds transformed into a hub of creativity and entertainment.
The Featured Artists Gallery in the Main Hall will display a curated exhibition of local art, photography and sculpture, while the Craft & Makers Market in the Sports Hall will showcase handmade goods from talented artisans and independent creators.
Outdoors, the Artisan Food & Drink Zone will celebrate local producers offering quality food and refreshments, and a Children’s Zone will keep younger visitors entertained. A Community Gallery Wall and live music will add to the weekend’s festivities, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
The festival will open on Friday evening with a special ticketed performance by one of the UK’s best-known Celtic music bands, Govannen. Tickets are priced at £20 and must be pre-booked via thorntonvillage@aol.com.
Daytime entry to the festival on Saturday and Sunday is free, with funds raised through stallholder fees, sponsorship, advertising and a community raffle. Organisers are currently seeking prize donations and sponsorship from local businesses to help support the event. Sponsorship offers valuable promotion and visibility while directly contributing to the improvement of the Community Centre.
Artists, crafters, entertainers, food vendors and sponsors are all invited to get involved in this exciting new community venture. Those interested in booking a stall, donating raffle prizes or becoming a sponsor can request further details and a booking form by contacting thorntonartisan@gmail.com.
For updates and announcements, follow the festival on Facebook at Thornton Artisan Festival and on the village website www.thorntonvillage.org.

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We will do an hour tomorrow morning (Saturday 14th February) from 10 am just clearing up the fallen branches and twigs.
Paul is going to ‘trim’ the ‘hedge’ by the lychgate that is over hanging the path. So there will be that to clear away as well.
Hope some of you can join us. Do wear warm clothing and stout shoes and gloves.
Thank you.
Shirley
Sunday March 1st 10.15-11.30
We have something a little bit different at Thornton Community Centre.
St Peter’s Church would like to invite you to a (free) workshop where you’ll create little metal charms called Milagros. Their full meaning will be explained on the day but they have a spiritual connection.

Our time together starts and ends with contemporary Christian song and a period of reflection or prayer.
Leading us will be the talented artist Hayley Fern from St. Johns Church, Hugglescote – some of you may recognise her from her pilgrimage to draw all the churches in the Leicester diocese.
https://www.instagram.com/hayleydrawschurches?igsh=MTE1cHVnYWw4MWFyOA==
Please do join us for a very creative hour or so. No age restrictions.
No charge, all materials provided and no experience required!
Please contact Delia if you have any queries on 07796391859
Thank you Ben from Thornton Nurseries for supplying the plants and planting up the four planters along the driveway at Thornton Community Centre this week.
They look great. The plants have certainly been very well ‘watered in’.


In a strange anomaly it was discovered last year when some long lost plans of the centre were located in the Parish Council offices, that the driveway is not part of the lease agreement between the Community Centre and the Parish Council and therefore the maintenance of the borders is actually the responsibility of the PC.
The PC have worked within a very limited budget to get the borders tidied up to enhance the approach to the centre, and have relocated four large planters (donated by Bardon quarries) from the approach roads to the village where they had remained ‘unloved’ and ‘unkempt’ for a few years, onto the the borders on the understanding that they are maintained by the Trustees of the centre.
The trustees approached Thornton Nurseries for plants and Ben has kindly supplied and planted them up for the Centre at no charge.
Thank you so much for your Community spirit in helping the trustees maintain and improve the facilities at the Centre for the community and visitors to the many events planned over the next few months.
Our first event of the year, raising funds for Thornton Church,
St Peter’s.

Please come along to our Clear Out sale, and help us to raise money for essential repairs for our church whilst at the same time finding yourself new treasures and gifts.
There will be 21 tables over two rooms full of a huge variety of beautiful bargains.
Bacon and sausage baps, and tea and coffee will be available from the ‘café’.
Its also a lovely chance to meet up with friends.
What’s not to like!
Entrance 50p per adult.
Every penny of profit will go to the repair and maintenance of our beautiful church.
There are currently a couple of tables left.
Please contact me (Shirley Garlick) soonest if you would like to sell your own items – 07925 170803
A Friends of St Peter’s fundraising event