Storrington White Stork and Nature Revival Festival

PUBLIC CAR PARKING: please note that public car parking for the Festival will be at the Hormare Field off Hurston Lane accessed from the A283 Pulborough Road.  See below for Loading and Parking Arrangements. All access gates to the site will be open from 7am to 6pm.

Storrington celebrates its new status as UK Stork Village together with Knepp Wildland. Jointly, this partnership is recognised as the only village area in the UK to be part of the Stork Villages Network across Europe.

To celebrate, we are hosting a “White Stork and Nature Revival” Festival. The Storrington & Sullington Parish Council is privileged to be working alongside Knepp’s White Stork Project to host this major community event. It takes place in and around the Chanctonbury Leisure Centre on Bank Holiday Monday 5th May 2025. It runs from 10:30 to 16:30. Don’t miss the naming ceremony 10:30am to 11:00am which will involve prominent invited guests.

The event is offered for free with plenty of activities on show, interactive stalls and opportunities to engage in talks and conversation. This is a family-friendly event with mellow music and refreshments available all day. Ample public parking will be available at Hormare Field, off Hurston Lane – a short walk from the grounds.

Later in the day enjoy the celebration White Stork & Nature Revival Festival Concert  by the Bernadi Music Group in St Mary’s Parish Church 6.30pm to 9.00pm

We are excited to share this news and hope that many of you can join us on the day. The White Stork is a charismatic bird and an icon for nature revival around Storrington and the Arun Valley. As such it drives nature restoration efforts in the area. The intention is to make this an annual celebration, and build on it year-by-year.

The Festival Guide

Printable Guide

LOADING and PARKING ARRANGEMENTS:
NOTE the Leisure Centre Car Park is reserved for refreshment vans, 2 eco-vans, blue badge vehicles and gym users ONLY on the day. Parking for people with limited mobility must clearly display their blue badge in the windscreen. Stallholders may access for OFF-LOADING ONLY between 7 – 10am. VIPs and Stallholders must display the ‘ticket’ provided in the car windscreen to enable access to the Leisure Centre car park.

PUBLIC CAR PARKING: Public car parking for the Festival will be at the Hormare Field off Hurston Lane accessed from the A283 Pulborough Road.

All access gates to the site will be open from 7am to 6pm.

REFRESHMENTS
We aim to provide a wide range of sustenance throughout the day to suit all tastes and pockets. Please bring your own refillable water bottle.

c. Mid Sussex Super Cream – Sustainable electric ice cream van
d. The Coffee Cycle – Burgers from locally sourced butcher plus traditional hot drinks and cake
e. The Pizza Oven – Pizzas including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free
f. Roots Vegan – Vegan hot dogs and churros
g. Whimsy Brews – Alternative hot drinks
h. Knepp Wild Food – Wilderness meat and vegetarian options
i. Summit Tasty – Gourmet loaded fries
j. Cricket Club – Alcoholic drinks at the Clubhouse
k. Football Club – Alcoholic drinks upstairs in the Bar

ACTIVITIES in and around the LEISURE CENTRE
We aim to provide a wide range of activities throughout the day:

FIXED EXHIBITS (ALL DAY)
• Info Desk First port-o-call in case of any incident or query
• White Storks Manned by the White Stork Project Partnership with LIVE webcam
• Eco Theatre Clive Cobie, Tree Circles 
• Eco Float Carrie Cort, Sussex Green Living 

STORK VILLAGE NAMING CEREMONY (10:30 – 11:30 am)
10:30 – 11:00 Welcome note and inaugural ceremony
• Isabella Tree (Joint owner of the Knepp Estate)
• Mark Cramer (Storrington & Sullington Parish Council Chair)
• Justine Vansynghel (European Stork Villages Network)

11:00 – 11:05 Choir performance of novel stork music composed by Eileen Sephton
11:05 – 11:15 Programme overview for the day and Health & Safety announcement
11:15 – 11:30 Press and photo opportunity

MAGICAL MUSIC (11:30 – 16:00)
These sessions are hosted by Kate Harvey and Emily Longhurst

11:30 – 12:00 Sussex Folk Orchestra (30 mins)
12:10 – 12:40 Anna Richardson (30 mins)
12:50 – 13:10 Steyning Grammar School (20 mins)
13:20 – 13:50 Sussex Folk Orchestra (30 mins)
14:00 – 14:40 Gathering Light Choir (40 mins)
14:50 – 15:00 Dance Hut (10 mins)
15:00 – 15:40 South Downs Folk Singers (40 mins)
15:50 – 16:00 Dance Hut (10 mins)

INDOOR TALKS (11:30 – 16:30)
These sessions are hosted by Jane Mote (am) and Morag Warrack (pm)

11:30 – 12:00 Knepp Rewilding Vision, Charlie Burrell
12:15 – 12:45 Knepp Wildland Foundation, Libby Drew
13:00 – 13:30 Knepp Weald to Waves, Alex Briggs
13:30 – 14:00 LUNCH BREAK (30 minutes)
14:00 – 14:30 Wild Futures (youth action), Ryan Greeves
14:45 – 15:15 Wildlife of the Arun Valley, Matt Phelps
15:30 – 16:00 White Stork Project, Laura Vaughan-Hirsch
16:10 – 16:15 Original poem “Knepp’s Muster of White Storks”, Rosemary Dewan
16:15 – 16:30 Take-home messages, Cllr Mark Cramer

Between the talks: “Soundscapes of Hope” by Sound Artist Hazel Reeves

OUTDOOR MINI-TALKS (11:45 – 16:20)
These sessions are hosted by Emma Beard.

11:45 – 11:50 Welcome Note, Emma Beard (5 mins)
11:50 – 12:30 Bring Back our Birds, Arundel, Doug & Christine Hart (40 mins)
12:40 – 13:00 Dark Skies, South Downs National Park, Elinor Newman (20 mins)
13:10 – 13:30 Song, Science and Connection, Emily Longhurst (20 mins)
13:40 – 14:00 Children’s Forest, Anna Richardson (20 mins)
14:10 – 14:40 National Trust, Lee Walther (30 mins)
14:50 – 15:10 Gardening, Deborah Smith (20 mins)
15:20 – 15:50 Western Sussex Rivers Trust, Aimee Felus (30 mins)
16:00 – 16:20 Walking the South Downs, Steve Hayes (20 mins)

OUTDOOR YOUTH ACTIVITIES (11:30 – 16:30)
These sessions are hosted by Emma Beard, Cheryl Brown and Chloe Chow.

• Nordic weaving
• Clay beasts
• Curiosity table
• Poetry board
• Stork pellet dissection

A range of youth engagement activities are planned and will emerge as the day unfolds.
White Stork Project volunteers will be available all day for interaction and queries.

STALLHOLDERS

The following stalls will be present around the Leisure Centre cricket field:

1. Sussex Folk Orchestra
2.Sussex Folk Orchestra

3.Domed tent for Ceremony and Music STORKS COMPOSITION!

4.Storrington & Sullington PC and Wardens (joint stall)
5.Storrington Community Partnership
6.Chanctonbury Leisure Centre

7.Eco Golf – West Sussex Golf Club
8.Eco Churches, Horsham
9.Storrington St Mary’s Church STORK CAPS
10.Steyning Market – Krishna (Indian cuisine)
11.Steyning Market – La Cena (Spanish ceramics)
12.Steyning Market – Cheesology (UK cheeses)
13.Steyning Market – Bangin Beef (Dried beef)
14.Sullington Manor Farm
15.Timber Harps
16.CPRE – The Countryside Charity Sussex
17.Western Sussex Rivers Trust
18.Glass Art STORKS ART!
19.Priory Art Group STORKS ART!
20.Art cards and swifts/Hirundine rehab STORKS ART!
21.Friends of Storrington School

22.Youth Activities Tent
23.National Trust
24.‘Small Talk’ mini-talks Tent

25.Arundel B-BOB Birds & Bees
26.Arundel B-BOB Jams and Chutneys (profits to WSP)
27.Lilly’s Cottage (recycled palette wood)
28.The Greenhouse, Pulborough
29.Storrington Recycle
30.Storrington Repairs
46.Slake Spirits
47.Spirit of the Downs

31.Recycling Artist STORKS COLLABORATIVE ART!
32.Storrington & District Museum
33.Storrington Camera Club
34.Roots West Sussex and Lost Woods (joint stall)
35.AJS Pyrography STORKS ART!
36.Storrington Rotary (nature books)
37.Unusual Garden Plants (joint stall)

38.St John’s Ambulance with First Aiders

39.Storrington Conservation Soc & SWT Regional Group (joint stall)
40.Knepp Weald to Waves
41.Knepp shop and merchandise

42.Friends of South Downs
43.South Downs National Park
44.Sussex Grazed
45.Greyfriars Dexters

We hope you will fully enjoy the wide variety of activities and entertainment.

SPONSORS:

While you’re waiting for the day of the Festival follow the progress of the white stork chicks on their nest at Knepp.

Live webcam of Knepp White Stork nest

 

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Submitted to the Storrington Community Website using the Event contact form.