Singleton Fete 2026 – A Wonderful Celebration of Community Spirit

Singleton Fete 2026 was blessed with a lovely hot and sunny afternoon, providing the perfect setting for another memorable village celebration. The fete was opened at 1:00pm sharp by Ann Pollock, who had previously helped organise the event alongside her late husband, Maurice. It was particularly special to welcome Ann to officially open the fete and continue a much-loved Singleton tradition.

Once again, the fete showcased the wonderful community spirit that makes Singleton such a special place. The organising committee of Alex Charman, Pete Williams, Sarah Barnes, Gay Godfrey, Andy & Andrea Clarke, and Barry & Julie Shrimpton worked hard to bring everything together, with plenty of support from local volunteers and helpers.

All the usual favourite stalls were there, including Bric-a-Brac, Jewellery, Books, Plants, Tombola, Raffle, Silent Auction and Vintage. Face painting proved popular with the children, while there was plenty to keep younger visitors entertained throughout the afternoon. Traditional children’s games included the sack race, egg and spoon race and three-legged race, alongside pony rides and a bouncy slide. Also a record 10 commercial stalls were invited to attend, local honey, beautiful crochet animals & homemade Candles, basket weaving, stationery & gifts metal work and wood craft to name but a few as well as charity stalls including the wonderful Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital, West Sussex Rivers Trust and SHADH (Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land)

There was certainly no shortage of refreshments either. Visitors could enjoy the licensed bar, a delicious BBQ and, of course, the ever-popular cream teas – the perfect accompaniment to a summer fete!

The dog show was another great success and attracted plenty of enthusiastic participants and spectators. This year saw the introduction of a new race, the “Dastardly & Muttley Dash”, which caused lots of excitement and laughter. Judges Lizzy Jasper & Spencer Macey had some tough decisions to make. The competition was fierce, but eventually, Best in Show was awarded to a beautiful Jack Russell cross called Coco owned by Kayleigh with second place awarded to a Cocker Spaniel called Rafi owned by Ellie.

This year we raised a lot of money from sponsorship. Local companies along with companies supplying good and services to our area were very generous. This allowed us to pay for things like the Pony Rides, inflatable slide, programmes and more, meaning funds generated on the day went straight to the fete. Our main sponsor was Inert Recycling who regularly have large trucks travelling through our villages. They were keen to acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause and engage with the community.

Most importantly, the fete once again demonstrated what can be achieved when a community comes together. The total funds raised, currently stands at an impressive £8,340. We are still awaiting further, promised sponsorship money, so hopefully the final total will increase even further.

All monies raised this year will be divided equally between Singleton Church and Singleton Village Hall, helping to support two important and much-valued assets of our village community.

A huge thank you must go to all the wonderful stallholders, helpers, volunteers, organisers and everyone who supported the fete in any way. Your hard work, generosity and enthusiasm are what make the event such a success year after year. We simply couldn’t do it without you!

Here’s to another fantastic Singleton Fete – and to the continued community spirit that makes it such a special occasion.

If the goal of the fete is to bring people together, support local initiatives & charities, and create lasting memories, then this year’s Singleton Fete ticked every box. Here’s to 2027!