Village Life

Assembly Rooms

In the heart of Constable Country, this stylish, elegant and historic building has recently been completely refurbished to provide a unique venue for meetings, weddings, gatherings, and events of many kinds.  Use the web link below for more information about the facilities offered, the history and refurbishment and tells you how to contact the Assembly Rooms for more information.

  

Dedham Arts Society.

Dedham Arts Society was formed in 1967 by a few local artists who enjoyed painting for pleasure. It comprises around 40 members with a wide range of artistic styles. 

Meetings and Art Workshops

Throughout the year, we meet regularly to get together and paint, host workshops and demonstrations as well as organise sessions with visiting professional artist/tutors. We meet every two weeks on a Thursday afternoon at The Assembly Rooms in Dedham from 2.00-4.30pm and in summer we endeavour to paint outside at interesting locations.     

Dedham Baby & Toddler Group.

The Dedham Parent and Toddler Group usuually hold weekly sessions on a Tuesday, 10:00am to 12:00pm, during term time in the Sports Pavilion on Duchy Field.  The group is open to all ages up to Pre-School age.  We have a variety of toys for the children to choose from, including books, puzzles, baby toys, ride ons and offer a craft/activity each week.  We are a small friendly parent run group and enjoy meeting for a weekly chat and support.  The cost is £2.50 per session, a snack and a drink are also provided.  Please come along and check us out.

Dedham Films.

Our aim is to give you a special cinema experience where you can meet friends, have a glass of wine or beer and then sit back and enjoy great films on the big screen in your own village.  Oh yes, and enjoy delicious ice cream during the interval.  Films are screened in Dedham Assembly Rooms on the third Wednesday of every month and entry is only £5.00.  There’s no membership fee – Tickets will  be available in-person on the door or at St Helena Hospice Shop in the High St. Dedham or online by clicking on the Ticketsource icon on our ticket page of the website, or take a chance there will be tickets left and pay on the night at the door.  We have our own state-of-the-art equipment offering big screen cinema quality pictures and great sound.  Come and see wonderful films, new and old, from anywhere in the world.  Films you wanted to see but missed and films you didn’t know were out there.  If you love cinema you’ll love Dedham Films! 

Dedham Films is a member of the British Federation of Film Societies. 

Dedham Horticultural Society.

DHS holds speakers’ evenings in the Assembly Rooms, Dedham High Street, at 7.30 pm on the first Wednesday of the month, except for January and the summer months. Evening meetings are friendly and comprise a varied programme of talks and presentations about a variety of horticultural topics and are a good way to meet other people interested in all aspects of gardening and related subjects. Recent DHS speakers’ evenings have covered: Creating my Garden from a Field, History and Development of the National Garden Scheme, and Care and Pruning of Fruit Trees. The subject of planned forthcoming speakers’ evenings include: Willow Weaving of Garden Structures, Propagation and Flower Arranging for Shows.

The Society organises one or more outings per year to gardens of interest, on a non-profit basis for members, with a small supplement for non-members. These are always extremely interesting and a good day out. In June we visited East Ruston Old Vicarage. When arranged, details for 2020 will be provided on our website.

Additionally, the Society presents a Spring and Autumn Show for all ages in the Assembly Rooms where you can exhibit (free of charge) your own produce, flowers, cookery or photographs to compete for various trophies, held for one year on loan, by each Class winner until the next year. Or you can just come along and see the wonderful show and enjoy a cup of tea.

The Society’s annual sub­scription is only £10 and entitles you to free entry to the seven speakers’ evenings, including tea, coffee and biscuits; non-members are always welcome at a small fee of £2 each session.

In May there is the ever-popular Plant Sale in front of Dedham Church where members’ donated surplus perennials, shrubs, annuals and vegetable plants are on sale at very reasonable prices; many a bargain is to be found! The money raised is used to fund the activities of the Society, help keep membership fees to a minimum and to subsidise outings.

Similarly a fund-raising Coffee Morning is held in June, where members and friends can get together and enjoy a lovely local garden belonging to one of our members.

The current officers of the society are: Chairman - Colin Biggins,  Hon. Secretary - Elizabeth Ellis and Hon. Treasurer -  Betty Cox.

Dedham Therapy Farm

At Dedham Therapy Farm we offer Animal Facilitated Therapy combined with Occupational Therapy to clients of all ages in the community.  It is well known that animals, nature and activity have a therapeutic value to humans which enables us to be restored to better health and wellbeing by interacting with them on a regular basis.  We provide a variety of activities on the farm such as animal care, land management, woodwork, conservation, gardening, work experience and much more. We have a diverse client group covering mental health including adolescents, Autism, learning difficulties, people with depression. We also provide training placements for Occupational Therapy Students and young people on Alternative Education.   For further information please contact Gill De'ath on 01206 322070 or 07984 320347.    

Further, we are always on the lookout for volunteers to help on the farm, so if you can spare a couple of hours a week and would be willing to lend a hand feeding the animals or general maintenance or helping with the paperwork, please ring Gill (number above) or Cath Hine on 07825 952560

Dedham Watercolour Group

Dedham Watercolour Group meets every Monday morning at the Duchy Barn from 10.30 am onwards.  All ages and levels of experience welcome, especially beginners! A charge of £2 is made for each session on a 'pay as you go' basis - coffee/tea and biscuits are provided.  For further details contact Avril Biggins on 01206 322565

Dedham Youth Club

The Dedham Youth Club is devoted to the young people of Dedham who either live in the village or have attended Dedham Primary School. Children are generally invited to becomes members once they have completed their SATs in Year 6 and are welcome to continue their annual membership throughout their high school years. The Youth Club strives to create  a safe environment where the young people can meet up and enjoy themselves freely as young adults under the supervision of our dedicated Youth Worker. Activities are often organised, with occasional theatre trips. Sweets and Drink are available to purchase.  The Youth Club meets on Friday nights from 7:30pm at the Duchy Barn.  Entry fee applies.

Duchy Barn

Weekly events

Mondays  10.30am - 1.30pm   The Watercolour Group    £2 per session including tutoring and refreshment. All monies go to the Duchy Barn fund.  Anyone is welcome to join the group and in the summer visitors to the village join us for a look at the barn and sometimes refreshments. 

Tuesdays 10.30-12noon  Coffee Morning – just turn up! 

Wednesdays 2.00-5.00pm  Bridge in Dedham Duplicate Bridge Club. No partner needed. Contact Judith on 322938 for more details 

Thursday 10.30-12noon  Coffee Morning – just turn up! 

Thursday 7.00pm-10.00pm  Bridge in Dedham  Duplicate Bridge Club. No partner needed. Contact Judith on 322938 for more details 

Friday 7.30-9.15pm  Youth Club – open to young people from the village
 
The Barn is also available for private hire: £15 per session for local groups; £40 for parties –  contact Anne Rowledge  322394

Last Updated - 23/10/2024.

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