Welcome to Ferring Probus Club by President David Gibbs
Ferring Probus Club Website
Thank you for visiting the Ferring Probus Club’s website. We are a Club whose membership consists of both retired ladies and gentlemen who enjoy regular opportunities to meet and share time together through various activities. Please come and join us at one of our Coffee Mornings where you will find a warm welcome. David Gibbs, President
Ferring Probus Club
Ferring Probus Club, founded in 1982, meets twice a month for members to socialise, enjoy fellowship, make new friends and develop their interests. Members are retired or semi-retired and come from all walks of life. The Club welcomes speakers who give talks on a wide variety of interesting subjects. Members enjoy a wonderful lunch, followed by a talk, at Worthing Indoor Bowls Club every month. Social activities include monthly coffee mornings, afternoon tea outings, playing games (eg Shuffleboard) and entertainment (eg films, Bell Ringers).
Learn more about our Club
If you are interested in learning more about our Club please come to a Coffee Morning or contact:
David Gibbs, President
Email: davidjoy25@gmail.com
Tel: 01903 245660
Our NEW WEBSITE
Ferring Probus Club member Ian Goodall created & maintains this new website
Ferring Probus Club Annual Shuffleboard Afternoon
Shuffleboard afternoon
Shuffleboard afternoon
Shuffleboard afternoon
Towards the end of September the Club arranged for its annual Shuffleboard event hosted by the owner of the English Shuffleboard company from Hove. Shuffleboard existed in England over 500 years ago and is an exciting variant of Shov-Ha’Penny, in fact Henry VIII was very fond of the game.
September 2025
Shuffleboard afternoon
Shuffleboard afternoon
The game is played by sliding discs along a narrow board and knocking them through gaps to score points. Each team has three players and although one team came out on top the scores between each of the 9 teams was very close. A superb buffet tea was laid on and those who attended enjoyed a very enjoyable, fun-filled and sociable afternoon.
Ferring Probus Club talk by Ian Howard
Commonwealth war graves commission
After the September lunch members enjoyed a talk from Ian Howard, who is a volunteer speaker from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). By way of background, Ian explained that after three years in Surrey Infantry and a short stint in engineering, he answered an advert for the Fire service in which he worked for thirty years. His last shout before he retired was the disastrous fire at Clandon Park. Whilst still working, he trained as a Battlefield Tourist Guide as he was a lover of history, and after retirement responded to an advertisement from CWGC for volunteers to speak about their work.
He explained the origin of CWGC was the Imperial War Graves Commission, which was strongly supported by Rudyard Kipling, who lost a son in the first World War but did not know where his body lay. At that time no bodies were repatriated to the UK and there were many thousands of missing soldiers. Years after Kipling's death his son's body was discovered and identified, which is one of the services offered by the Commission. It is still recovering and identifying an average of 36 bodies every year. The Commission helps to remember some 1.7 million servicemen and women, including 1.1 million headstones, all of which are to a standardised design. Originally every headstone was engraved by a stone mason and each one represented a week's work. Now, at the Commission's site in Arras, modern machinery enables gravestones to be engraved in a matter of minutes. He also told of how in the early days Gertrude Jekyll advised on planting schemes for the many sites that the Commission looks after, with plants linked to the nationalities of the persons remembered.
During his talk he showed pictures of some of the sites looked after, including the largest one at Tyne Cot, near Passchendaele, where there are 12,000 buried. It was through the Commission that the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior was created in Westminster Abbey, and he quoted the fact that far more people visited to pay their respects to the unknown soldier when he was buried than did those who paid respect to our late Queen. The sheer scale of operations is perhaps demonstrated by the fact that across all the many sites 98 million square metres of grass is cut each year, the equivalent of 13,578 Wembley stadiums.
Ferring Probus Club talk by Vince Mewett
Arun, worthing & ADUR Home-start group
At the October Coffee Morning Vince Mewett, the Chair of Trustees for Arun, Worthing and Adur Home-Start gave a talk on the work of helping families in the local area for over 20 years. Home-Start UK was founded by Margaret Harrison who believed that supporting a family was best done in the home where it can be shaped to the needs of the family. The world has changed so families are now facing several problems including mental health issues and obesity in children. Being a parent has never been easy as it can be lonely, frustrating, heart breaking and over-whelming. Life changing events can happen to anyone. That is why Home-Start is ready to support families through their toughest times. The expert staff and trained volunteers work alongside families to give non-judgmental, compassionate and confidential support. Services are offered free to all who have a child under 5 years of age. Unfortunately, there is no financial support from the County Council as it is deemed that we are living in an affluent area despite there being deprivation in the area without having to look very far – 27% are deemed to be in poverty after housing costs in this area. Fortunately, the local group has managed to fund raise through grants and support from local organisations and people. Last year 336 children were supported by the AWA Home-start group. There is also a special link with HM Ford Prison where AWAHS help fathers to reconnect with their families after serving time. One of the group’s key objectives is that if it can provide a child with some positive early years experiences then there is the potential for that child to develop a more successful life as they grow up.
NEWS - Ferring Probus Club Presentation
Roger & Greta Lovell
Following their lunch the Ferring Probus Club President spoke about how Roger Lovell had served our Club very efficiently and effectively for many years fulfilling many of the roles that are necessary so that the Club runs smoothly. Covid affected many people and organisations but due to his determination Roger steered the Club through this time, transforming it into the mixed club we enjoy today. The President, on behalf of the members, presented Roger with a gift as a token of the Club’s appreciation. A bouquet of flowers was also given to Greta, Roger’s wife, for her support of Roger and her contribution to the Club.
Our next meeting
Coffee morning, 10am on Tue 4th November at St Andrew's Church Centre, Ferring. Talk by Roy Peachery of Mary's Meals