Author: The Parishioner

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Transforming Young Lives: Join MCR Pathways as a Volunteer Mentor

(by Liz G from MCR Pathways)

MCR Pathways, an award-winning charity dedicated to transforming the lives of young people through mentorship, is looking for volunteer mentors to support a young person throughout their education.

The charity addresses the widening gap in educational and employment outcomes between care-experienced young people and their peers. Research shows that those who do not receive MCR Pathways mentorship are 23% less likely to progress to college, university, or employment compared to their mentored peers. By connecting young people with caring mentors, MCR Pathways helps bridge the gap between aspiration and achievement.

Mentors meet with their mentees for just one hour each week in school. This consistent interaction provides a valuable opportunity for young people to focus on their future, discuss any concerns, and share their thoughts and experiences in a safe and supportive environment. Research shows that even one hour a week with a caring adult can significantly boost a young person’s confidence, improve academic performance, and open doors to a brighter future.

Since its founding in 2007, MCR Pathways has made a significant impact, launching its programme in Surrey in 2021 and establishing partnerships with seven schools across the county. With the growing demand for mentors, MCR Pathways is actively seeking new volunteers in Banstead, Epsom, and Tadworth. If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact in your community, find a school near you by visiting mcrpathways.org/school-locator.

To find out more about the programme and to register, head to mcrpathways.org/whats-stopping-you or for any enquiries about becoming a mentor, please reach out to Liz Grace, MCR Pathways’ Surrey Volunteer Recruitment Manager, at liz.grace@mcrpathways.org or call 07483 390702. Together, we can help create a future where every young person has the opportunity to thrive. Join MCR Pathways today and be the change in a young person’s life!

Where to find us online:

mcrpathways.org

https://www.facebook.com/mcrpathways

https://www.instagram.com/mcrpathways

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Christmas events 2024

Christmas Invitation from St Mary’s 2024 You’re invited!

Saturday 30th Nov—Christmas at The Chapel (Wharf Rd) 14:00-16:30 Join us for festive fun, cake sale, hotdogs, raffle, free kids craft, toys, tombola, books, and more.

Saturday 7th December St Nicholas Day Lantern Walk (time slots 16:30 / 17:00 / 17:30): An atmospheric lantern walk from The Chapel on Wharf Rd to St Mary’s on Vale Rd, finishing with a bonfire party, hot chocolate and sweets from St Nicholas! Booking essential to see St Nic: Text / Phone / WhatsApp to book: 07730 609446

Wednesday 18th Dec Carols at the Train Station 18:15-19:15 Join the Ash Vale Village Singers, Ash Vale Station Gardeners, and St Mary’s Choir for a mince pie and a sing!

Sunday 22nd December Carols by Candlelight 18.30: Come and share the joy of singing our favourite Christmas Carols by candlelight at this very special service at St Mary’s, followed by mulled wine / cuppa and a mince pie. Let’s rejoice together.

Christmas Eve 24th Dec Christingle Journey (time slots from 3pm): Make a Christingle, visit the Innkeeper for a drink, see the Wise Men, stoke the shepherd’s bonfire, and see baby Jesus! Not forgetting Revd Neil’s amazing food! A Christmas adventure in aid of the Children’s Society. Text to book 07730 609446

Christmas Eve 24th Dec Midnight Mass 23:30 Come and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the first communion of Christmas.

Christmas Day 25th Dec: Christmas Service 10:30 Join us to celebrate our Lord Jesus’ birth. Children welcome, bring along your favourite gift to show & tell!

Christmas Generosity: This year we are asking for donations of Christmas treats & gifts for local food bank parcels please, we are also fundraising to support vulnerable women in Uganda, and collecting funds to bring some Christmas cheer to local refugees. To donate items for any of our projects you can bring things in when we are open, or contact us to make arrangements. To donate funds you can follow our donations link and select a project to support by donation, or pop in any time to donate. Thank you for your support! (Project Manager contact number: 07730 609446)
Have a blessed and peaceful Christmas!
Donations link https://givealittle.co/c/75npOYB3aZl4vFFBN2Ve3p

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Remembrance Sunday 2024

As this weekend is Remembrance Sunday, the Church service at St Mary’s will start an hour earlier at 9.30am and will be followed by the Civic service in the village. The Parade leaves the Ash Centre 10:40 am and walks up the hill to the War Memorial at the top of Ash Hill Road. Churches together organise a service, which includes a two-minute silence at 11 am. Tea and coffee served in the Ash Centre afterwards. #Remembrance

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Donations Links

Happy half term everyone! We hope you have enjoyed all our groups, events and services this half term. Here’s the donations link if you would like to chip in! Thank you for helping us to keep the doors open so we can serve our community. 💕  https://givealittle.co/c/75npOYB3aZl4vFFBN2Ve3p

You can also donate at our events and services if you prefer not to give online.

Thank you for your support!

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Local Event – The Longest Yarn at Aldershot Garrison Church

“The Longest Yarn” is coming to Aldershot!

This is an 80m 3D depiction of that fateful day – 6 June 1944, in wool art.  With 80 displays (each measuring 1 metre in length, depicting scenes of the world’s largest amphibious invasion is something quite unique and not to be missed.

The Longest Yarn will be on display at the Royal Garrison Church of All Saints from 1-18 November (closed 6 November).  Parking (for blue badge holders) will be available Duke of Wellington statue, Claycart Road, Aldershot GU11 1SQ and Bourley Road, Aldershot, GU11 1PT.

Opening times:

0900-1600  Weekdays.

0900-1700  Weekends. 

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Love and Light Party 31st Oct 4-6pm

Have you booked your places yet for the Love And Light Party? Join us on the 31st October 4-6pm at The Chapel on Wharf Road GU12 5AY for disco, s’mores, crafts, games and family fun. We have hotdogs for tea, let us know if you need a veggie or gf option.

All are welcome. It’s free / by donation, just give what you can to help us cover the costs. There is no set fee for this community event.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL please so we can cater, and we need to have your children on the list if you would like a party bag. Phone / text / WhatsApp us on 07730 609446 to book.

Donations: You can donate on the night or go online here: https://givealittle.co/c/R5R3fF0IKl6rOtQcb4y4U

Can we dress up? Yes of course! Wear something neon or white to glow up under the disco lights, come in costume if you like, but not too scary please as we do have little ones joining the party. Come and join us over at the Chapel to celebrate love and light!

Safety first – all children must be supervised by their accompanying adult at all times please. There will be sparklers at 5 pm weather permitting, make sure you wear gloves!

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Christmas Foodbank Parcels 2024

Would you like to support the Ash Villages Food Parcels Project this Christmas? We are appealing for Christmas essentials ( veggies, potatoes, chickens or trukeys, gravy granules), Christmas treats (biscuits, mince pies, puddings, custard, crisps, crackers, sweets, etc), winter warmers for the adults (hot water bottles, gloves, hats, socks, blankets etc),  and new toys & games for the children (art materials, new toys, family games etc). Anything you are able to give will be gratefully received on or before Sunday 15th December.

We really appreciate your generosity, as it really does make a huge difference to the local people we support. If you like, why not make it into an advent calendar? Put one item per day in a box during Advent and bring the box once it is full? Contact the Project Manager or drop your donations off at The Chapel on Wednesdays 9am-2.30pm in term time when she is in. We do need all Christmas items by Sunday 15th December please to be in time for the parcels to go out.

We really appreciate funds donations too, as this enabls us to fill any gaps and buy things to finish off each parcel. Your funds will buy meat or veggies or whatever we are missing once all the donations have been counted on the 15th December. This is the donations link: https://givealittle.co/c/3ijYS6zC4gbOGqwer2tmdY

Whatever you decide to do this year, whether you donate some items, send funds, or give us your prayer support, we do thank you as it all makes a difference.

If you are a local business, scout group, team, group of friends, school, book club etc and would like to sponsor a specific item (e.g. 60 puddings or 60 tubs of chocolates, 60 tins of custard…. we would love to hear from you! We would be happy to put a sticker “merry christmas from xyz” if you would like to sponsor a specific item in each parcel.

Thank you for your support!

With lots of love and our best wishes from the Ash Villages Food Parcels Team.

Do you need to make a referral? If you are an agency and wish to add a household to our parcels list this Christmas please contact the Project Team on 07730 609446. We take referrals from local churches, citizens advice, local schools, social services, Homestart, health visitors, and similar agencies. We cover Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham. The cut-off for Christmas Referrals is Sunday 15th December.

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Vivace Chorus – A West End Extravaganza! – 16 November 2024 at G Live, Guildford.

From the magical world of Harry Potter to the Guys and Dolls of Broadway, Vivace Chorus and the award-winning Friary Brass Band are treating you to a West End Extravaganza! Featuring songs from some of the West End’s longest-running and best-loved shows, including Mamma Mia, We Will Rock You and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, this is a playlist of everything you love about top-quality musical theatre. Toe-tapping, funny, tear-jerking, exhilarating – it’s a show that’s guaranteed to delight and excite! See vivacechorus.org for more information, tickets from £20.

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Harvest Letter from the Foodbank Team

Ash Villages Food Parcels Project & Ash Vale Community Fridge

Did you know we have our own local foodbank based at the Chapel? The Ash Villages Food Parcels Project is here to help anyone who is struggling in Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham. What originally started during Covid as a crisis project has become part of the furniture locally, and we will be here for as long as we are needed. Volunteers pack parcels twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays, and occasionally emergency ones too.

We rely on grants & generous donations for our store cupboard items, and all our parcels are prepared and delivered by a wonderful team of local volunteers. We also receive food donations from Co-op in Ash & Ash Vale, Tesco and Bookers that add fresh items to the menu each week that would otherwise have gone to waste. Could you spare some time to collect donations from the supermarkets, or clean the fridges, or pack and deliver some parcels, or help us with fundraising? Please speak to us we would love to hear from you! Project team number: 07730 609446.

Know someone who is struggling? Citizens Advice can help with all sorts of things like benefits reviews, food bank referrals, advice and emergency loans. They can also refer new clients to us for a parcel. Citizens Advice: 08082787888  Website: https://casws.org.uk/  If you know someone who needs a food parcel we can also do a church referral from St Mary’s to the project. Text or phone the project team 07730 609446.

Your Harvest donations are amazing! They have been taken to the Chapel for sorting, and will be sent out in the food parcels in the next 2 weeks. We support over 100 families in the local area, and usually provide 15-25 parcels each week depending who needs us. The numbers are growing as the population locally grows, and winter is always busier due to people struggling to heat the home and feed the family on low incomes. At Christmas last year we delivered over 50 parcels with Christmas food, winter warmer items (eg gloves and hot water bottles) and toys for the children. In the last couple of years, we have also added “baby bank” items to the project list, including nappies and wipes for struggling families. Your donations are much needed and hugely appreciated. Thank you for your support!

With our best wishes to all our clients, the lovely volunteer team, and to all of you in our local community. Have a wonderful Harvest season 2024.

Wishing you every blessing,

Alex, Neil and Carla  

Alex Sanderson BEM (Project Manager) 07730 609446

Revd Neil Lambert (St Mary’s Church Ash Vale)

Cllr Carla Morson (Ash Villages Support Circle)

This is a joint project between the Ash Villages Support Circle (Carla Morson) and St Mary’s Church Ash Vale (Revd Neil Lambert) Charity Number 1152717 and we are kindly hosted at The Chapel Project on Wharf Rd GU12 5AY. foodparcels@ash-vale.org.uk Web: https://ash-vale.org.uk/foodparcels-2/ You can also find us on the App called “Bank the Food”

Photos: Parcels in progress, Food bank ‘wednesday team’ celebrating a recent grant from Co-op, some of your amazing Harvest donations 2024 at St Mary’s.

Introducing… Ash Vale Community Fridge This separate, very simple project opened in June 2023. The fridge is located in the community shed in the Chapel car park on Wharf Rd GU12 5AY. It’s open 24/7 for you to drop off food you don’t need, or take food home that you can use. It’s pot luck, no guarantees, but it’s free, and it is open to everyone. What a great way to reduce food waste!  One big ask – please do make a note in the red folder in the shed when you drop off or pick up food, so we can keep track of how much we save from being wasted and report back to our funders. In June—Dec 2023 we saved over 1000kg from landfill! We are grateful to Co-Op and Hubbub for making this project possible. This is a separate project from the food parcels and you do not need a referral to use the Community Fridge, just help yourself! Enjoy.