Category: Parishioner

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Ash Citizens Advice

Our team in Ash is here to help with free impartial advice

“I’m a single parent and lost my job during the pandemic. My local Citizens Advice helped me apply for Universal Credit which has been really helpful to cover some of the income I’ve lost. But I’m very worried about the upcoming £20-a-week cut to Universal Credit – I don’t know how I’ll be able to pay for the school uniforms and shoes, especially as they grow so fast! Is there any other support out there to help plug the gap?“

If you’re on a low income or unemployed, you might be able to get help with some of the costs of sending your child to school, including school meals, transport, and uniform. It’s always worth talking to your local education authority to see what support is available as some of their resources and offerings can differ. The following information is for England:

Free school meals: Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 automatically get free school meals. If you have older children, you can apply for free school meals if you get certain benefits. In your case as you’re on Universal Credit and you applied after 1 April 2018 you would be eligible if you earn less than £7,400 a year without benefits. You can see the full list of eligibility requirements on the https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/education/help-with-school-costs/#h-getting-free-school-meals  To apply for free school meals, you need to contact your local authority, you can check the details at https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals by typing your postcode in.

Transport: If your children are aged between five to 16, your local education authority might offer free or lower cost transport if you don’t live near school or your child’s unable to walk there. You need to apply to your local education authority for help.

Uniforms and other costs: Your local education authority might also be able to help with some other costs, like uniforms, music lessons or trips and activities. There may also be local charitable schemes to help with these costs, it’s worth checking with the school to see if it knows of any. Schools can also sometimes also advise on finding second-hand uniforms.

What’s next: If your child is staying in education after year 11, you must tell HMRC’s Child Benefit Office if you want to continue receiving child benefit and any extra support for children within means-tested benefits. When your child turns 16, HMRC will send you a letter asking whether your child will stay in education or training. You must reply to this letter to keep getting Child Benefit.

If you need help applying for Universal Credit or any other benefit help, please contact Ash Citizens Advice Bureau.  01252 315569  ashcab@cabnet.org.uk

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What’s going on at Ash Manor?

By Sue Wyeth-Price

Ash Green Residents Association (AGRA) was successful in the fight to overturn the officer’s recommendation for 69 more homes in Ash Green this week (8th September).

It has been a long fight for the residents and the AGRA committee, and it is far from over yet.

Ash Manor itself is a 750-year-old Manor House. It was divided into two homes in 1948 but still retains many of the original features, the most impressive being the moat, which surrounds the house on 3 sides.

The house was upgraded to Grade II* in 2017 putting it the top 6% of the country’s historic assets, and the only one of its kind in Guildford Borough.

The two other buildings on the site are the Oast House, now divided into two homes, and Oak Barn. Both of these are Grade II buildings and deserve protection in their own right.

The value of the group is enhanced by their setting. The manor is currently surrounded by fields, with the veteran oak tree which is at least 250 years old and the pond which features on all the old maps of the area and is a haven to wildlife.

Over the last 7 years, AGRA initially fought off a development of 44 houses on the site in 2014. This was then followed by an application by Bewley Homes for 95 houses in 2017 which the officers did not put before the committee in time, so it went to appeal due to non-determination. AGRA were granted permission to become a “Rule 6” party at the appeal. This gives the same legal standing to the Residents’ Association as the council and the developer.

Surprisingly, the developer withdrew the appeal because they had been in negotiation with the council to produce an alternative scheme. We were awarded our costs (only due to the specific circumstances) so we could pay back the residents for the barrister and experts. It was this alternative scheme that was decided this week.

The planning committee approved the application, for 73 houses in December 2019 but AGRA were unhappy with the way information had been presented, through the officer report, to the councillors and applied for a judicial review.

Judicial reviews require a good understanding of the quite complex laws around planning applications, and we were fortunate to be granted pro bono help from the Environmental Law Foundation and Cornerstone Barristers. We were also provided with loan/grants from both Tongham and Ash Parish Councils, which we could afford to pay back when we received the successful judgment, and our costs, of £6,400 in December 2020.

The application had to be re-decided and appeared on the agenda again in both May, and June, when AGRA organised the protest during the councillors’ site visit which you may have seen in the local press and on the BBC. AGRA then submitted written objections on Heritage, Ecology and Drainage Grounds resulting in the application being removed from the agenda, the tree being granted its now protected veteran status, and the number of houses reduced to 69.

When it was included on the agenda this time, with the support of our local ward councillors and some from further afield, we successfully overturned the officers’ recommendation, and the application was refused.

In the meantime, Bewley Homes submitted an identical application, which the officers did not put before the committee, and so that one has not been decided. This gave Bewley Homes the opportunity to apply for an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. The fight goes on and the appeal will be heard in January and last about 3 weeks.

This has been an amazing community effort. The latest appeal has already cost us in the region of £8,000 which has been raised through donations but is not enough to pay for legal assistance this time, so we will have to do it ourselves.  If you would like more information, or to get involved in the campaign please e-mail AGRA@AshGreen.Org or you can help with the funding through  https://www.gofundme.com/ and searching for Ash Manor.

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St Mary’s Church & Parishioner Magazine Details Oct/Nov 2021

St Mary’s Church, Ash Vale

Roots down – into the Gospel, Walls down – into the community

Sunday Morning 10:30am Services: In the Vicarage Garden when the weather permits, else in church, and on Zoom. 10:30am every Sunday. (Note the new start time from October 2021) You are welcome to Zoom in to the Sunday Morning service; simply email the Parish Administrator to receive the link, or find it on Facebook @StMarysAshVale. At church, please maintain social distance for safety.  (Please stay at home and use Zoom if you have COVID-19 symptoms).  In church masks are recommended to protect one another, but are no longer legally required.

We look forward to welcoming you. 

Evensong Wednesdays 8pm

You can Zoom in to Evensong on Wednesday nights or join us in the car park. Email the Parish Administrator to join our mailing list and receive the link. Keep in touch as arrangements are always evolving!

Monthly Messy Church:

 31st Oct Love & Light event

6th Dec St Nic Lantern Walk.

Text to book your place: 07730 609446

Vicar: Revd. Neil Lambert, 203 Vale Road, Ash Vale, Surrey, GU12 5JE

revneil@me.com

Parish Administrator: Jackie Scott parishoffice@ash-vale.org.uk

Office Hours Tues 11am-4pm, Thurs 10am-3pm

Parish Office Mobile: 9am-5pm 07863 311165

Hon. Treasurer: Patrick Brown

Churchwardens: Martin Lindsay and Nikki Glover

St Mary’s Community Centre:

· Large hall & kitchen               

· Small hall & sink / coffee making  area

· Wheelchair accessible toilet

Bookings: Please contact the Parish Administrator for news. We are following latest Government and CofE guidance.

Ash Vale Chapel, Wharf Rd

(Joint project with Hants Surrey Border Methodist Circuit) www.ashvalechapel.com

Project Manager: Alex Sanderson 07730 609446

Parishioner Magazine Team

Editors: Alex Sanderson & Neil Lambert (Alex: 07730 609446)

Advertising: Eileen Monds

Collation: Alison Shewell  

Distribution: Caroline Johnson

Contact the Parishioner team: parishioner@ash-vale.org.uk

We are printing limited copies of this edition, please pick up your copy at St Mary’s if you would like one.

We are hugely grateful to a small army of willing volunteers who contribute, collate, publish, email, print, bundle and deliver The Parishioner to all our readers!

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A Letter from the Vicarage

By Revd. Neil Lambert

The British have a long relationship with the Nepali people.  Over 200 years ago, the British East India Company was at war with Nepal, fighting battles in the Himalayas that eventually led to a mutual respect.  Both sides decided they would be better as friends than enemies and subsequently Gurkha regiments began to be established within the army—we’ve been friends ever since.

And now—praise God—we are not just friends but neighbours!  

Continue reading “A Letter from the Vicarage”
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What’s Inside? Parishioner Aug/Sept 2021

A letter from the Vicarage  — (p3&4) By Revd Neil Lambert                 

**Summer Ball 21st August, book your tickets today! (p5) **

Neighbourly Reflections — (p8&9) By Jackie Scott

Friday Night Isonation — (p10) By Steve Worsfold

Faith, Hope and Love in Uganda Lockdown  (p11) Amaha We Uganda Update

My Favourite Recipe — (p14&15) Walnut Kisses by Jackie Scott

Chapel Music News — (p15) Matt Weeks enjoying the diversity at The Chapel

What’s on? – (p17) pull out and pop on the fridge!

Messy Church dates for the diary — (p19)

Bible Study—Where do we belong? — (p20&21) by Helen Lambert

Mirror Mind—Poetry Competition Winners! – (p22&23)

Ash Citizens Advice  – (p24)

Chapel Filmshare  – (p25) Dick Elsey invites you for a movie

Post Holiday Kitchen Blues  –  (p26 & 27)

Kids corner—(p28) Lucy suggests 10 things for kids to try in the summer holidays

Modern Aids—(p29) Scrivener

Help is at hand—useful numbers (p30)

Picnic & Play news (inside back cover)

Community café is on this Summer at St Mary’s on Fridays 10:30-12:00. No need to book just pop in. Tea, coffee, chat, come and say hello 🙂

We welcome fun, informative and local interest items!

The copy deadline for the Oct/Nov 2021 issue is 10th September.

Emails please to:  parishioner@ash-vale.org.uk  Thank you!

While the COVID infections rates remain high, we are minimising the risk to our readers and volunteers by printing only on request, and by sharing The Parishioner far and wide via email, website and social media instead. Please remember to like & share online! If you or someone you know would like a paper copy please pick one up at St Mary’s or contact 07730 609446  to request one. Best wishes & stay safe!

The Parishioner seeks to explore and reflect upon a wide variety of local issues whilst recognising
that not everyone will agree with the views expressed.  These do not necessarily reflect the views of all the members of St Mary’s Church nor those of its Parochial Church Council.

Treasure Hunt – how many ice creams can you find in this edition?

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Help is at hand! – Useful numbers

Here are some of the useful numbers you may need if you need support in Ash Vale. If you think we are missing a number please let us know.

Local Churches:

St Mary’s, Ash Vale – 07863 311165 (Parish Administrator’s Mobile)

The Chapel, Ash Vale –  07730 609446 (Project Manager’s Mobile)

St Peter’s, Ash – 01252 331161

Holy Angels, Ash – 01252 321422

St Paul’s, Tongham – 01252 782790

Local help and support during the Covid-19 crisis:

Ash, Ash Vale & Ash Green Coronavirus Support group (volunteers doing shopping & prescription runs & emergency  food parcels)  – 07843 489796

Ash Parish Council – 01252 328 287

Ash Citizens Advice  –  01252 315569 or 01252 314711

Ash Vale Health Centre – 01252 317551 (Out of hours phone 111, in an emergency dial 999)

Guildford Borough Council Covid-19 Community Helpline – 01483 444400

Community Wellbeing Team – 07769 642053 / 07901 513652

Safe & Settled Team  – 01483 444476 for those needing help at home on arriving back from hospital or needing some help to manage at home.

If you need to talk to someone : national helplines

Samaritans (24/7 service) – 116 123 or text SHOUT 85258

National Domestic Abuse Helpline – 0808 2000 247    www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/ (run by Refuge)
The Men’s Advice Line, for male domestic abuse survivors – 0808 801 0327
The Mix, free information/support for under 25s in the UK – 0808 808 4994
National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline – 0800 999 5428

PAPYRUS—Young suicide prevention society,  0800 068 4141

Childline for children 0800 1111

Alcoholics Anonymous — 0800 917 7650 (24/7)

Narcotics Anonymous — 0300 999 1212

Cruse Bereavement Care — 0808 808 1677

Contacting The Parishioner:

Call Alex 07730 609446 in the first instance and she will put you in touch with the right volunteer parishioner@ash-vale.org.uk

Donations: Did you know? You can now ’give a little’ online to support St Mary’s Church and all the work we do. We very much need and appreciate your support in these difficult times. https://givealittle.co/campaigns/e912dae4-3af1-4453-99dc-0330f32faf15 Thank you!

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Picnic & Play in the Holidays

Picnic & Play in the Holidays

12:00 -14:00

Wednesdays in August

Outside in the garden at

The Chapel, Wharf Rd, GU12 5AY

Come and join us for a picnic, a chat  and a play in the Chapel garden.

Please text Alex to book 07730 609446

Booking is essential so we can manage numbers

& cater for your picnic lunch.

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Modern Aids

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from a seed & plant supply company.  Its headline read that they had a stock of heritage seed packs available including one of the first (if not the first) climbing French Bean.  The variety of this bean – The Lazy Housewife.  The derogatory name derives from the fact that this variety of bean does not require de-stringing like runner beans: just topped & tailed and cut into short lengths before cooking, thus saving much labour in the kitchen!

This got me thinking about our attitudes to change in an ever changing world.  So often a really more efficient way of achieving a target arrives but it may take years for the new way to catch on.  Sometimes the new way is either mocked (rather like The Lazy Housewife above), or completely underestimated like the possible demands for television sets (people will soon get tired of watching a plywood box) and most famously in the fallaciously attributed statement that in 1943 Thomas Watson (the President of IBM) declared that he thought there was a world market “for maybe five computers” and “5,000 copying machines” –it was someone else!

My father bought my mother the first refrigerator in the street, it was noisy but it kept the milk and other perishable foodstuffs fresh for much longer than the larder, at the same time he purchased a washing machine to replace the copper that had to be removed so that the refrigerator could be fitted into the kitchen (it was a VERY small galley kitchen).  So at a stroke my mother could reduce the weekly number of times she needed to shop and reduce washday to a mere morning’s labour.  The gainsayers all said “We don’t need such things, why would we waste money on electrical appliances to block up the kitchen when we can go to the shop every day (except ½day Wednesday, ½day Saturday and whole day Sunday) for perishables, and send the washing to the laundry?”.  The latter point had a slight ring of truth but with two irascible sons and an engineer for a husband the stuff needing to go off to the laundry from our household alone would have filled the laundry truck.

These days few people would not have a refrigerator, a washing machine, a television or a computer and only a few pedants would have inkwells, quill pens, typewriters or a box of single use Nightingale Gramophone Needles.  There seems to be a tipping point with good new ideas, either they are “quickly” accepted and become the new normal or they fall away into history, sometimes to be found and resurrected eons later.  Leonardo’s “helicopter” drawing is a case in point.

So what will future generations think about the machinations of pro & anti vaxxers and pro & anti maskers when the main concern has to be getting “things” safe for the world population?

Scrivener

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Kids Corner—things to do in the holidays

By Lucy Sanderson (age 9)

Here are some ideas for what people can do in the Summer holidays! I hope you enjoy them.

1) Go on a bug hunt—how many creatures can you find?

2) Go hiking, near here there are some lovely walks  on the ranges and along the canal.

3) Make your own ice lollies! I like to use orange juice or orange squash. If you don’t have lolly moulds you can use an old yoghurt pot and a teaspoon!

4) Bake a cake (tip for vegans, you can use a basic shop cake mix and a can of fizzy orange to make a yummy chocolate orange cake!)

5) Camp outside! Borrow a tent or pin a big sheet over the trampoline, add a duvet and you’re ready to sleep out. Don’t forget the midnight feast!

6) Rock paper splash! This is a variation on the game ‘rock paper scissors’ but the loser each round gets splashed with water.

7) Make your own spray paint for outdoor art. Mix (washable) paint and water in an old cleaning spray bottle (make sure you clean it out thoroughly first!) then spray on to a wall, or and old sheet to create your artwork (check with grownups for permission before you paint!)

8) Create your own beach! If you have a sandpit you can dig a hole and add a big bowl of water to dip your toes in. Ahhhhhhh lovely.

9) Junk Modelling—make your own toy! Recycle old clothes into teddy bears, or cereal packets into robots, anything goes!

10) Den building—in the summer heat, shade is the key to happiness! Get a sheet or blanket and pin, peg or drape it wherever there is space, and create your own den. How about making a big one if you have brothers and sisters?

Have great fun with this list.

Lucy

I love ice cream! How many can you fins in this magazine?

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Post-holiday kitchen blues

By Jane Cox

You know how it is: you stagger in from a glorious holiday having been reunited with family at last. After 7 hours on the road on a journey which should have taken 4, you are hungry, desperate for a cup of tea and weighed down by a pile of washing that threatens to erupt from the suitcase. All you want is to collapse under the duvet and sort it all out tomorrow.

This year we got back to a kitchen that was a building site – the only functioning things were the kettle and the cooker – no sink, no hob, no fridge, no washing machine (eeek!!!) and the contents of the kitchen stacked up in boxes in the dining-room. Could I find where I had put things??? Of course not. Why is it some people can remember exactly where they put things (my husband – unless it’s his comb) and others can’t (me)?

Meals take so long when you have to hunt for things. You end up eating your breakfast (if you can find it) out of an old yoghurt pot. For many days I was washing up in the bath – not recommended for those with dodgy backs. There are various aggravations: not being able to access the room in which I spend a lot of my day; the need to clamber round ladders, paint pots, dust sheets and all manner of building paraphernalia every time the dog needs a piddle. I could not ask for a nicer builder, but his constant presence from the cheerful ‘hello’ at an hour of the morning when I am not presentable, to the afternoon’s equally cheerful, ‘see you tomorrow’ is wearing. Sometimes I just need space to think, swear, sing, talk to myself, overdose on chocolate without being observed.

We thought it was an excellent idea when our builder suggested he started the long-overdue work on our kitchen while we were away – and it was sensible advice. Never having had a new kitchen before, we had just naively expected less chaos and more progress when we got back.  The disruption has continued for weeks, and I’ve got teeth-grindingly, self-pityingly stressed – while feeling pretty guilty about it. I know I am really lucky to be having a new kitchen at all – but I still get stressed. The kindness of friends offering help, people turning up at the door with meals and offering me the use of their washing machine, has been amazing and I am so grateful….but still stressed!

Then in our church service we heard from brothers and sisters in Uganda. The country has gone back into Covid lockdown with catastrophic consequences. People who live from hand to mouth unable to work and support their families are going hungry. Widows, street children, who have nothing, and no one to care for them, are in danger of starvation. Their situation is truly desperate. And this is happening now, today, when I am moaning about washing up in the bath.

That put things in perspective for me. I am utterly ashamed. How dare I complain when they, quite literally, face the prospect of losing their lives? For all the temporary stress, I have so much. I may not have a properly functioning kitchen, but I am not going hungry. So, I am determined to turn my back on grumbling; to lower my expectations of what I can do, while there is disruption at home, so as not to add to my stress; to be exceedingly grateful for the huge amount I have – not least the kind friends who care and share with me — and a beautiful new kitchen to look forward to…even if it is taking a while.