Category: Parishioner

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News from Ashes Good Neighbours

Ashes Good Neighbours Scheme
As we start 2023 we wanted to let you know how we are progressing with launching the Ashes Good Neighbour Scheme.
The Ashes is a group of local volunteers who will help older residents of Ash and Ash Vale get to their doctor or hospital appointments, or maybe take someone to the hairdressers or to the shops.
Over the last year we have been recruiting volunteers who are happy to be drivers or duty officers, who will take the phone requests for assistance. The number of volunteers is rising steadily, but we will need more volunteers before we are able to launch AGN again. Is this something you might be interested in? You can choose what requests you accept, so the commitment is entirely under your control.
Throughout last year we held regular coffee mornings to allow people to meet and discuss the scheme more.
Our next coffee morning is on Wednesday 8th February 2023 at the Ash Centre, Ash Hill Road, at 10.30am. Please come along and meet other volunteers, find out about the scheme and mention this to anyone who may be interested.
No obligation- just come and say hello. We look forward to seeing you,
The Ashes Good Neighbours Committee

We can be contacted on ashesgn@outlook.com

Mobile 07935 515221 www.theashesgn.wixsite.com/ashes

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What food should I donate for the foodbank? There’s an App for that! 

Did you know? There is a new app out there called “Bank the Food” which helps everyone to know just what to donate to their local food banks to help those in need in the community. 

https://www.bankthefood.org

Our local Food Parcels Project started during Covid and feeds local people every week. Search for Ash Vale in the App and you will see we are on the list for donations. We would be very glad of your support. We are of course grateful for all donations, but if you use the app, the advantage is that  you can see what we need most urgently, 

The last step is getting the donations to us. If you shop in the village you can pop items in the collecting basket at Ash Vale Co-op (tap your membership card while you’re in there and collect point for the community fund  please!). Wherever you shop, you can buy items to donate and drop them off at St Mary’s Church on Vale Road or The Chapel on Wharf Road whenever they are open. We do the rest, packing parcels and making sure they reach our neighbours in need in our local community of Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham. 

Thank you for your support, it makes a huge difference. We would especially like to thank everyone who supported the Christmas food parcels last week. Over 130 local people were brought some Christmas cheer with food, treats, gifts and winter warmers. It makes a big difference to local people. Thank you!

Alex, Carla and all the team. 

PS – if you are struggling to afford enough to eat you can be referred to us by Citizens Advice / Job Centre / local churches / health visitor / social services / Guildford borough wellbeing team. 

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Coats – available this Friday at Community Cafe

** Coats ** if you need a coat please come down to the Community Cafe Warm Hub this Friday at St Mary’s 10:00-13:00 we have had lots donated as part of our ‘winter warmers’ appeal and they are free to whoever needs them. Lots of different sizes, mostly childrens but there are a few adults ones. We also have some blankets available. Tea and coffee available all morning, Soup lunch is served at 12:00 . No need to book just pop in.

#FridayCafe #CommunityCafe #WarmHub #FamilyFriendly #EcoChurch #StopWaste #WinterWarmer

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Community Cafe & Warm Hub Fridays 10:00-13:00

Come on in and get warm! 

Fridays 10:00-13:00

St Mary’s, Vale Rd, Ash Vale GU12 5JE  

Join us for cuppa, biscuits and a chat. 

We have free wifi for anyone needing to

get online and toys, books and 

colouring to entertain the children. 

Free Soup Lunch served at 12:00. 

All free / by donation. 

All welcome.  

SCC is also sending us winter 

essentials for those in need, 

just ask for Alex or Nikki 

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The gift of trees this Christmas 

Please support Amaha We Uganda’s tree planting projects this Christmas. Your gift of trees will reforest mountains, stop landslides and feed families. 

Amaha We Uganda is one of St Mary’s chosen charities again this year and we are so excited to see that another 30,000 trees have been planted this season. You can read all about it on their website www.AmahaWeUganda.org.uk

Gift certificate cards are available for your family and friends. Email alex@amahaweuganda.org for your PDF certificate.

Donations link: https://givealittle.co/campaigns/ba64796b-7c63-4d16-944f-bacf9b8dc098

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St Nicholas Lantern Walk and Bonfire Party Saturday 10th Dec 2022

Join us for a lovely lantern walk starting from The Chapel garden on Wharf Rd and finishing at St Mary’s church garden on Vale Road with a bonfire, hot chocolate, food and the chance to meet St Nicholas (there will be sweets!) Start times are staggered from 4pm – 6pm and we need to know numbers for catering, so please text to book your start time. 07730 609446 we still have a few places, text us asap!  (Free / by donation)

We do recommend that you dress for the cold weather, bring a torch and wear wellies or sturdy shoes. The canal walk is beautiful by lantern light but it can be muddy.

#StNicholasLanternWalk #StNicholasDay #StNicholasLanterns #MeetSaintNicholas #Community #FamilyFriendly #LanternWalk #BonfireParty #FollowTheStar

William is visiting us All the way from Uganda this year. Do please bring some pennies to support Amaha We Ugandas tree projects if you can. This is one of the St Mary’s chosen charities.Thank you! Xx

https://fb.me/e/4J3T5TYxC

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Eco Crafting – Christmas Wreath

By Stephanie Farry

We have so many boxes and parcels arriving at this time of year with all sorts of deliveries – why not reuse them and create some beautiful seasonal decorations?

You will need:

– cardboard packaging

– scrap paper (we used plain white packing paper that came as padding inside a delivery, and scraps of leftover wrapping paper)

– glue

– scissors

– pen or pencil

– tape – recyclable, if possible!

– two short ribbons

– anything you like to decorate – ribbon, holly, glitter, pens, stickers

Step 1: draw your shape on cardboard, with a nice thick border, and cut out. We did a simple circle to make a wreath, but you could make stars, hearts, holly leaves – it’s up to you. Note: if you want to hang your decoration somewhere where the back can be seen, you might like to make two identical shapes, then secure them back-to-back before displaying!

Step 2: cut your paper into strips. Thinner strips work better as they are easier to position, but thicker strips might be quicker!

Step 3: decide which side of your shape is the front and which is the back. Spread glue over the front, then begin carefully wrapping the strips of paper around. Start each new strip at the back, and make sure they overlap to fix down the loose ends and neaten the edges.

Step 4: continue to wrap strips around until the card is fully covered. If you have different types of paper you can create a pattern as you go. We used two layers of white to create a solid look, then added on the other colours. Add more glue as needed.

Step 5: use small pieces of tape to secure any loose ends or edges on the back.

Step 6: tie one piece of ribbon around your shape at the top and secure loose ends at the back, and then tie the other piece of ribbon into the first to create a hanging loop.

Step 7: finish off your decoration with any embellishments you have to hand – we added a miniature bauble and some sparkly tape.

Step 8: hang your decoration and enjoy it all season!  Then when it’s time to tidy away, you can recycle it – just remember to remove any non-recyclable parts, of course!

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What’s On Christmas 2022

You are invited to celebrate Christmas 2022

Advent Evenings—Churches Together in Ash, Ash Vale & Tongham: Gather for reflections on Hope, Peace, Love and Joy with prayer, multimedia, and song. Dec 1st (St Mary’s), 7th (Holy Angels), 13th (St Peter’s), 19th (St Paul’s) 7-8pm followed by refreshments. Come to one or do them all.

26th Nov—Christmas at The Chapel on Wharf Rd: Join us 14:30-17:30 for festive fun, amazing raffle, lucky dip, free card making craft, second hand toys and more. Free admission.

10th Dec—St Nicholas Day Lantern Walk: 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! Text to book your staggered start time: 07730 609446 (free / donations)

11th Dec—Carols by Candlelight 6.30pm: Come and share the joy of singing our favourite Christmas Carols by candlelight at St Mary’s. Let’s rejoice! (free / donations)

24th Dec—Christingle Trail (time slots start from 3pm): Make Christingle, visit the Inn, see the Wise Men, stoke the shepherd’s bonfire, and get a selfie with baby Jesus! Not forgetting Revd Neil’s pizza! Text to book 07730 609446 (Children’s Society donations)

24th Dec—Christmas Communion 11.30pm: Come and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the first communion of Christmas. 11:30pm start.

25th Dec: Sunday Service 10am Join us to celebrate our Lord Jesus’s birth. Children, why not bring along your favourite present to show & tell?

Christmas Donations: This year we are asking for ‘winter warmer’ donations for local food parcels please, and fundraising for Amaha We Uganda tree planting. To donate items for any of our projects contact us, or you can donate online and select a project to support by donation. Thank you! https://givealittle.co/campaigns/e912dae4-3af1-4453-99dc-0330f32faf15


Keeping in touch: Text or call on 07730 609446 / follow on Facebook @StMarysAshVale / come along in person to our Warm Hub on Fridays 10:00-13:00 / email to parishoffice@ash-vale.org.uk / contact Revd Neil on revneil@me.com / Church Blog is here: www.ash-vale.org.uk including The Parishioner Magazine online. Happy Christmas!

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A Christmas Letter from the Vicarage


By Revd. Neil Lambert

I think I might not be alone in looking back and feeling that 2022 has been the fastest passing year yet? We have experienced some dizzying highs— gathering together again after Covid restrictions lifted, celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee both in Ash Vale and in London on The Mall, and the women’s football team’s international victory—just to name a few. In stark contrast to these highs, there have been deep and difficult lows too, with the outbreak of war in the Ukraine, the impacts on all of us of climate change, Her Majesty’s passing, the difficulties we face in coping with the increasing cost of living, political uncertainty, and deep personal losses including some very precious friends within our church community. Certainly 2022 is a year we will not forget.


Whatever life throws at us, Jesus is here for us, and Christmas is a very special time that reminds us that He understands. He came to earth as a vulnerable little child —both fully God and fully human— to join us in our highs and lows, and not just tell us, but personally show us, the way back to a good relationship with God. I pray we can all take a step closer to Him this Christmas, and enjoy the blessings that brings.
As some of you may know, I am following the work of Waldensian church in Italy at the moment—a study project I chose for my Sabbatical—to bring fresh inspiration to my ministry. These churches have much to share with us, especially their expertise in working together with other churches, reaching out to the poor, and having compassion for refugees. I would love to tell you more about it. Why not come along to the St Nicholas Lantern Walk on 10th December or our Christingle event on Christmas Eve and say hello, or have a chat after the Carols by Candlelight over a mince pie. I hope to see you soon! (diary dates are all on the what’s on page)
Wishing you, your families and neighbours every blessing, and a peaceful Christmas.
Neil

St Mary’s Church, Vale Rd, Ash Vale, GU12 5JE


We would like to thank artist Daniel Austin for our beautiful Christingle cover image.

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Warm Hubs launched across Surrey

Press release from SCC

This Winter, Surrey County Council, district, borough town & parish councils have been working together with Surrey’s fantastic faith and community groups to open up a network of Warm Hubs that are there to support residents who will be affected by the cost-of-living and energy crisis.

Many millions of UK residents will be affected by soaring energy bills, and Surrey is no different, with tens of thousands of our neighbours, friends, and families being forced to make difficult decisions on whether to heat their homes or eat three meals a day.

We know that many of our homes are poorly insulated, and this combined with the extreme types of weather we’ve been seeing, as a result of climate change, means this Winter could be even harder.  The combination of adverse weather, poorly heated homes and people unable to keep their heating on poses a real threat to people’s health. 

That’s why a network of Warm Hubs has been set up across Surrey to provide support to residents in these challenging times.  The Warm Hubs are spaces across the county, where people can drop-in, get warm, have a hot drink and be in the company of other people. Very simply a place to get warm. There will also be people on hand to give free energy advice. Helping people with advice to make their homes more energy efficient and ultimately reduce their fuel bills.

There are currently nearly 70 of these warm spaces that have been opened up in a variety of community spaces including community and church halls, libraries, leisure centres and even museums across the county.

For more information on where these Warm Hubs will be visit surreycc.gov.uk/warmhubs

Councillor Marisa Heath Cabinet Member for Environment said “Having been through COVID-19 we saw how communities in Surrey pulled together to support one another, particularly looking out for the most vulnerable amongst us.  And once again through the provision of this network of Warm Hubs, we can see all sectors of the community working together to provide a warm space for those who may be struggling to keep warm this winter.  This provision is open to everyone, it’s a free service that is quite simply a space for people to come and get warm and mix with others from their community. It also provides the opportunity for people to get some free energy advice which can help them to make sure they are using their energy most efficiently and know where to go to for any support that is out there which can help them to make any improvements.”

Warm Hubs helping you to get warm and stay warm. Find your nearest Warm Hub here surreycc.gov.uk/warmhubs #warmhubs #NoOneLeftBehind #staywarm

From The Parishioner Editor: “Did you know? St Mary’s here in Ash Vale is a Warm Hub! Pop in to our Community Café on Fridays from 10am for free hot drinks and a natter, followed by soup lunch 12:00-13:00″ Other local churches are covering different days too. Have a look at the Warm Hubs list! surreycc.gov.uk/warmhubs #warmhubs #NoOneLeftBehind #staywarm #Community #StMarysAshVale