roots down walls down
You may have seen in the church notices: Contemplative prayer is starting up again, monthly on Sundays 6.30pm
The next meetings will be Sunday 19 January (this sunday)
Sunday 16 February
Sunday 16 March
🙏 #ContemplativePrayer
All welcome / free / no need to book just come and join us at 6:30pm
Join us to make a Christingle, explore ‘Bethlehem’, have a drink with the Innkeeper, Make s’mores with the shepherds, see baby Jesus, and enjoy Revd Neil’s legendary cooking! Book a start time (we have start times every 10 minutes 3-5pm) and join the fun! 07730609446 text or phone to book.
Free / Donations for the Children’s Society
Dress for the weather and wear your wellies as the garden can get muddy! Nativity costumes optional 🌟#FollowTheStar
St Mary’s Church, Vale Rd, Ash Vale, GU12 5JE. 24th December 2024 3-6pm
Join us this Sunday for a wonderful carol service by candlelight, with choir, musicians, readings, and a chance to sing lots of your favourite carols. 6:30pm start, come early for a good seat! Mulled wine and mince pies served afterwards.
All Welcome.
free / donations appreciated
#CarolsByCandlelight
#CarolService
#Christmas2024
#FollowTheStar
#StMarysAshVale
St Mary’s Ash Vale, Vale Rd, GU12 5JE
Have you seen the notices on the door at church? We have applied for a faculty to replace the boiler. If you have any feedback on this, please have a look at the notice and let us know your thoughts.
If you love our groups, services and facilities at St Mary’s, please consider donating towards our heating improvements! We urgently need to replace the old boiler that heats the church and community hall, as the running costs are excruciatingly high and the carbon footprint needs tackling, a big step on our journey towards Net Zero.
We have had an independent energy assessment to help us improve our energy efficiancy and plan for net zero, and the boiler is by far the most effective immediate improvement we can make to save carbon and keep costs manageable. The old boiler is G rated and a new one would be A rated, saving tonnes of carbon every year! But we will need everyone to chip in please to help make it happen. If we all give a little we will raise a lot! Can you help? Our fundraising target is £10,000. It sounds like a huge amount, but if we all do what we can, God will do the rest. Thank you for your support!
Donations link: https://givealittle.co/c/10lFLVW1n8LpT7M6BDtspK if you prefer to give online, or you can bring donations to church and mark the envelope “boiler fund”.
We really appreciate your support! It is very much needed, and will make a big difference to all who use the building, and the planet as a whole.
Thank you!
It’s nearly time for our lovely team at the #AshVillagesFoodParcelsProject to pack the Christmas parcels and take some festive cheer to local people in need. Your help and support with donations, funds, prayers and sharing this appeal far and wide would be greatly appreciated!
If you would like to donate food, toys or gifts , please bring your donations in by the 15th December. You can come to The Chapel (Wharf rd) on Wednesday or Monday 9am-2:30pm or pop in to St Mary’s (Vale Rd) on Friday or Sunday 10:00-13:00. There is a live list of what’s most needed on the App ‘Bank the Food’ if you need inspiration, or simply bring something Christmassy! We love to be able to give out all the Christmas classics from Turkey and parsnips to mince pies, pudding and custard. We also give our presents of sweets, chocolates, winter warmers, new toys, hot water bottles, socks etc, nice toiletries, … all much needed please!
If you would prefer to give funds towards the food that we buy in (fresh veg, turkey, milk, pasta, fruit, tins etc) you can donate online here: https://givealittle.co/c/3ijYS6zC4gbOGqwer2tmdY
We also need volunteers, for gift wrapping and deliveries 16th-20th. If you are interested please contact us on 07730609446 for more details.
Thank you for supporting us in whatever way you can. It really does make all the difference! Let’s bless our neighbours in need in Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham this Christmas.
PS – if you are based locally and need a foodbank referral please contact your local Citizens Advice, GP, school, local churches, social worker, health visitor and other agencies who can refer you to us. We cover Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham. Referrals must be in by 15th December for Christmas, We are closed 25-27 Dec while our volunteers take a well deserved break.
You are invited! Sat 7th Dec 2024
For the annual St Nicholas Lantern Walk! 🌟🎄🎅🏻✨🏮✨
Join us for a lantern lit walk from The Chapel (wharf rd) to St Mary’s (vale rd), and a bonfire party in the garden with St Nic! Bring your Christmas lanterns to light your way or use one of ours. (Dress for the weather!)
we have 3 time slots this year: 4:30/5:00/5:30 setting off from the Chapel. Text to book so you can be sure of a little gift from St Nicholas! Book your start time by text / WhatsApp on 07730 609446
By donation / give what you can, no set fee. All welcome, come and join the fun!
#StNicholasLanternWalk
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
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
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!
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.