Category: Church blog

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Community Cafe visitors from Holly Lodge

St Mary’s has a Community Cafe on Fridays in term time, 10am-1pm. It’s a lovely coffee morning where everyone in the community is welcome to come for a cuppa, chat to friends old and new, and lunch is served at 12.

Imagine our excitement when we were joined last week by some wonderful young people from Holly Lodge! They were brilliant at helping to host, passing the biscuits around, setting up the marble run for the little ones, and even helped us with our posters for the Macmillan coffee morning that is coming up on 26th September. They were a joy to have visiting us, and everyone really enjoyed the duck song too! What a lovely thing to do for Community Week, you brought a lot of smiles to all our faces!

Thank you for visiting and we hope to see you all again soon.

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Holly Lodge Visitors at Little Lambs Library

Our Baby & Toddler Group “Little Lambs Library” would like to say a very special thank you to our amazing young volunteers from Holly Lodge today, and their teachers too! We had lots of fun, and you were excellent play buddies, helping with the art activity, train set, toys, games, singing and more. We hope you come again soon!

(And we loved the refreshing foot spa after the footprints painting in this very hot weather!)

Little Lambs Library takes place on Tuesdays in Term Time, 10:00-11:30. We start with art, games, play and bouncy castle, and we finish with story, songs and dancing. See you there! (Free / donations welcomed) St Mary’s Church, Vale Rd, Ash Vale, GU12 5JE

#Community #HollyLodge #LittleLambsLibrary #CommunityWeek #ItTakesAVillage

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Picnic and Play in the Holidays

Every Summer our amazing local churches and friends get together to offer our community “Picnic and Play” on Wednesdays in the holidays at The Chapel in Ash Vale GU12 5AY. Mark your diaries please! Dates for 2025 are: Wednesday 30 July, 6th Aug, 13th Aug, 20th Aug 11:30-15:00.

Text / Phone / WhatsApp to book, for a free picnic, a warm welcome, and lots of ways to be creative from sandcastles to clay models, from colouring to chess, from disco dancing to rock painting, and there is plenty of planting and watering to do in the Community Garden too. All are welcome, you don;t have tpo be a church go-er! We welcoem everyone of all faihs and none. Booking is essential please so we can be sure to cater 07730 609446. (Please let us know of any food allergies too)

Can you offer to volunteer? This wonderful annual community summer project only happens thanks to our dedicated volunteers and generous donors. Your help and support is hugely appreciated! There are plenty of jobs to choose from – you can pour the drinks, put up the bunting, bake a cake, come early to make the sandwiches, help put up the gazebos, stay late and tidy up at the end, supervise a craft table, teach a child to play chess, sign people in, fill up the paddling pool, dish out picnics, help serve the pancakes, wash up, sit and be a listening ear to chat to our visitors, run a game, keep an eye on the paddling pool, top up the sand pit, set up the sensory table, …there is a lot to do! Each of these important roles is essential, and if we all do our little bit we will all have a lovely time! If you can help with one of these jobs please get in touch 07730 609446. Thank you for your support.

Donations: We never charge an entrance fee for Picnic and Play, so that money is not a barrier and all can join in. We do ask that if you are able to, please chip in to help cover the costs. We also welcome donations of funds from all our friends and neighbours if you would like to help us keep offering worthwhile project. It makes all the difference so that local people have something fun and free to enjoy in the holidays rather than being stuck at home or hungry or both! Huge thanks to all who donate, we cannot do it without you. https://givealittle.co/c/4BYNqSiaQc0wz1KTSgzKPz Thank you!

Best wishes to all, and we can’t wait to welcome you for some super summer fun!

Bookings are now open! 07730 609446
Wednesdays 11:30-15:00. Dates: 30 July, 6th Aug, 13th Aug, 20th Aug

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Can you spare a bottle for our foodbank tombola? 

Our lovely young Foodbank volunteers are a brilliant team. They come and help take in the foodbank stock on Thursday evenings, sort donations, bag up laundry pods and check the fridges.  This week, they spent some of their foodbank time on these beautiful donations boxes for our foyer at St Mary’s and some more for The Chapel. Let’s encourage them and fill them up! 

We have booked a double stall at the Ash Village Fair on the 28th June. Revd Neil will be doing his legendary pancakes and the Foodbank team are planning a bottle tombola. Can you spare a bottle and pop it in one of the donations boxes please? 

Every item donated will go to help the Ash Villages Food Parcels Project, (https://ash-vale.org.uk/foodparcels-2/ ) either in a food parcel, or on the bottle tombola to raise funds for food and toiletries. Thank you for your support!

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A very big Foodbank thank you to Volker Fitzpatrick and J&J Palmer

Good news! This week, the Ash Villages Food Parcels Team are celebrating a lovely donation of items for the local community. Volker Fitzpatrick who have constructed our shiny new Chester Bridge and J&J Palmer who have done a lot of the ground works, sent us a huge shopping delivery of items to put in the food parcels over the coming weeks. The Foodbank team were delighted to meet Alex from Volker Fitzpatrick and we hope you like our celebration photo!

“This is an amazing donation and will go a long way, feeding lots of local families this month.” Said the foodbank Project Manager. ” We cannot thank you enough. We are always working hard to appeal for donations, and raise money to fill the shelves. Your support today makes all the difference. “

If you would like to support the Ash Villages Food Parcels Project you are always welcome to donate items at Ash Manor School, Co-op in Ash Vale, St Mary’s Church (Vale Rd), or The Chapel (Wharf Rd). You can also donate funds online so that we can buy our most urgently needed items in bulk. (How about becoming a regular giver and sending us £5 a month?) Thank you for your support!

Web: https://ash-vale.org.uk/foodparcels-2/

Donations: https://givealittle.co/c/7a47190c-ad4e-4cf9-8662-da844101a41c

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Hall Hire available at St Mary’s

Good news! We have recently had a few time slots become available for regular hall hirers and one-off parties here at St Mary’s. Please do feel free to store the hall hire number for your use, so that you have our number to hand for any future booking needs.

The Hall Hire Secretary’s new phone number for 2025 is: 07349 344528. This is manned by our amazing volunteer hallhire secretary Jackie. You can alsoreach her by email on Hallhire@ash-vale.org.uk

We look forward to welcoming you!

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Foodbank: 5 years Celebration Invitation

Calling all food parcels volunteers past and present! The team is celebrating 5 years of the ash villages food parcels project! Open house for tea and cake at the chapel on Thursday 24th April 2-6pm, we would love to see you! Drop in any time! RSVP so we can cater, and you’re welcome to bring the kids / partners etc

See you soon! #AshVillagesFoodParcelsProject

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Holy Week at St Mary’s 13th – 20th April 2025

Here’s What’s happening at St Mary’s this week. All Welcome!

Palm Sunday Service 13th April at 10:30am. Following the service, you can receive prayer from the ministry team at the front of the church. Join us after the service for coffee in the Large Hall – everyone is welcome.

Annual Parochial Church Meeting is Sunday Evening on 13th April 2025 at 6pm in Church.

Easter Flowers: If you would like to make a donation for Easter flowers in memory of a loved one please speak to Steph or contact us via the parish office email. parishoffice@ash-vale.org.uk

Maundy Thursday Supper: Thursday 17 April 6pm for a 6.30pm start. Join us for a bring and share supper as we remember the Last Supper. Everyone is welcome, bring a friend.

Friday 18 April Good Friday:
9.45am Walk of Witness. We start our walk at 10.00am from St Mary’s and reach Ash Wharf for an open air service with Churches Together at 10.30am, followed by a cuppa and hot cross buns at the Chapel.

Good Friday Prayer and Meditation: The Church will be open in the afternoon for anyone who would like a quiet time for prayer and meditation.

Easter Saturday 19 April
10.00am Decorating the Church for Easter: All are welcome to come and help with flowers – no experience necessary!  There’s plenty to get involved with and anyone can have a go.  Donations of garden blooms or greenery on the day would also be much appreciated.  Speak to Steph Farry for more information, and to join the Flower Team WhatsApp group.

20.00pm Easter Saturday Vigil: In the Vicarage garden. We will share the story of the resurrection of Jesus. Meeting and sharing around the bonfire.

Easter Sunday 20 April 2025
10.30am Sunday Service – come and celebrate, Jesus Christ our Savour is risen indeed,

Easter Collection: This year the collection from the Easter Service will go to Amaha We Uganda in support of their Tree Project and their work with the Women of Hope.

Alpha course coming soon:
We’re starting a new alpha course after Easter. The first introductory session will be on Monday 28th April meeting in the Small Hall from 7.30pm. Then sessions will generally be weekly from 12th May. They will involve a light meal and should last a couple of hours each evening.
What is Alpha? 
A 10 week course using videos and discussion to find out more about our faith, who Jesus is, what he’s done for us and how we respond. 
If you’re interested have a chat with Jackie on Sundays, call for a chat on 07890 471062, or come along to the introductory session to find out more.

Contemplative Prayer These are the upcoming dates for the contemplative prayer meetings. They will be held Sunday evenings once a month in the Church from 18.30pm to 19.30pm on: April 27, May 18, June 22 and July 20

We wish you every blessing this Easter. All are welcome, whether you are a lifelong Christian or just exploring. See you soon at St Mary’s!

St Mary’s Church, Vale Road, Ash Vale, GU12 5AY

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Easter Sunday 10:30am Service 20th April 2025

Join us to celebrate Easter at St Mary’s. We are having a Sunday 10:30am service, all are welcome whether you are a lifelong Christian or just exploring.

Sundayschool is available for families attending the service. Children can join us for fun Easter activities in the small hall during the service. (Under 3’s must be accompanied please)

We wish you every blessing this Easter as we celebration our salvation in Jesus Christ!

Alleluia! Christ our Saviour is risen indeed!

PS – Would you like to help decorate the Church for Easter Sunday? Come and join us on Saturday Morning and pitch in!