Category: Christmas

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That’s a wrap! Christmas Foodbank 2024

Hats off to the Wonderful Wednesday team and the Fabulous Friday Foodbank team who packed and delivered a record number of Christmas Food Parcels this week. Big shout out to our delivery drivers who responded to the SOS for help as well when we needed more hands on deck. It’s sad that so many of our neighbours are in need, but what a joy to be able to help make Christmas a little better in this way. Huge thanks to all involved, and everyone who donated so generously towards the Christmas Foodbank this week. We couldn’t have done it without you! Enormous amount of food and gifts donated, wrapped, packed and delivered with love from the local community to our neighbours who are struggling. Our community is the best! Everyone looks after each other, this is why we love where we live! 💕✨🎄🙏🎁💐💕✨


Ps – Foodbank is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Our amazing volunteers are back in action the week after. If you need a referral you can contact citizens advice, social services, GP, school, other agencies, or any of our local churches and they can refer you to us. The foodbank team packs and delivers parcels on Wednesday and Friday mornings. The deadline for contacting us is 5pm the night before.
If you would like to help us, we need support every week to look after anyone who needs help that week. This need is all year round! How about making a regular donation? Thank you! https://givealittle.co/c/7a47190c-ad4e-4cf9-8662-da844101a41c

Food Parcels Project & Community Fridge
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Carols by Candlelight Sunday 22nd Dec 2024 6:30pm

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

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Thank you Ash Manor School!

Thank you to everyone at Ash Manor school who has given such thoughtful and lovely donations to our foodbank this term.  Your wonderful Student Heads of House and Mr Hicks gave us a warm welcome, and helped us to pack the donated items. We collected everything this morning, and took your gifts to the Chapel ready for the final Christmas Food Parcels on Friday.

With this kindness and generosity, you are helping to make Christmas a lot brighter for local families who need support this year. It makes a huge difference. What a wonderful community we have here, where everyone looks after one another. Thank you for your support! 

Photo by kind permission from the school

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A Christmas Thank You 

The amazing Zumba and Zumba Gold classes run by Shell and Jo locally have all chipped in and donated a huge amount in support of #AshVillagesFoodParcelsProject this week, and we are hugely grateful for this wonderful support. We have been so blessed to receive lovely gifts to hand out, food items for the parcels, Christmas treats, and funds towards the Christmas Foodbank parcels. You are helping us to help local people in very difficult times. It will bless a lot of people’s Christmases! Thank you, from the Food Parcels team, and please know that this is a big help to all our clients in Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham. 

Further support has also gone to the Care and Share Shelf outside St Peter’s in Ash. This is another amazing local food project that provides help to anyone who needs it, no questions asked. 

Have a super Christmas one and all! 

If you would like to know more about Zumba and Zumba Gold classes with Shell and Jo 

Their Facebook link is here: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/15MrR22RsG/?mibextid=wwXIfr 

More about the Ash Villages Food Parcels Project here: https://ash-vale.org.uk/foodparcels-2/ 

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Christmas Foodbank Appeal 2024

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.

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Wet weather plan for St Nicholas today!

Ladies and gents we are invoking the wet weather plan! No walk outside, but come directly to St Mary’s for a party and to meet Santa. (St Mary’s Church, Vale Road GU12 5JE)

1) arrive in the foyer and collect your lantern between 4:30 and 5:30pm

2) walk through the church with your lantern to meet St Nicholas by the Christmas tree

3) Advent crafts will be available to enjoy (snowman biscuits, tree decorating etc)

4) Party time with burgers and hot chocolate in the small hall ☕️✨🍔

Come and join the party! 🌟💕🙏🎅🏻✨#StNicholasLanternWalk#StNicholas#CommunityParty#StMarysAshVale

Meet Saint Nicholas at St Mary’s church, Ash Vale GU12 5JE

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St Nicholas lantern walk and bonfire party – 7th Dec (booking now open!)

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

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Thank you to the Cubs!

The foodbank team would like to say a very big thank you to the local Cub Scouts who visited tonight. They brought some wonderful, thoughtful donations, decorated our Foodbank Christmas tree and came up with some super ideas for a foodbank recipe book.
You are very welcome to pop back to the Chapel for the Christmas Fair on Saturday so you can show your families your handiwork! It was lovely to see you all, come back again soon.


#Foodbank #AshVillagesFoodParcelsProject #CubScouts #1stAshValeCubs

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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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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.