Category: Food Parcels

News and information from our community Food Parcels project.

Posted on

Christmas 2025 you’re invited!

Christmas Invitation 2025


Saturday 29th Nov—Christmas Chill-out 14:30-16:30 at The Chapel (Wharf Rd) Join us for festive fun, cake sale, hotdogs, raffle, free kids craft, hot chocolate and more.

Saturday 6th December St Nicholas Day Lantern Walk. Set off from The Chapel (wharf Rd) at 16:45pm, for an atmospheric lantern walk to St Mary’s on Vale Rd, visit St Nicholas at St Mary’s from 17:00 and enjoy the food, friendship and fun. Text to book: 07730 609446


Sunday 14th 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, (Vale rd) followed by mulled wine (alcohol free available) and a mince pie.


Wednesday 17th Dec Carol Singing at Ash Vale Station Come and bless our commuters with carols! 18:15-19:15


Saturday 20th December Christingle Journey Event (time slots every 10 minutes from 16:00-18:00) Make a Christingle, visit the Innkeeper for a drink, see the Wise Men, follow the star, enjoy the bonfire with the shepherds, and see baby Jesus. Not forgetting Revd Neil’s amazing food! A Christmas adventure at St Mary’s (Vale rd) 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. Let’s rejoice!


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 and toys for the Foodbank please, also fundraising to support vulnerable communities in Uganda, and donations to bring some Christmas cheer to local Asylum Seekers & Refugees. To donate for any of our projects you can follow the link to see the projects donations list, donate in church, bring items in when we are open, or
contact us on 07730 609446.
Donations link: https://givealittle.co/c/61UABfqeCHjdTftgDlrsnD Thank you!


Have a blessed and peaceful Christmas

Posted on

Christmas Chill Out at The Chapel 29 Nov 2025

Christmas Chill-out at At The Chapel
Saturday 29th Nov 2:30-4:30pm
The Chapel, Wharf Rd, GU12 5AY

Pop in and join us for Christmas Craft Activities, Hot Chocolate bar, Christmas Bakes, and some fundraising fun for The Chapel and Foodbank. Try your luck with the Golden Bucket, guess the weight of the Christmas Food Hamper, have a go at Christmas Card Stamping and Make a Lantern for the St Nicholas event on 6th December. Hotdogs for tea, before you go to see Santa switch the lights on in the village. Why not visit Ash Fantasia too, before you come to us? Don’t miss it, come and support The Chapel!
https://www.ashvalechapel.com Facebook @AshValeChapel

Posted on

Christmas Foodbank and Toys Appeal 2025

Christmas Food Parcels 2025 – Can you help?

Our local Food Bank for Ash, Ash Vale, Tongham and Ash Green is appealing for Christmas Hamper items, toys and winter warmers for local families this Christmas. #AshVillagesFoodParcelsProject

Not everyone will be in a position to help this year, but if you can, we will be very thankful. Donations can be dropped off on or before Sunday 14th December at St Mary’s Church Vale Rd on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays 10:00-12:00 or at The Chapel on Wharf Rd on Mondays and Wednesdays 9:00-1400, or other times by arrangement (please contact 07730609446) THANK YOU!

Ideas for things to donate? Hot water bottles, warm socks, blankets, new or good as new childrens toys (no cuddly toys please), sweets and treats, cranberry sauce, mince pies, biscuits, Christmas cake, crackers, Christmas pudding, custard, chocolates, seasonal fruit and veg, gravy granules, christmas activity books, board games, festive toiletries… think about what makes your Christmas special – let’s share some of that Christmas joy! Thank you for your support.

If you prefer to donate funds towards Christmas Food, this is hugely welcomed towards Christmas meat and veg. https://givealittle.co/c/3ijYS6zC4gbOGqwer2tmdY 

^Donations Link. Thank you for your support for local people in need this Christmas.

The Ash Villages Food Parcels Project is a joint project between the Ash Villages Support Circle and St Mary’s Church in Ash Vale, hosted at The Chapel Project, Ash Vale. 

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


Thank you for sharing Christmas joy with local families in need. 

Posted on

Please Vote for us today!

Please vote for St Mary’s:

https://www.bridges.co.uk/bridges-big-christmas-give-away/vote-now/ 

Bridges are giving away funding to local charities, but we need your votes please! This will be a huge help with keeping all our projects going (We co-manage the local Food Parcels Project, Community Cafe, Chapel Cafe, 2 Toddler Groups and lots of community events at St Mary’s and The Chapel). Please everyone vote for St Mary’s, as we co-fund / co-run the Chapel Project as well, so a vote for St Mary’s is a vote for The Chapel Project too.

Thank you for your support!

Please vote today!

St Marys Church Ash Vale

Charity Number 1152717

Address is St Mary’s Church, Vale Road, Ash Vale, GU12 5JE.

Thank you for your support!

#CommunityAction #Bridges #PleaseVoteNow #ItTakesAVillage #Community #LoveWhereWeLive #AshVale

And big thanks to Bridges, what a wonderful Christmas Give Away!

https://www.bridges.co.uk/bridges-big-christmas-give-away/vote-now/ 

https://www.bridges.co.uk/bridges-big-christmas-give-away/vote-now

Posted on

Christmas Foodbank 2025… Can you help?

The local Food Parcels Project for Ash, Ash Vale, Tongham and Ash Green is appealing for Christmas Hamper items, toys and winter warmers for local families this Christmas.

Not everyone will be in a position to help this year, but if you can, we will be very thankful. Donations can be dropped off on or before Sunday 14th December at St Mary’s Church Vale Rd on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays 9:30-12:30 or at The Chapel Wharf Rd on Wednesdays 9:00-14:00 or at other times by arrangement (please text 07730609446) THANK YOU!

Ideas for things to donate? Hot water bottles, warm socks, fluffy scarves, childrens toys, sweets and treats, cranberry sauce, mince pies, festive biscuits, Christmas cake, crackers, Christmas pudding, custard, evaporated milk, stuffing mix, gravy granules,  chocolates, seasonal fruit and veg, tinned ham, christmas activity books, board games, crisps, festive toiletries… think about what makes your Christmas special – let’s share some of that Christmas joy!

The need is greater than ever this year, and we are likely to need parcels for over 100 families. We need your support please, to be able to help them all, and bring some wonderful festive cheer to every family in need.

If you like, you can download the ‘Bank the food’ App which lists suggestions and shows what items are most urgently needed. It’s a great way to keep in touch. You will find us listed as the Ash Villages Food Parcels Project.

Thank you everyone for your amazing help to make this happen. We can’t do it without you!

Thank you for your support, and may you be wonderfully blessed this Christmas.

More about the project on the foodbank blog here: https://ash-vale.org.uk/foodparcels-2/

Download the ‘bank the food’ app here:

https://www.bankthefood.com

Project Manager: 07730609446 projectmanager@ash-vale.org.uk

Posted on

Thank you Normandy Village School

Did somebody say Harvest? Look at this wonderful display! Congratulations to all involved at Normandy Village School with your Harvest decorations and foodbank collection. What a beautiful array of art work and brilliant donations for the local food parcels proect.

The Ash Villages Food Parcels Project would like to say a HUGE HARVEST THANK YOU to all the staff, students, parents and carers at Normandy Village School for this fantastic assembly of boxes, packets, jars and tins which will all go to local families in need in the local villages.

Your choice of items shows great care and thoughtfulness, as well as huge generosity. We received your gifts today and will be sending them out to families next week in their food parcels, to put food on their tables and smiles on their faces. Thank you from our team and from all the families whom this will feed.

Happy Harvest!

More about the school here on their website: https://www.normandyvillageschool.org

More about the foodbank here: https://ash-vale.org.uk/foodparcels-2/

#Harvest #Foodbank #HarvestDonations

Posted on

HARVEST THANKS

A huge HARVEST THANK YOU to all at St Mary’s Ash Vale, for the wonderful foodbank donations from the Harvest Festival on Sunday.

We collected your gifts on Tuesday and they went out in the food parcels today, with some items left for the parcels on Friday. The Wednesday team fed 22 families with your generous donations today, some large families, some single people in need, food for 61 people in total. And more parcels will go out on Friday to other families too.

Thank you for your support! #AshVillagesFoodParcelsProject


Our web page has more info here:
https://ash-vale.org.uk/foodparcels-2/

Posted on

Harvest Gifts from Northcamp Methodist Church

What a blessing this morning! The Ash Villages Food Parcels Team were delighted to receive Harvest donations today from Northcamp Methodist church. A lovely array of items, from tins to produce, and all just right for the food parcels that will be going out on Wednesday and Friday this week to local people in need.

Revd Anne personally delivered the donations to The Chapel, our wonderful local ecumenical project, jointly run by St Mary’s Church Ash Vale and the BlackwaterValley Methodist Circuit. The Chapel kindly hosts the Foodbank all year round, and allows us the space for our shelves, fridges and packing parcels. It is a huge blessing to people in urgent need locally in the villages of Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham.

A big harvest THANK YOU to Northcamp Methodist Church, your support is hugely appreciated! https://www.northcampmethodist.co.uk/welcome.htm

Image – Foodbank Team, and Monday Chapel Cafe members, receiving donations for the foodbank from Northcamp Methodist Church, special delivery by Revd Anne.

If you would like to read all about the foodbank… here is our page: https://ash-vale.org.uk/foodparcels-2/ We have been running for over 5 years now, and what started as the local covid support group now runs as a full-blown foodbank in partnership with Ash Villages Support Circle. There are lots of stories on our page, and details of how you can donate, or ask for a referral.

The Chapel Project is here to share Christ’s love with people of all faiths and none through Hospitality, Creativity and Worship. We are home to Monday Chapel Cafe (warm Welcome space), NWCLF church on Sundays, ChapelKids on Wednesdays, as well as the Foodbank mentioned above, also Musicians in Residence Matt and Dan Weeks, Artists in Residence Debi and Jono Retallick, plus seasonal events Picnic and Play, Light Party, Christmas Fair, and of course hall users from the local community. If you want to know more about The Chapel Project please contact Revd Neil Lambert, Revd Anne Day or our Project Manager Alex: projectmanager@ash-vale.org.uk or visit http://www.ashvalechapel.com

Posted on

Harvest Festival time – come and join in! (And support the foodbank too!)

Harvest Festival is a wonderful service where we give thanks to God for all our blessings, the wonderful world He created, and the amazing crops harvested at this time of year. Please join us on Sunday 28th September 10:30am and see what it’s all about! All are welcome, whether you’re a regular or a first time church go-er!

One of the things we do to celebrate and give thanks, is to bring donations of food and produce. This year we are once again donating to the Ash Villages Food Parcels Project (local foodbank for Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham), which we run in partnership with the Ash Villages Support Circle and the Chapel Project. Whether you come to our service or not, you can donate for this wonderful cause! We have a box for donations in the foyer, or you can bring donations to the service, or donate funds online using our Give a Little link. https://givealittle.co/c/3ijYS6zC4gbOGqwer2tmdY

What food to donate? Anything in a tin is great, and can be used in the food parcels right away. We use 30-50 tins a week each of things like tomatoes, baked beans, sweetcorn, lentils, tuna, hotdogs, meatballs, chicken curry, soup, rice pudding, fruit, custard, carrots, peas etc. We can also use anything else that has a long shelf life so pasta, rice, cereal, tea, coffee, UHT milk, pasta sauce, even crisps and sweets as a special harvest treat will be appreciated by families. Fresh produce – fruit and veg – is great too, and will go out in the very next round of food parcels (we send parcels out on Wednesdays and Fridays every week.) Or perhaps you might like to put together some “meal packs” pasta and sauce, curry and rice, tinned fruit and custard, noodles and sauce, hotdogs and baked beans  – What’s your go-to storecupboard meal? Local families will really appreciate the thought that goes in to these.

What is most needed? If you would like to see the “live list” of what we most urgently need, we are also on the App called “Bank the Food” and we update this every couple of weeks to let our supporters know what we are most short of. https://www.bankthefood.com/  If you download the app, we should be easy to find (Ash Villages Food Parcels Project).

Before you go! We are decorating the church for Harvest Festival on Saturday 27th September. Would you like to donate flowers and produce for the display? Steph and the team would love to welcome you to come and help make the church look beautiful for Harvest Festival.

And finally – don’t forget Macmillan! Our coffee morning is this Friday 26th Sept 2025 10am-1pm, all welcome! Pop in for a quick cuppa and cake, buy Sue’s delicious array of jams and treats to take away, have a flutter on the raffle, or why not stay all morning and catch up with friends old and new over a slice of cake or stay for a cheese toastie or soup lunch.

See you there!

Thank you for your support.

Posted on

A big Summer Fair Thank You!

Did you come to our Summer Fair on the 6th September? It was great wasnt it! We hope you had as much fun as we did. Thank you to Martin who organised everything, and to all of you who donated, helped, and came to support us on the day. We loved catching up with our lovely communtiy over refreshments, food, stalls and games.

We are delighted to share that the fundraising was a success too! Over £650 was raised overall, with £160 going to the foodbank (Ash Villages Food Parcels Project), and the rest is going towards the cost of our new boiler at St Mary’s, a vital project so we can keep the church and halls open for the whole community every day of the week.

We were also happy to have a Childrens Society stall and a Macmillan stall, and the funds raised on those will go directly to those charities. What a super day, and every penny raised will make a big difference.

Thank you everyone for your support and see you again soon!

PS – As at 10th September we still need to raise another £1,200 to cover the boiler replacement costs. If anyone has not yet donated and would like to do so, or if you can spare a little extra, here is the link for the boiler project. thank you so much!

https://givealittle.co/c/10lFLVW1n8LpT7M6BDtspK