Category: Magazine

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Sensory joy at ChapelKids

Did you know? At Chapel Kids baby and toddler group we have sensory play after lunch. It’s great fun and superb for developing fine motor skills. we have tried a lot of different things from magic sand to playdough and from pasta to funky foam. We aren’t worried about a bit of mess!

This week we tipped out a whole box of cornflakes into the tuff tray, got out the play kitchen utensils and dived in! The children made ‘pasta and meatballs’ ‘porridge’ and ‘soup’ in their pots and our youngest chef enjoyed munching away on handfuls of cereal! It was great fun and even the grownups joined in to stir the pots and ‘taste’ the delicious dishes.

Would you like to join us? #ChapelKids meets on Wednesdays in term time 11am-2pm at The Chapel on Wharf Road GU12 5AY. We start with a cuppa, story and songs, craft before lunch and then sensory play after lunch. You can bring your own picnic or enjoy the beans on toast (or similar). We welcome children ages 0-4years and we don’t mind who brings you! Parents/Carers/ Childminders… as long as you’re up for joining in and having fun. We are a caring community group and everyone pitches in at tidy-up time too.

ChapelKids is free. If you can, we do ask for donations please to help towards our costs, so we can keep the Chapel open, warm, staffed and full of fun for years to come. https://givealittle.co/c/4J0mRHvQiu8Yr6ZBDDtinf Thank you for your support!

Contact our Project Manager: 07730609446 or pop in any Wednesday and say hello!

Last session this term Wed 13th Dec 2023. First session in the New Year is Wed 10th Jan 2024. We have an open planning session on 3rd Jan – all welcome if you’d like to pitch in some ideas!

#ChapelKids #BabyAndToddlerGroup #SensoryPlay #MessyPlay #Creativity #SongTime #LunchClub #Community #FamilyFriendly

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Lovely donations from Ash Vale Rainbows!

We would like to say a lovely big thank you to the wonderful Ash Vale Rainbows at St Mary’s, who have donated some brilliant things for the Food Parcels Project last week! So much thought has gone in to what you have given, it was lovely unpacking them all and popping them on the shelves ready to go out to local families in need.

The Ash Villages Food Parcels Project helps people in need in Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham. The donations you have made will make a big difference to local neighbours who are facing difficult times.

What a wonderful goup, thank you for your support!

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St Nicholas 2nd Dec book today!

The annual St Nicholas Lantern Walk & Bonfire party is on Saturday 2nd Dec 2023 – it’s time to book your places!

Start your adventure at The Chapel garden, on Wharf road (GU12 5AY) and enjoy a walk by the light of your lanterns to St Mary’s on Vale Road (GU12 5JE), where we enjoy the garden, meet St Nicholas, and enjoy a hot chocolate & food by the bonfire.

Start times are staggered, from 4pm-6pm, so that everyone has their moment to say hello to St Nic. Text or WhatsApp to book! 07730609446 (Dress for the weather and bring a torch!)

Free/by donation if you can on the night / or you can donate online here any time. Thank you! https://givealittle.co/c/4xeePyTgOWHmZiKvQqePOb

If you don’t have a lantern we can send you instructions to make one, or you can have one of our paper ones made by volunteers on the night. It’s a lovely experience, and a great way to start Advent, seeing all the lanterns in the dark! See you soon xx 💕⭐️✨

#StNicholasDay2023 #LanternWalk #StNicholasLanternWalk #Community #FamilyFun #AdventAdventures #AshValeChapel #StMarysAshVale

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Chapel Christmas Fair 25th Nov 2-5pm

Please mark your diaries for the Chapel Project Christmas Fair. Join us at The Chapel on Wharf Rd, Ash Vale, GU12 5AY on Saturday 25th Nov 2-5pm

It looks like a wonderfully festive day for the community. Why not visit the Ash Fantasia event in the village from 12, and then come over to us from 2pm for even more festive fun and Christmas bargains! Nearly New, cakes and biscuits, gifts and games, amazing raffle, children’s society stall, hotdogs for tea and a free Christmas craft for the kids. Please pop in and support your local Chapel Project. See you there!

Would you like to join in and volunteer, or donate a raffle prize? Please do get in touch! 07730 609446 Facebook: @AshValeChapel

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Christmas Appeal – Ash Villages Food Parcels Project 2023

Christmas Appeal: The Ash Villages Food Parcels project will be packing and delivering food parcels for (we estimate) 40-50 families in Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham in the week before Christmas, and we like to send gifts for the children and Christmassy treats along with the emergency essentials if we can. Can you help? Anything our wonderful community can donate will be amazing, and add some lovely Christmas cheer to the parcels. We will share out whatever is received from the community between the families on our list on the day.

Need some inspiration? How about donating Christmas puddings, custard, mince pies, treats, crackers, nibbles, stuffing mix, gravy granules, cranberry sauce, sweets, nice toiletries, warm socks, gloves, tangerines, chocolate coins, children’s toys, board games, juice, squash, hot chocolate, pretty napkins… what ever you would you be pleased to receive if you were in need yourself. (We can’t take alcohol sorry!)

Dropping off donations: All items need to reach us at St Mary’s church (GU12 5JE) or at The Chapel (GU12 5AY) by Thursday 14th December please. Contact us if you need to book a time 07730 609446 or you can pop in to donate whenever we are open.

If you prefer to donate cash to help us buy each family the ingredients for a roast dinner, our link is here: https://givealittle.co/c/3ijYS6zC4gbOGqwer2tmdY

Thank you for your support and have a wonderful Christmas!

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Chapel Apple Trees

Did you know? We have a wonderful horticulturalist at The Chapel, and she has inspired us to add some fruit trees to grow food for our community in future years. 

Here are 2 apple trees she planted on Monday. Imagine the toddler group picking their own fruit snack, and the food parcels team sharing out the harvest! Please pray for good roots, strong growth and lots of tasty apples! (And if anyone can spare a bag of manure to boost this community project we would love to receive it!)

We have been busy planting edibles elsewhere in the garden too. #PicnicAndPlay planted nasturtiums – lovely in salad! #Chapelkids have been busy, planting something every week all through the summer term. This week we will be harvesting Sunflower seeds for next year. #ChapelCafe planted herbs like mint, rosemary and thyme. Volunteers have planted fruit bushes too. 

We would like to say a big THANK YOU to the Co-op Community Fund who have been instrumental in supporting the community garden and all the food projects at The Chapel. #ItsWhatWeDo

What do you think we should plant next? Drop us a line in the comments and we will pass on your suggestions to our Project Manager (Facebook: @AshValeChapel) 

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Help with your hearing aids

Did you hear Jackie on Radio Surrey this morning (Sunday 29 Oct) at 7:12? If you’re interested in help with your hearing aids you can get in touch here:

Hear here – the hearing aid clinic. 07774 742143 – it is a dedicated number for the St Mary’s hear here clinic and hall hire.

Hear here clinic email is HearHere.AshVale@ash-vale.org.uk

The clinics run once a month on Fridays. Contact Jackie for more details.

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Knights to the Rescue!

We are delighted to be able to say a great big thank you to the Sovereign Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem (aka The Knights of Malta), who have donated a brand new microwave to The Chapel Project.

After our annnual PAT testing earlier this year, the Chapel microwave had to be retired from service. It had served us well, but needed to be replaced. We were just wondering how to fund a replacement when a friend got in touch to ask whether the Knights could be of any help to our community projects. Imagine our delight when they immediately offered to replace our broken appliance!

The brand new shiny microwave will be a huge blessing to lots of different groups at The Chapel Project. We host Chapel Cafe (& warm welcome hub) on Mondays 9:30-12:30 and Chapel Kids (baby & toddler group) on Wednesdays 11am-2pm, which includes lunch for everyone. Our Musicians and Artists in Residence will be regularly using it and all the one-off workshops and events (for example Picnic and Play in summer and the Light Party in the winter term) will also benefit from its use.

A huge Chapel THANK YOU to everyone at The Sovereign Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem. We really appreciate your wonderful support.

The members of the Sovereign Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem dedicate their time and resources for the benefit of others, irrespective of their race, religion or origin. They fundraise throughout the year, and focus on donating tangible items to assist good causes and organisations in need. More information on the order can be found at: http://shosj.org.uk/ Anyone interested in volunteering to support locally can reach out to Steve Gotting at stevegotting@gmail.com.

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Love and Light Party 31 Oct – text to book today!

It’s October! The annual Love and Light Party will be on 31st October as always. It’s on a Tuesday this year, after school at 4-6pm at The Chapel on Wharf Road GU12 5AY. If you would like to join us you are very welcome! Text or phone or WhatsApp to book your places please asap so we can be sure to cater! 07730 609446

What’s happening? Join us from 4pm onwards for snacks, crafts and games, Martin will start the disco at 4:30pm, and we will have sparklers at 5pm if the weather permits. Hotdogs and s’mores for tea, and a party bag to take home if you book in advance. Book today! 07730 609446.

What does it cost? We don’t exclude anyone based on their finances. We do ask for donations please – give what you can, to help cover the costs of the event. Some people can afford more than others, and every penny counts. Thank you! https://givealittle.co/campaigns/0e5ae7c4-ccad-4f64-806f-0bdda20b8876

Can we dress up? Yes of course! Nothing too scary please, as there will be little ones about. We have some UV lights for the disco so wear something neon if you want to glow up! You do you – come as you are or dress up as whatever you like.

Volunteers are always needed please for setting up / serving drinks and food / prepping party bags / helping out / welcoming / clearing down. Text or phone us if you can help, or speak to Alex when you see her. Thank you!

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Ashes Good Neighbours launched!

It was a delight to attend the Ashes Good Neighbours launch event this week. The team deserve huge congratulations for getting this new project pff the ground, and have been tireless in thier efforts to recruit volunteers, and in setting set up the necessary frameworks such as safeguarding, documantation and procedures to ensure everything is built on firm foundations. The Ashes Good Neighbour Scheme has now launched, and the phone line will be live from Monday 23rd October 2023.

What’s it all about? Ashes Good Neighbours’s objective is to enable volunteers to help older and vulnerable people get out and about to their appointments. The scheme will be offering residents of Ash, Ash Vale, and Ash Green, transport to appointments such as doctors, hospital, and dentist; visit to the library or a club; help with shopping; or simply a friendly chat over a cup of tea.

Interested in volunteering? Volunteering is flexible to suit your lifestyle with no regular commitment required. All volunteers who will have face-to-face contact with clients have undertaken a DBS check. It is not too late to volunteer; the scheme will always be open to new people joining. If you would like to know more, please email office.ashesgn@gmail.com or phone 07935 515221.