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
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!
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.
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
#PicnicAndPlay takes place again this year at Ash Vale Chapel and we can’t wait to welcome you, for lots of family friendly fun in the sunshine. We have plenty of fun on offer, DJ Martin is doing the disco & games, Revd Neil is planning his legendary pancakes, and we have arts and crafts, games and activities each week from printing to clay, sand and water play, and more in between.
DATES: It’s on the 4 middle Wednesdays in the holidays: 31 July, 7th August, 14th August, 21st August from 11:30am until 3pm (slightly longer this year so it’s easier to work around naps for our littlest customers!)
BOOKING ESSENTIAL text phone or whatsapp to 07730 609446 please so we know you are coming and can cater for the right numbers. (All children must be accompanied by a responsible adult please.)
FOOD: Let us know your choice of sandwich filling for each person when you book (or let us know now if you already booked and we dont have your lunch choice yet). We can offer cheese, ham, vegan humus, cream cheese, jimjam chocolate spread, or jam. Let us know your preference and we will order in accordingly, so there is no waste. Any allergies eg gluten free please let us know before you get here so we can be prepared.
COST: We don’t set a fixed fee, so that all families who want to can join us. We do have a donations link, and we do need donations to help cover our costs, so please if you can bring a cash donation on the day or pop a contiribution on the Give A Little link if possible. The amount you give is up to you, THANK YOU! . https://givealittle.co/c/4BYNqSiaQc0wz1KTSgzKPz
VOLUNTEERS: We are always in need of more helping hands, setting up the gazebos, making the picnics, serving the drinks, leading the crafts, clearing down and cleaning, theres a job for everyone! If you would like to pitch in please get in touch thank you!
Remember to book for Picnic and Play at The Chapel (Wharf Rd, Ash Vale) in the summer holidays and why not bring a friend! #PicnicAndPlay
We need volunteers on Wednesdays this summer to set up / serve food and drinks / run the activities/ clear down. If you can help please see Alex! Thank you xxx
Ash Villages Food Parcels Project& Ash Vale Community Fridge
Newsletter Summer 2024
Introducing…Ash Villages Food Parcels Project:
We are here to help anyone who is struggling in Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham. What started as a crisis project during Covid, has become part of the furniture locally, and we will be here for as long as we are needed.
We rely on grants & generous donations from individuals, businesses, schools and clubs for our store cupboard items, and all our parcels are prepared and delivered by a wonderful team of local volunteers. We also receive fresh food donations from Co-op in Ash & Ash Vale, Tesco, and Bookers, adding short dated items to the menu each week, food that would otherwise have gone to waste.
We have put together this leaflet to pop on your fridge and refer back to when you need us, or pass on to a friend. We hope it’s useful, and feedback is always welcomed.
With our best wishes to all our clients, the lovely volunteer team, our brilliant supporters, and to all of you in our local community. Have a fun and fabulous Summer 2024!
Alex Sanderson BEM (Project Manager)
Revd Neil Lambert (St Mary’s Church Ash Vale)
Cllr Carla Morson (Ash Villages Support Circle)
This is a joint project between the Ash Villages Support Circle (Carla) and St Mary’s Church Ash Vale (Revd Neil) Charity Number 1152717 and we are kindly hosted at The Chapel Project on Wharf Rd GU12 5AY. Project Manager Tel. 07730 609446 Website: https://ash-vale.org.uk/foodparcels-2/ Donations: https://givealittle.co/c/3ijYS6zC4gbOGqwer2tmdY
Know someone who is struggling?
Citizens Advice can help with things like benefits reviews, food bank referrals, advice and emergency loans. They can also refer new clients to us here in Ash Vale for a parcel.
Local Citizens Advice: 08082787888
UK Number: 0800 144 8848
Website: https://casws.org.uk/
Did you know? If you have had a food parcel from the Ash Villages Food Parcels Project before, and need another one, you can phone/text/WhatsApp direct on 07730 609446. You do not need another referral.
Welcome to… The Ash Vale Community Fridge
This simple project opened in June 2023. The fridge is located in the community shed in the Chapel car park on Wharf Rd GU12 5AY. It’s open 24/7 for you to drop off food you don’t need, or take food home that you can use. It’s pot luck, no guarantees, but it’s free, and it is open to everyone. What a great way to reduce food waste!
One big ask – please do make a note in the red folder in the shed when you drop off or pick up food, so we can keep track of how much we save from being wasted and report back to our funders. In June—Dec 2023 we saved over 1000kg! We are grateful to Co-Op and Hubbub for making this project possible.
Did you know? This is a separate project from the food parcels and is for everyone to share food. You do not need a referral for the Community Fridge. Enjoy!
Did you know? We have community groups running almost every day. We would love to welcome you.
MONDAYS Chapel Café (SCC Warm Welcome Venue / HSBMC Warm Space) is on Mondays in term time at The Chapel on Wharf Rd GU12 5AY. We are open 9:30-12:30. includes hot drinks and simple lunch. (free / by donation)
TUESDAYS Little Lambs Library (baby & toddler group) at St Mary’s on Vale Road GU12 5JE. Tuesdays in term time 10:00-11:30 includes drink & biscuit, craft, bouncy castle, story & songs. All welcome. (free / by donation)
WEDNESDAYS: Chapel Kids (baby & toddler group / HSBMC Warm Space) is at The Chapel on Wharf Rd GU12 5AY. Wednesdays in term time 11:00-14:00 includes cuppa and singing, then craft and play. We have lunch together too— bring a picnic or enjoy the beans on toast (or similar) and then play until everyone needs a nap! In the summer we enjoy the Chapel Community Garden. (free / by donation)
FRIDAYS Community Café (SCC Warm Welcome Venue) is on Fridays in term time at St Mary’s on Vale Road. GU12 5JE. We are open 10:00-13:00 includes hot drinks and simple lunch. We also open in the summer holidays on the same weeks as Picnic and Play. (free / by donation)
SUNDAYS Church Services at St Mary’s (with Sunday School) 10:30am start. We also offer refreshments in the large hall after the service. All welcome!
Summer Holidays: PICNIC AND PLAY at The Chapel on Wednesdays in the holidays 11:30am-3pm on 31st July, 7th Aug, 14th Aug, 21st Aug. Free picnic, craft activities, games and outdoor play. Bookings 07730 609446.
St Mary’s Summer Fair: Saturday 7th Sept 12-3pm If you woukd like a stall at this event please get in touch with Martin via the Parish Office parishoffice@ash-vale.org.uk
How you can help the Food Parcels Project
Donating Food: We use the app “Bank the Food” to let you know what we need most urgently. Or you can donate any store cupboard items like tins, pasta, teabags and rice and drop them off at the Ash Vale Co-Op, Ash Manor School, St Mary’s Church or The Chapel. If your school, business, club or church would like to help us with a collection at Harvest we would love to hear from you! Thank you for your support.
Donating your plastic bags:If you have any spare plastic bags, we need them for the food parcels please. You can drop them off at The Chapel in the community shed next time you visit the Community Fridge. Thank you!
Donate Funds: Funds are a big help so we can buy in what is urgently needed (eg specific baby formula, bulk buys of tins etc) You can use our “Give A Little” online giving page here: https://givealittle.co/c/3ijYS6zC4gbOGqwer2tmdY. Or pop a donation in an envelope, and deliver it to The Chapel or St Mary’s and mark the envelope “Foodbank” Thank you for your generous support.
Giving your time: We are always in need of volunteers. These superheroes make the magic happen! We need help with all sorts of tasks – collecting donations, sorting donations, packing parcels, delivering parcels, fundraising, cleaning and tidying, chatting to clients and making cups of tea, Contact Alex to find out more 07730 609446 Thank you for your time and talents!
Did you know? Our Ash Villages Food Parcels Proejct received funding from the The Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund to help us keep the project going in 2023/2024. We are so grateful for this government funding, as it makes all the difference for local families. The funding ended in March and we have just finished writing up our end of grant report, so I thought you might like to see a few of the statistics.
I am so incredibly proud of this amazing volunteer team! In 23 weeks they have fed 1300 people. They have been very busy collecting donations, managing the stock, packing and delivering over 400 parcels. The funding we received stocked up the shelves to make sure we could deliver enough food, basic toiletries, and baby bank items to those in urgent need in our local villages of Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham.
Have a guess how many volunteer hours they have racked up between them? We had 32 different volunteers, who worked a total of 373 shifts, donating a staggering 648 hours of their time between them during these 23 weeks. What a huge thing to do for the community. Thank you all so much!
If you would like me to pass on a message to them for you, please email me projectmanager@Ash-Vale.org.uk and I will be sure to share it in our team chat!
Saturday 25th Nov—Christmas at The Chapel on Wharf Rd: Join us 2pm-5pm for festive fun, amazing cake sale, raffle, free card making craft, second hand toys, clothes and more. Free admission.
Saturday 2nd December St Nicholas Day Lantern Walk (time slots start from 4pm): 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! Text / WhatsApp to book: 07730 609446
Sunday 17th December Carols by Candlelight 6.30pm: Come and share the joy of singing our favourite Christmas Carols by candlelight at this very special service at St Mary’s. Let’s rejoice! (free / donations)
24th Dec—Christingle Journey (time slots start from 3pm): Make Christingle, visit the Inn, see the Wise Men, stoke the shepherd’s bonfire, and get a selfie with baby Jesus! Not forgetting Revd Neil’s amazing pizza! Text to book 07730 609446 (Children’s Society donations welcomed)
24th Dec—Christmas Communion 11.30pm: Come and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the first communion of Christmas.
25th Dec: Christmas Day Service Join us to celebrate our Lord Jesus’s birth. Children welcome, why not bring along your favourite present to show & tell?
Christmas Donations: This year we are asking for donations of Christmas treats & gifts for local food parcels please, and we are fundraising for tree planting in Uganda as well as local refugees. To donate items for any of our projects please contact us, or you can follow this link and select a project to support by donation. Thank you! https://givealittle.co/c/75npOYB3aZl4vFFBN2Ve3p
Keeping in touch: Visit us at Community Cafe on Fridays 10:00-13:00, Sunday services at 10:30am Email parishoffice@ash-vale.org.uk | Facebook @StMarysAshVale | Church Blog is available online here: www.ash-vale.org.uk and includes The Parishioner Magazine. Project Manager Tel.: 07730 609446
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.
