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

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

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/ 

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

Transforming Young Lives: Join MCR Pathways as a Volunteer Mentor

(by Liz G from MCR Pathways)

MCR Pathways, an award-winning charity dedicated to transforming the lives of young people through mentorship, is looking for volunteer mentors to support a young person throughout their education.

The charity addresses the widening gap in educational and employment outcomes between care-experienced young people and their peers. Research shows that those who do not receive MCR Pathways mentorship are 23% less likely to progress to college, university, or employment compared to their mentored peers. By connecting young people with caring mentors, MCR Pathways helps bridge the gap between aspiration and achievement.

Mentors meet with their mentees for just one hour each week in school. This consistent interaction provides a valuable opportunity for young people to focus on their future, discuss any concerns, and share their thoughts and experiences in a safe and supportive environment. Research shows that even one hour a week with a caring adult can significantly boost a young person’s confidence, improve academic performance, and open doors to a brighter future.

Since its founding in 2007, MCR Pathways has made a significant impact, launching its programme in Surrey in 2021 and establishing partnerships with seven schools across the county. With the growing demand for mentors, MCR Pathways is actively seeking new volunteers in Banstead, Epsom, and Tadworth. If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact in your community, find a school near you by visiting mcrpathways.org/school-locator.

To find out more about the programme and to register, head to mcrpathways.org/whats-stopping-you or for any enquiries about becoming a mentor, please reach out to Liz Grace, MCR Pathways’ Surrey Volunteer Recruitment Manager, at liz.grace@mcrpathways.org or call 07483 390702. Together, we can help create a future where every young person has the opportunity to thrive. Join MCR Pathways today and be the change in a young person’s life!

Where to find us online:

mcrpathways.org

https://www.facebook.com/mcrpathways

https://www.instagram.com/mcrpathways

Donations Links

Happy half term everyone! We hope you have enjoyed all our groups, events and services this half term. Here’s the donations link if you would like to chip in! Thank you for helping us to keep the doors open so we can serve our community. 💕  https://givealittle.co/c/75npOYB3aZl4vFFBN2Ve3p

You can also donate at our events and services if you prefer not to give online.

Thank you for your support!

Love and Light Party 31st Oct 4-6pm

Have you booked your places yet for the Love And Light Party? Join us on the 31st October 4-6pm at The Chapel on Wharf Road GU12 5AY for disco, s’mores, crafts, games and family fun. We have hotdogs for tea, let us know if you need a veggie or gf option.

All are welcome. It’s free / by donation, just give what you can to help us cover the costs. There is no set fee for this community event.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL please so we can cater, and we need to have your children on the list if you would like a party bag. Phone / text / WhatsApp us on 07730 609446 to book.

Donations: You can donate on the night or go online here: https://givealittle.co/c/R5R3fF0IKl6rOtQcb4y4U

Can we dress up? Yes of course! Wear something neon or white to glow up under the disco lights, come in costume if you like, but not too scary please as we do have little ones joining the party. Come and join us over at the Chapel to celebrate love and light!

Safety first – all children must be supervised by their accompanying adult at all times please. There will be sparklers at 5 pm weather permitting, make sure you wear gloves!

Harvest Letter from the Foodbank Team

Ash Villages Food Parcels Project & Ash Vale Community Fridge

Did you know we have our own local foodbank based at the Chapel? The Ash Villages Food Parcels Project is here to help anyone who is struggling in Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham. What originally started during Covid as a crisis project has become part of the furniture locally, and we will be here for as long as we are needed. Volunteers pack parcels twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays, and occasionally emergency ones too.

We rely on grants & generous donations for our store cupboard items, and all our parcels are prepared and delivered by a wonderful team of local volunteers. We also receive food donations from Co-op in Ash & Ash Vale, Tesco and Bookers that add fresh items to the menu each week that would otherwise have gone to waste. Could you spare some time to collect donations from the supermarkets, or clean the fridges, or pack and deliver some parcels, or help us with fundraising? Please speak to us we would love to hear from you! Project team number: 07730 609446.

Know someone who is struggling? Citizens Advice can help with all sorts of things like benefits reviews, food bank referrals, advice and emergency loans. They can also refer new clients to us for a parcel. Citizens Advice: 08082787888  Website: https://casws.org.uk/  If you know someone who needs a food parcel we can also do a church referral from St Mary’s to the project. Text or phone the project team 07730 609446.

Your Harvest donations are amazing! They have been taken to the Chapel for sorting, and will be sent out in the food parcels in the next 2 weeks. We support over 100 families in the local area, and usually provide 15-25 parcels each week depending who needs us. The numbers are growing as the population locally grows, and winter is always busier due to people struggling to heat the home and feed the family on low incomes. At Christmas last year we delivered over 50 parcels with Christmas food, winter warmer items (eg gloves and hot water bottles) and toys for the children. In the last couple of years, we have also added “baby bank” items to the project list, including nappies and wipes for struggling families. Your donations are much needed and hugely appreciated. Thank you for your support!

With our best wishes to all our clients, the lovely volunteer team, and to all of you in our local community. Have a wonderful Harvest season 2024.

Wishing you every blessing,

Alex, Neil and Carla  

Alex Sanderson BEM (Project Manager) 07730 609446

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 Morson) and St Mary’s Church Ash Vale (Revd Neil Lambert) Charity Number 1152717 and we are kindly hosted at The Chapel Project on Wharf Rd GU12 5AY. foodparcels@ash-vale.org.uk Web: https://ash-vale.org.uk/foodparcels-2/ You can also find us on the App called “Bank the Food

Photos: Parcels in progress, Food bank ‘wednesday team’ celebrating a recent grant from Co-op, some of your amazing Harvest donations 2024 at St Mary’s.

Introducing… Ash Vale Community Fridge This separate, very 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 from landfill! We are grateful to Co-Op and Hubbub for making this project possible. This is a separate project from the food parcels and you do not need a referral to use the Community Fridge, just help yourself! Enjoy.

Harvest Appeal for our local Foodbank

Please support your local foodbank this harvest! We help people in crisis in Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham. Donations can be brought to St Mary’s for the harvest festival service this Sunday 6th Oct at 10:30am, or leave your gifts in our foyer whenever we are open. (Or contact us to arrange another time) THANK YOU!

If you prefer to donate funds please follow the link below for more detail. Event better, how about making a regular monthly gift to support this local lifeline?

The Ash Villages Food Parcels Project is a joint project by St Mary’s Church, Ash Vale (Registered Charity 1152717) and the Ash Villages Support Circle, and we are hosted at The Chapel in Ash Vale. #AshVillagesFoodArcelsProject Project contact number is 07730 609446. Web: https://ash-vale.org.uk/foodparcels-2/