Were you part of the local fundraising events in 2024? If you joined in with the Ash Village Fair, Ash Fantasia and more, we want to say a big thank you! As Ash Parish Council’s chosen charity for 2024 we have just received an amazing donation, which will help feed local people in crisis for 5-6 weeks, a huge help this winter.
The Ash Villages Food Parcels Project is a joint project between St Mary’s Church Ash Vale and the Ash Villages Support Circle led by Cllr Carla Morson*. We have been running the project together for 5 years, first as a covid crisis response and more recently it has evolved into our very own local foodbank for Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham. Last year our amazing team of volunteers sourced, sorted, packed and delivered food for 1040 parcels, feeding 3331 people and also ran the Community Fridge which feeds many more people locally.
The team are celebrating this wonderful donation, have a look at the photos! Our charity cheque was kindly presented by Cllr Fiona White, Cllr John Tonks and Ali Watmore the Ash Parish Council Clerk. Thank you Ash Parish Council and thank you to the whole community who have made this donation possible. It will mean that we can support many struggling families in 2025.
Best wishes and thanks
Alex, Revd Neil and Carla
Cllr Carla and team fundraising at the Ash Village FairSome of our Foodbank Heroes in 2024Cheque Presentation from Cllr John, Cllr Fiona and AliFoodbank team celebrating the wonderful donation from Ash Parish Council
Note – if you are struggling and need help with a food parcel you can be referred to us via citizens advice, social services, DWP, local churches, schools and other agencies. We cover Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham. https://ash-vale.org.uk/foodparcels-2/
* note – Carla of course declared a non pecuniary interest (she does not receive any money from the project, but is one of the founders and leaders), and did not vote when we were selected as charity of the year 2024.
Please can we ask everyone to vote for St Mary’s with a blue token in the local Tesco each time you shop? Our “Fruit for Kids” project will enable us to put more healthy fruit in the foodbank parcels and also give out fruit at our toddler groups Little Lambs Library and Chapel Kids.
Please ask everyone you know to vote in-store with their blue token by Monday 31st March 2025. Every blue token helps. The more tokens we get, the more funding we stand to receive from Tesco for this simple but important project. Vote for us today!
Did you know? The Co-op offers members the chance to win £500 for themselves and £5,000 for their chosen local cause in their ‘Winners Share It All’ monthly prize draw.
A wonderful local hero right here in Ash Vale won in 2024 and nomiated the Ash Villages Food Parcels Project to win too! This means a £500 win for them and a £5,000 prize for the local foodbank! We are all celebrating this amazing donation, what a wonderful boost for the foodbank, and all the local people in need who use this lifeline when life gets tough. The Ash Villages Food Parcels Project is a vital lifeline to many in Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham, and we cannot do it without the food donations and the funds to buy supplies. This prize made all the difference especially during the cold of winter, the time of year when we see lots of local families in need. It was a great help during the Christmas period when we had over 80 families in need in 1 week!
We don’t have photos of everyone yet, still waiting for a few snaps from the team, but here are some of the foodbank packing and deliveries team, plus local community champions and some of the lovely volunteers and co-op staff who help get the donations of food from store to foodbank in the evenings. A huge big community thank you to all involved!
Have you chosen your local Co-op community fund cause for 2025? Please remember to keep voting! Select us when you go online or download the co-op members app, so we are your chosen charity. Please choose https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/90078The Chapel Project ( St Mary’s) to keep supporting all the work we do at The Chapel, including hosting the community fridge and foodbank as well as the Chapel Cafe, toddler group and more. …And of course keep tapping your blue membership card whenever you shop in store for your own personal members prices and other benefits. That way, everybody wins, including you!
If you would like to donate tins / food directly to the Food Parcels Project you can donate in store in Ash Vale Co-op on Wharf Rd (basket by the tills), or at St Mary’s on Vale Road or The Chapel on Wharf Rd whenever they are open. Ash Manor School also has a donations box in reception. We use the app called “bank the food” to let you know what we need most urgently. Thank you for your support!
And finally – the easist way to support us without moving from your armchair is a donation online here: https://givealittle.co/c/7a47190c-ad4e-4cf9-8662-da844101a41c Funds donated for the foodbank go towards tins, pasta, fruit, veg, uht milk etc to make sure we can give every client a balanced nutricious parcel whenever they are in need. We can genuinely say that no one in our local community needs to go hungry while this amazing project is running. Thank you for supporting us and celebrating with us!
With all our best wishes and thanks from the Foodbank Team.
Wow!! A big THANK YOU to David Brown and all the quizzers tonight at the Victoria Hall! An amazing amount raised, and £426.50 of it is going to the Ash Villages Food Parcels Project, to support families in need locally.
Thank you so much, this will make an huge difference, especially during the cold winter when balancing the costs of heating and eating are a challenge for many.
Thank you for a super evening and see you at the next one!
Have you made a New Year resolution to help those in need in the community? There’s an app for that! “Bank the food” Have a guess – what’s the item we most urgently need? You can find out on the app.
Choose any foodbank to support on the app. Our local one is called the Ash Villages Food Parcels Project. Download the app here: https://www.bankthefood.org
You can also simply donate to St Mary’s in support of all our projects (community cafe, Chapel, toddlers, net zero programme… ) pop in or contact us to find out more.
We wish you every blessing in 2025. Come in and join us, any Sunday 10:30am for the church service and / or cuppa afterwards, we would love to welcome you.
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.
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.
Can you spare 32 seconds to dwnload the “Bank The Food” app onto your smartphone, and find out what your local foodbank most needs? #BankTheFood #32seconds #AshVillagesFoodParcelsProject Thank you!
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.
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.
