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MERRY Christmas EVERYBODY!
Come down to Penny’s Walk on Saturday 30th November from 1pm and see us. There are children’s rides and live entertainment all afternoon. Hot and cold drinks, food, and stalls. All culminating in switching on the lights at 5pm by Mayor Julie Robinson and BBC weather presenter Sarah Farmer. Your little ones can talk to Father Christmas and get a goody bag; and you get a photograph by a professional photographer. And all for £5! Santa will be there from 1pm until 4.45pm, and he gets busy so do come early.
FREE entry to the market. All profits go to charity.
I look forward to seeing you!
George Phillips Event Director
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Welcome one and all to Ferndown’s 2019 Christmas Celebration and Lights Switch On!
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his year has seen changes at Ferndown Chamber, a new look, a new committee, a new website and lots of exciting plans for the future. A big difference you will notice is that we now have a new name; we are Ferndown Chamber for Business (FCFB). Please check out our new website at www.fcfb.org.uk to find out more about us and what we do and for our latest events. FCFB are ending the year on a high and look forward to an exciting 2020 for Ferndown. Over the years Ferndown Chamber have always played a key role in the Christmas lights switch on event and this year is no different. Working tirelessly with Ferndown & Parley Rotary CIO, Ben Pulford and I have helped grow the event and each year it is getting bigger and better. This year we welcome back family favourites
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such as; Amusements, Hot Food, Games & Stalls along with Ferndown Chambers’ ever popular Mulled Wine, Mince Pie & Raffle Stall. We also have live music and we must not forget our guest of honour Father Christmas who will be in his Grotto. Also, raffle tickets for our now famous Christmas Hampers go on sale from Xerocad Print Centre in Ringwood Road from 1st November 2019 and they will be available to buy on the day too. Don’t forget to get yours! I would like to take a moment to say a big thank you to the following people for their support; Mata Construction for their sponsorship of FCFB’s Raffle, Ferndown Town Council who do an amazing job each year in organising all the street lights and Christmas Tree lights, Townsend’s Amusements for supplying the rides and game stalls, Sarah Farmer for coming along to
switch on the lights with the Mayor, Ferndown & Parley Rotary CIO for the organisation of the event and to all of the stall holders for helping make the event great. So please add Saturday 30th November to your diary and come along to enjoy the festivities with us. Start the Christmas season in style! We look forward to seeing you there. From all of us at Ferndown Chamber for Business, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and hope you have a fantastic New Year!
Stuart Fleetham
President of Ferndown Chamber for Business
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Cllr Mrs Julie Robinson
ell, it’s Christmas time once again and it’s hard to believe that another year has almost passed. The town’s Christmas Lights switch-on is certainly the highlight in my festive calendar and I am truly looking forward to turning on the Christmas Lights this year and launch Ferndown into the festive season. I am delighted that the Town Council has continued to commit funding to the Christmas Lights and Market this year. I would like to say a big thank you to Ferndown Chamber For Business and Ferndown & Parley Rotary CIO for their time and effort devoted to organising what will be a great afternoon of festivities for the whole community. I’m looking forward to meeting as many people as possible on the day. I have attended many local events since I became Mayor in May and the community spirit in Ferndown never ceases to amaze me – the generosity, kindness and creativity of the individuals and communities I have seen makes me proud to be Mayor and Chair of the Council. I will continue to visit as many places and people as possible during the remainder of my term, to raise the profile of local charities and voluntary organisations, all of whom work tirelessly to help others and make
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individuals lives just that much better and brighter. I would like to thank the people of Ferndown for the opportunity to represent them, and my colleagues at the Town Council for all their support. This time of year always brings reflection upon the year gone by. When I look back at 2019, I can say it has brought us some interesting developments and challenges. It was a milestone for Dorset’s local government arrangements with the end of East Dorset District Council and the creation of a larger Dorset Council. The Town Council also agreed to take over the management of the Barrington Centre which secured the future of the centre as a vital hub for the community of Ferndown. Looking forward to 2020 with positivity, it’s clear that by working with our stakeholders and partners alike, real change can take place for all of us to benefit. Last, but by no means least, I’d like to bring the point home that Christmas is not only a time of joy and festivity, but also a time of year when we should look out for those who are alone, vulnerable, or without close family ties. On behalf of the town councillors and staff at Ferndown Town Council, the Deputy Town Mayor and myself, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
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Christmas band stand Timetable 1pm – 2pm:
Ferndown Middle School Choir and Samba Band
2pm – 3pm:
Ferndown Concert Brass
3pm – 4pm:
Verwood Choral Society
4pm – 5pm:
Bournemouth Area Fellowship Band
5pm:
Lights Switch on with the Mayor and Sarah Farmer (BBC South Today)
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Lights switch on at 5pm By BBC South Today's Sarah Farmer
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arah Farmer works for the BBC in Southampton. She is one of the regular weather presenters, who delivers forecasts for regional TV, local radio and online. Some weeks, she’ll broadcast from the comfort of the red sofa in the studio, while other weeks she’ll be out on location, such on top of the Needles Lighthouse. Sarah’s live work also includes coverage of the 75th D Day anniversary from Normandy, as well as co-hosting the regional Children in Need broadcasts. Sarah’s work never takes her far from a green screen. She hosts news workshops and delivers one-to-one
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voice coaching for students on the Multimedia Journalism course at Bournemouth University. Having graduated from that course herself, she enjoys investing in the careers of new journalists. Sarah’s family life revolves around her husband and two young sons. They’re never far from a woodland adventure or a paddle at the beach. She loves nothing more than the magical Christmas buildup, so feels honoured and excited to be part of the celebrations in Ferndown this year.
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s t h g s Li
a m t 9 s i 201 n Chr w s o n o d i n t n c Fer witch o s and attra k l S t a n W e s v ’ e y n f n o e P p a n i M
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Christmas Market have organised The Ferndown & Parley Rotary CIO The market k. a Christmas Market in Penny's Wal offering s stall of full be opens at 1pm and will es for the gam fun ts, craf l loca s, idea Christmas gift children plus food and drink.
Children's Rides and Amusements Townsend's Amusements have attended the light switch every year since 2014 and we are delighted to welcome them back again this year. They bring with them children's rides and fairground games, which are always very popular with the children and should keep your little ones entertained throughout the day.
Townsend’s will also have a stall selling candy floss, roasted chestnuts, hotdogs and doughnuts/waffles. A tasty treat for everyone! 18 | Christmas in Ferndown
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s ' a t n Sa
Grotto
Ho Ho Ho
Bring the little ones down to meet Santa in his grotto.
1pm until 4.45pm. Receive a little goody bag of presents, all for only £5.
ThEy cAn hAvE tHeIr pHoTo tAkEn wItH hIm iN hIs IgLoO hOmE
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Raffle sponsored by
Luxury Raffle, Mince Pies and Mulled Wine! FERNDOWN
CHAMBER FOR BUSINESS Ferndown Chamber For Business are running their luxury hamper rafe again this year. It is always a highlight of the event and extremely popular. There are 3 hampers up for grabs, 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize and all are well worth winning just before Christmas.
Tickets are on sale now from Xerocad Print Centre or you can buy them on the day from the Ferndown Chamber For Business stall. Mince pies and mulled wine will also be on sale from the FCFB stall - to get you into the festive spirit.
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Celebratio n EVent
Congratulations Ferndown!
Plastic Free Ferndown is celebrating new plastic-free status. It has been awarded ‘Plastic Free Communities’ Status by marine conservation charity, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), in recognition of the work it has done to help reduce the impact of single-use plastic (SUP) on the environment. To celebrate this amazing achievement, Plastic Free Ferndown invites you to join them on Saturday 30 November, during the Ferndown Christmas Lights Switch On festivities. Come and find them to celebrate this amazing award. There will be bubbly, brownies and cakes, local companies selling plastic free alternatives and activities for the children.
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2019 Entertainment Ferndown Middle School Choir and Samba Band
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o not miss our dynamic Ferndown Middle School musicians showcasing their skills at 1pm in singing, ukulele playing and samba drumming. The music department is very lucky to be able to provide the opportunity for children to develop their passion for music with the amazing facilities the school has developed throughout the years. We offer extracurricular clubs from samba to ukulele, from orchestra to even Taiko drumming from Japan! The school believes strongly in giving every child the opportunity to play as well as perform in our three yearly productions which are tailor-made to inspire everyone.
We have chosen to showcase some of our previous performance materials as well as some of the new pieces we are currently preparing for our ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ production in December. The ukulele players will join in and support our choir, Sing!, in playing some of the most loved Christmas songs of all time as well as songs made famous by Christmas films and musicals. Finally, the stage will be taken over by the enthusiastic Samba band, playing traditional rhythms from Rio as well as fusing some more modern beats to get everyone’s feet tapping to the grooves. The school’s samba band has proven to be one of our most popular
clubs. This stems from the unique hands-on experience our Head of Music, Ms Rice, has gained from playing for many years in various carnivals around the UK and abroad. We hope our performance will be a lovely combination of energy and the occasional emotional song, evoking some lovely Christmas memories and bucket-loads of Christmas cheer!
Ferndown Concert Brass 2019
The present band was reformed in 1990 when a small group of players began to rehearse in a band members cellar, looking for larger premises the band moved to various halls and eventually its present location of Stapehill Village Hall, rehearsing every Tuesday evening at 7.30pm. The band has performed extensively in Ferndown and the wider Dorset area for many years and has often travelled to France and Germany in conjunction with the Twinning Associations. We play a wide selection of music from Traditional Brass Band to Pop, Musicals to Jazz and other Genres in between, this enables us to satisfy the musical tastes of most audiences. We are a small friendly non-contesting band and would always welcome new members, (a loan instrument may be available) so if you would like to join us or engage the band, please contact Peter on 07802 686916
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2019 Entertainment
Verwood Choral Society
Verwood Choral Society was formed over 30 years ago and performs two concerts every year. Each concert raises money for a local charity which is chosen by the members. Over the years we have raised many thousands of pounds which have helped the charities we have chosen. We sing a mix of musical styles some religious and some secular, some old some new. There are no auditions and we welcome new members, male and female and if you enjoy singing please get in touch either by contacting the Chairman or one of
our members. Our Director of Music, Mrs Ann Mayo was a founding member of the choir and guides us through our weekly rehearsals. Our next concert is on Saturday 7th December at The Methodist Church, Vicarage Road, Verwood starting at 7pm. Tickets will be available on the door. If you have any questions about joining our choir or attending our concert please contact me, Sue Longstaff, Chairman on 01202 829212 or on line at sumlon@hotmail.co.uk.
Bournemouth Fellowship Band The Fellowship Band, full title, The Bournemouth Area Fellowship Band of The Salvation Army was formed as part of the centenary celebrations for the commencement of the work of The Salvation Army in the Bournemouth area, which took place in 1885. As part of the celebrations, the idea was conceived of forming a special band comprising of predominantly retired bandsmen from the area to support the 100thanniversary event. Surprisingly quickly a band was assembled. Celebrations over the bandsmen decided not to disband but continue playing together, and have done for the last nearly 45 years. Today the band comprises men and women with links to the movement, some having been Salvation Army bandsmen for over
fifty years plus. The average age is certainly over 75. The band has a couple of rules. The band very rarely accept evening bookings, and in thirty-five years the band has never marched! The Fellowship Band, about 35 in number, meet for rehearsal once a fortnight while completing numerous engagements during the year, Bournemouth bandstands, garden fetes, concerts for various clubs etc. Ferndown Christmas Light Switch-on is just one the carolling bookings the band will undertake, between now and Christmas Eve. Retirement homes, WI Carol Service, Christmas carols for folks with adult learning difficulties, seasonal music for relatives commemorating the death of a loved during
the year. Providing music for the Mayor of Poole Christmas Carol Concert, just an example of the varied band programme. Each year the band nominates a charity, this year the band is supporting the work of The Salvation Army in meeting the need of those 'captured' by Human Trafficking. The Bournemouth Area Band is delighted to be asked to support the Ferndown Christmas Lights Switchon and extends Yuletide greetings to all.
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Thank Yous
We couldn’t put this on without the support of our sponsors and volunteers!
Ferndown & Parley Rotary CIO and the Ferndown Chamber For Business would like to thank all our volunteers who helped put together the Christmas Market and Lights 2019, and all the acts who performed. With special thanks to
The Ferndown & Parley Rotary CIO is pleased to support local, national and international charities, including: RIBI FOUNDATION KGV TRUST JTYAF | SHELTERBOX MOLLI SUIT | URC | IDAI FLETCHER FOUNDATION | YOUTH TOOLS FOR SELF RELIANCE KERELA FLOODS THE NEPAL TRUST BARRINGTON FRIENDS WESSEX ASSISTANCE DOGS 30 | Christmas in Ferndown
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