Arlesey News Magazine October 2023

Arles e y NEWS

Ne w s Eve nt s In f or m at i on

Welcome to October!

What a blazing star t to Au tumn we have seen! As we write this, we are sweltering away in 30 degrees plus, no t what we all expected bu t gratefully received none the less! We hope the sunshine stays with us a little while longer as we adjust to shor ter days and darker evenings

Thank you to Michelle Moss who this month ver y kindly allo wed us to use her beau tiful pho tograph (and also the wor thy winner o f the ACORN facebook pho tograph o f the month!) as our f ront co ver sho t for September - we hope you like it.

As usual, we had lo ts to include this month, including a brief update f rom Larksf ield Surger y on their new appointment system - have you used it yet? ( We’d lo ve to kno w ho w you have found it?) We have the usual updates form our local schools alongside the NEED project, Arlesey Bro wnies, Arlesey Scou ts and much, much more We even have an ar ticle abou t a brand new Arlesey Au thor living among us! - take a look on page 9 to f ind ou t more!

Thank you once again to all o f our deliver y volunteers that kindly help us get all o f our copies delivered each monthwe still need a couple more helpers, if you live close to The Rally or to Jubilee Crescent then we’d lo ve to hear f rom you! Delivering the magazine is a great way to keep f it and helps to keep our community connected

Until next month

Joanne

www justgiving com/ gar denhousehospice

Announcements: We are happy to accept family announcements by post telephone, email or through our facebook page If you would like to make a donation in return for your announcement then please visit the website above Please mention that the donation has been made on behalf of the Stotfold & Arlesey News Magazine

Local News Round- up

Hario t Jumps For Alopecia UK!

Hario t Sharp, a pupil at Etonbur y Academy, has had alopecia since she was six years old Over the many years she has had to get used to living with Alopecia she has drawn great strength and suppor t f rom one par ticular charity, Alopecia UK. As well as pro viding Hario t with suppor t, she has taken great comfor t f rom speaking to o ther people within the Alopecia community who she has met through this fantastic charity Hario t has decided she would like to give something back to the charity and will be taking par t in a sky dive on the 8th October to help raise some much needed funds!

“Alopecia UK is a small charity working to impro ve the lives o f those affected by Alopecia.” Hario t told the Arlesey News, “The charity has aims around Suppor t, Awareness and Research and relies on the suppor t o f fundraisers and donors to continue the fantastic work it does ”

Hario t is surrounded by a fantastic network o f family and f riends who will all be suppor ting her on the day

If you’d like to suppor t Hario t, you can do so by donating to her fundraising page: https://www.alopecia. org uk/Fundraisers/ hario ts -fundraisingpage -for-alopecia - uk

GOOD LUCK HARIO T!!

Hario t looking forward to her sky dive in October!

Larksf ield Medical Par tnership ACCURX Patient Triage Update:

We are for tunate to have all our local GP surgeries no w using the Accur x online triage system for non- urgent appointments and quer y requests Thousands o f triage requests have been processed and the feedback f rom bo th staff and patients has been positive The online form is quick and easy to use for appointments, medical and admin queries such as recent blood test results, repeat prescriptions, requesting a f it no te etc

Your practice will contact you by the end o f the second working day after submitting your form, and quicker if it is more urgent You will be o ffered an appointment, advice, or help accessing the appropriate healthcare ser vice. If you do no t have access to the internet or struggle with completing online forms, please call the surger y and they will complete the form on your behalf Please no te: when submitting a triage request it may be 48 working hours for a response Staff will red flag any urgent clinical queries

CRIME FIGURES ARLESEY July 23

The most recent crime f igures available f rom the Poilce national website: REMEMBER the more we repor t crime related o ffences, the higher we feature on the ‘ to -do’ list o f our local constabular y. If you see a non- urgent matter which you feel needs repor ting, use the 101 number to make our local force aware.

V iolence & sexual o ffences - 14

Anti- social behaviour - 12

Other crime - 8

Vehicle crime - 8

Source: www police co uk

If you are unable to wait because your condition is urgent then consider the walk-in Centre or A&E 111 online o ffers advice online if you're no t sure whether you need to see a doctor or nurse, please visit Get help for your symptomsNHS 111.

Ensure your surger y has your up- to -date mobile number when submitting your request. You may be called directly by the clinician triaging When o ffered an appointment, please do all you can to attend the appointment or cancel the appointment to ensure it can o ffer to ano ther patient Please remember all queries are triaged by a clinician, if the advice is to attend UCC or A&E this is because this has been deemed the appropriate clinical advice; occasionally you may be signposted to a walk in centre or urgent care if there are no same day appointments available

We are mindful that winter will soon be upon us, prepare no w for your family during winter months; be aware o f which conditions can be seen or treated by your local pharmacy or o ther NHS ser vices Ho w to stay well in winter

- The NHS website - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Pounds and a Pig! a

Local News Round- up

Facebook Post Sparks HUGE Response!

Post ok HUGE g

Arlesey Communit y Larder .

Arlesey Community Larder is a Community Interest Company suppor ting local residents and surrounding areas with food suppor t We are working in par tnership with Arlesey To wn Council and Central Bedfordshire Council to pro vide the ser vice The larder opened to local residents just before Christmas (December 2022) and has helped a number o f families and individuals who require food suppor t. If you require our suppor t we will help you withou t judgement or prejudice.

We run a ‘basics larder ’ twice a week and o ffer on ‘occasions food rescue’ f rom local supermarkets. Please f ind up to date information on our facebook page @arleseycommunitylarder Donations o f in-date, non-perishable food items to the basic's larder is ver y much welcome as well as monetar y donations to keep our larder stocked. We currently require: tinned meats, tinned meals, tinned f ish, tinned soups, long life milk, eggs, oils

Any monetar y donations can be BACS transfer to: Arlesey Community Larder CIC Sor t Code: 04-06-05 Account 19621234 Arlesey Community Larder can be found at the Arlesey MUGA Pavillion behind the W I Hall on the High Street For enquiries and to f ind ou t ho w you can get involved, contact 07427 650080 Email: thom@arleseycommunitylarder.org

Conditions treated include spinal and extremity injuries, neck related headaches and sprains/strains.

We are NOW OPEN

Our revised opening hours: Tues: 2pm-7pm Wed: 10am-7pm Thursday: 3pm-7pm

Friday: 10am - 1pm Saturday: 10am-2pm

Do wnload it NO W

We are pleased to be par tnering with BanktheFood If you are doing your food shop, check the app for the needed items the larder needs and you can drop your donations at the village hall or WI Hall in Arlesey Help us to make a difference!!e

Nor th Her ts Road Runners

the Standalone 10k is on 1st Oct with the course passing Fair f ield Park & Fair f ield Gardens with a par tial road closure on Hitchin Road. The next 1st Sat o f the month at Letchwor th Common will be 7th Oct at 9am Entr y is f ree and open to all abilities we continue our training sessions with qualif ied coaches on Tues & Thurs evenings at 7pm. These are open to all, why no t come along for a taster session with no obligation

Contact Ian 07506429928 or nhrr.org.uk

Graham Smith BRICKWORK & PAVING

patios, driveways & fencing. All work completed to a very high standard. Friendly, family run business

Tel : 07703 17 1857 / 01462 7 31829

Update from Arlesey Scou t Group

Earlier this month Arlesey Scou t Group expanded to have no t one…bu t TWO Scou t Troops!

A culmination o f 6 months wor th o f planning and the, Friday Troop met for the ver y f irst time and camped together at the Arlesey Scou t Hu t (with a quick visit to Bo yd Field on Saturday Evening). A combination o f current Scou ts, new Cubs and brand-new additions, led to a wonder ful weekend f illed with new Scou ting Skills, Adventurous Activities and many new f riendships being forged.

A huge thanks must go to all those involved in the running o f this event and to all who attended! It’s special moments like this that make all the planning wor thwhile!

If your young person is interested in joining our new Troop (or any section!), please f ill ou t the follo wing form to sign up to our group waiting list: https://www onlinescou tmanager co uk/ /7f8d9a1d /apply

Arlesey Bro wnies.

A huge welcome to the new Bro wnies who have just joined us We have lo ts o f exciting activities planned this term and are really looking for ward to having some ad ventures together

Bro wnies o ffers girls (aged 7 to 10) exciting oppor tunities to tr y new things, take on challenges, disco ver their po tential, make brilliant friends and abo ve all have fun!

If you’d like to join us (or pu t your name on the waiting list if you’re no t quite 7) then register at www girlguiding org uk/joinus, or email us at arlesey.bro wnies@ho tmail.co.uk.

The Scou ts enjo ying their f irst adventure camping ou t together!

YY O O U U N N G G PPEERRSS O O N N SS G G RR AA N N TT 22002233

brought to you by

Satchells are passionate abou t suppor ting the fu ture o f our community As the area’s longest ser ving Estate Agent, we have seen many changes within our local area and fully appreciate our young people and the pivo tal role they play within our to wns and villages We are most for tunate in Arlesey and Sto tfold to have such a wide network o f local clubs, groups and organisations, ranging f rom you th organisations to gymnastics, dance and more - all o f our clubs depend on suppor t f rom their community which is why we decided to launch the Satchells Young Persons Grant Scheme for 2023.

Earlier in the summer we asked for nominations from local groups, clubs or organisations to be considered for a grant o f £500 to spend on something which was impor tant to them. We are delighted to say that the response was excellentmaking it an incredibly tough job for our judges to decide on one o verall winner

This year the grant was awarded to STO TFOLD JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT CENTRE and we’d like to share with you why

Stotf old Juni ors Developmen t Cent re provi des a l ocal cent re f or chil dren to become in vol ved in foot ball , whi lst havi ng fun and taki ng the fi rst steps in developin g t heir sport in g s ki lls

The centr e is lookin g t o tr ial a scheme wi th a local school whereby we in vite a s el ect n umber of c hil dren cl as sed as ‘pupil pr emium’ (those fr om lower-in come famil ies) that ar e in terested in footbal l to att en d a D C taster session Thos e that are s hown to be in terest ed in foot ball and en gage in the session , wil l be off er ed a place f or t he t erm fr ee of c harge To maximi se the number of childr en t hat could parti cipate i n t he t ri al scheme, the D C would fun d 50% of t he c ost wi th the remain der comi ng from uti li sin g t he Youn g Person s Gran t

By usin g t hi s grant , we would like to pr ovide a space for four pupil premium c hi ldren to at tend the D.C next seas on, t hus offer ing a chil d otherwis e un able t o atten d, the oppor tun ity to en joy the experien ce of taki ng par t in a sporti ng acti vity that they would other wise n ot be abl e to part ici pate in

Your s fai thf ull y , Mat t Ben nett

Stotf old Juni ors Developmen t Cent re

The judges felt that by working together with the Sto tfold Juniors Development Centre, this scheme would give some o f our young children within our community an incredible oppor tunity to par ticipate in an extra curricular activity that would o ther wise be inaccessible to them Due to the success o f this year ’s grant scheme, Satchells look for ward to making this an annual event

If your club, group or organisation would benef it from extra funding throughou t the next year, please do keep this in mind for the fu ture.

Satchells Estate Agents

47B High Street

Sto tfold

SG5 4LD Tel: 01462 733730

Pictured left, Matt Bennett from Stotfold Juniors Development Centre and Kevin Duff of Satchells Estate Agents

First Time Arlesey No velist Jay Bhatti

Arlesey resident Jay Bhatti celebrated the publication o f his f irst ever no vel earlier this year and enjo yed a taste o f celebrity status as he also took par t in his ver y o wn book signing event Jay, originally a f ilmmaker and avid f ilm lo ver, also runs a thriving f ilm review channel alongside his passion for writing No w an o ff icially published au thor, Jay is eager to bring even more o f his ideas to f ruition so watch this space If you are enjo y a good crime thriller then Jay’s book is cer tainly wor th a read

Available on Amazon https://amzn eu/d/1Ir3GYG on bo th Kindle or paperback it already boasts some fantastic reviews:

*****Ordered this book and f inished it within 2 days Really enjo yed it and thoroughly recommend !

*****Exciting and gritty, well thought ou t and kept you guessing til the end.

Jay’s book titled ‘A Day in the Section’ is OU T NO W!

Pictured left, Jay a his recent book signing event

Etonbur y A cademy

The past month has flo wn by, ever yone at Etonbur y Academy is settling back into the school community and daily rou tines.

We are delighted to share that there have been some internal promo tions for existing staff as o f the new term, as well as welcoming new staff to the school Key appointments in the Senior Leadership Team include Mr Michael Craddock who was appointed as V ice Principal responsible for pastoral and behaviour matters Mr Luke Jones joins the school and will be responsible for leading teaching and learning Miss Prior, Mr Beckwith and Mr Pullinger were promo ted to the newly created positions o f Key Stage Managers and will be members o f the extended SLT team The Key Stage Managers will be working with Heads o f Year in their key stage to ensure that we deliver the ver y best pastoral care to our pupils at Etonbur y Miss Izzy Phillips who is our SENCO will join the extended leadership team to ensure all o f our work is inclusive and suppor ts the needs o f all our learners

We would also like to share with you that Thursday 24th August was a memorable day in the histor y o f the school as we celebrated the best GCSE results the school has ever had. Whilst the national press was repor ting the return to the rigorous 2019 grade boundaries and a fall in grades, we were celebrating our highest set o f results ever, that were signif icantly abo ve national standards with 20 ou t o f 23 GCSE subjects having positive progress scores, meaning the students taking that subject per formed better than their FFT target grade Etonbur y were 10% abo ve national for the % 9-4 measure that the go vernment uses and publishes as the expected standard for all schools Our process 8 score sho wed that students per formed on average a third o f a grade higher in ever y subject than their predicted grades English, Maths and Science all per formed signif icantly higher than national averages in the 9-4% measure with 21, 20,16% abo ve 9-4 national averages respectively

Our Sixth Form has opened its doors for the ver y f irst time to our year 12 cohor t! Our new facilities pro vide a unique, pro fessional, dynamic, enjo yable and highly personalised learning environment for post 16 study f you would like more information please contact Miss Do wdencdo wden@bestacademies.org.uk

At the time o f writing preparations are well under way for our Prospective Parent Opening Evening, Thursday 5th October. We’d be delighted to welcome you along to our Opening Evening, please visit our website for fur ther detail and to book a place. If you would like a personal tour, please do get in touch with us on 01462 730391 or via email eta -o ff ice@bestacademies.org.uk to book .

Jonny Garside 79 Regent Street, Stotfold 01462 732248 or 07951 473505

Our children are happy and achieve their full po tential, come and see for yourself what makes Etonbur y special

News from Pix Brook A c ademy

The f irst few weeks back are always exciting at school and this is par ticularly so after the summer break September star ted with the amazingly ho t weather which cer tainly felt odd when pupils are all arriving in brand new uniforms We are no w we are in the swing o f the new term and rou tines and lessons are developing nicely

As we enter our f ifth year o f operation the school feels ver y different. In September o ver 30 new members o f staff joined the school. Suppor t staff, cleaners and teachers all joined and this has really added to the vibrancy and energy in the school. It also means that the level o f teaching exper tise has increased again so that our preparations for GCSE can continue apace. This will continue to be the case throughou t the course o f this year and beyond and we look for ward to working with pupils and parents in upper KS3 to consider GCSE option choices.

Of course, it was fantastic to welcome all pupils back and in par ticular our new 5 pupils. 180 new faces really does make a difference. We no w have f ive year groups in the school with 750 young people to work with In my assemblies at the star t o f term I talked abou t the year ahead and the impor tance o f making the most o f the time you have in school It is extraordinar y to be talking to our year nine pupils abou t the fu ture, it really does seem like yesterday that they star ted at PBA

Schools are amazing places, full o f po tential and energy As we star t a new academic year I am determined that we will capture this fantastic resource and use it to enhance the educational experience o f our pupils

Given the ou tstanding star t we have had so far, I have ever y reason to be conf ident that we can do that

Steve Adams.

WALKS FOR HEALTH

Walks star t at 10 45am

October:

5th, 12th, 19th, 26thArlesey Station

Contact Beth Over f ield 01462 815672

Family announcements

BARRIE EDWARD DACK 1944 – 2023

The Councillors and Clerk o f Fair f ield

Parish Council are deeply saddened at the news o f the death o f Barrie Dack

Our thoughts and hear tfelt sympathy are with his family and f riends at this time. Barrie was a Parish Councillor for the f irst ten years, only standing do wn in May this year and was involved in developing many o f the projects and events that make Fair f ield the gro wing community it is no w.

BETTY SAUNDERS

9/1/30- 23/7/23

John and family would like to thank ever ybody for their messages o f sympathy, cards and floral tribu tes, follo wing the ver y sad loss o f Betty

Thank you also to ever yone that attended her funeral and for the kind donations made to the Garden House Hospice in her memor y

ZACHARY BLAKE SLIPACZEK

Welcome to the world

Zachar y Blake Slipac zek born at 17:21 on Thursday 3rd August, Lister Hospital

Mum and Dad lo ve him so much, and so does his big sister

Evelyn X

DEBBIE RO WE

Happy 60th Bir thday!

Have a fabulous day celebrating Lo ve , Richard, Maria, Josh, Hailey, Liam & Charlo tte xx

LAUREN PETERS

Happy 17th Bir thday! We hope you have a lo vely day! Lo ve f rom all your family & f riends xx

FINLEY 12th October

Happy 5th Bir thday!

Lo ts o f lo ve f rom Mummy, Daddy, Leo and Rodney xx

NICKY TO WNLEY

Happy 50th Bir thday!

Lo ts o f lo ve Malcolm & Tabitha xx

JANET EVERSDEN

In lo ving memor y o f our mum, who we sadly lost on 11th July 2023 A much lo ved lady, always with a f riendly smile The family o f Janet would like to thank ever ybody who came to Mums funeral, for their kind messages o f suppor t, cards and donations made in her memor y Editors no te: Due to a spelling error last month we are re -printing this message in it’s entirety Our sincere apologies to Janet’s family for this error

Family Announcements are FREE! We are happy to accept family announcements by post, telephone, email or through our facebook page If you would like to make a donation to the Garden House Hospice in return for your announcement then please mention that the donation has been made on behalf of the Stotfold & Arlesey News Magazine

family announcements are F

Mental Health Matters - with Jo Loach

Take care.

This term is o ften used when par ting f rom someone we care abou t It was replaced during Co vid with ‘stay safe’ bu t I think ‘ take care’ remains a regular sign o ff for many Like many o ften- used phrases, we don’t always consider the meaning or application, especially amidst a culture that o ften por trays self-care as self ishness There appears to be little understanding that a repeated failure to take care o f the self leads to an eventual inability to care for o thers

A daily commitment to looking after mental and emo tional health could involve journalling, prayer, exercise, a break with a brew, time in nature or simply a quiet moment alone before the day begins Basically, making space to check what is happening within our internal world before the external world takes our time and attention

Our culture privileges activity o ver inactivity bu t it is our quiet moments o f inner reflection that can prepare and sustain us for ever y thing else.

The invisible nature o f mental and emo tional health mean it is easy to o verlook. Yet the external world reminds us constantly that a failure to care for any thing will eventually lead to signs o f neglect or malfunction. My house plants regularly remind me o f their watering requirements by drooping when dehydrated. While less visible in humans a sustained failure to take care o f our needs will eventually become apparent.

I It is wor thwhile considering ho w to maintain good daily mental and emo tional health by star ting with one small thing each day. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, complicated or expensive It’s whatever involves paying yourself attention by committing to something you enjo y or that makes you feel taken care o f, whether a shor t walk, favourite meal, a bunch o f flo wers, watching a sunset or whatever feels like care to you

Jo Loach is a BACP Accredited Counsellor, with an MA in contemporar y therapeu tic counselling.

Tuesday 10th October

Har vest Supper 7.30pm

Barr y & Gill Goodman - English Folk Customs

We look for ward to welcoming you! All women welcomeFirst V isit Free! Come and join a f riendly bunch for a chat and a cuppa and something different ! Arlesey W I Hall, High Street, Arlesey

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I kno w it's early to be talking abou t Christmas bu t those dark winter months will soon be upon us!

The Christmas Fair and Lights switch on will take place on Saturday No v 25th between 3 and 6pm We will have stalls o ffering a wide range o f crafts, gifts and all sor ts o f o ther goodies in bo th the V illage Hall and the WI hall Ref reshments will be pro vided ou tside the village hall by Arlesey Scou ts, la Crepe Franglaise and Tilly's V intage teashop The lights will be switched on at approx 5 30pm If you would like to have a stall at this event please email arleseyeventsgroup@gmail com for a booking form There will be fur the information abou t the Fair in the No vember issue

We would also like to have our Christmas Advent windo w trail around the village again this year If you would like to decorate a windo w for this event please get in touch We'd like to have all the windo ws allocated in time for the December print deadline o f the Arlesey News magazine in early No vember hence the ver y early no tice!

If you are new to Arlesey and haven't seen the windo ws before we have an album on our Facebook page (Arlesey Community Events Group) or here’s an example o f one f rom last year; ‘Gremlins’ f rom Hitchin Road.

For details on ho w you can get involved in our group, see our facebook page

Can you help

Gremlins - one o f the fantastic windo ws decorated last year!

News from - Arlesey Conser vation for Nature (ACORN)

The Ugly Ducklings o f the Plant World

There has been a lo t o f hype recently by the media abou t the loss o f species due to climate change One o f the latest featured is the Emperor Penguins because o f the melting sea ice No t much has been said abou t plant loss or the threat to the planet due to plant loss

Plants which are near the bo ttom o f the ecology chain are vital to our ver y existences gaden makeo ver programmes constantly advocate the impor tance o f creating wildlife areas, which can work well in the masses bu t no t in isolation

They go on abou t planting flo wering plants to attract bu tter flies and bees bu t never advocate the planting o f Br yophy tes in their wildlife gardens What the heck are Br yophy tes I hear you ask? The British Br yological Society founded in 1896 describes them as follo ws “Br yophy tes are a group o f plants that include mosses, liver wor ts and hornwor ts” You should all kno w the impor tance o f mosses and why we should no t be destro ying the peat bogs for garden use, as they have an impor tant par t to play in soaking up excess rain and storing it, thus preventing flash flooding

Recently it was advocated that peat bogs store CO2 gases Ho w many peat bogs have we destro yed in the past withou t any thought? Bu t peat bogs are found up nor th on moors, I hear you say, and no t found

around here Ho wever, we do have an impor tant peat bog in Bedfordshire near Flitwick It is looked after by the Wildlife Trust BCN, one o f our par tners at the Glebe Meado ws

The late Dr David Bellamy’s interest in Br yophy tes led him to take up an appointment at Durham University’s bo tany depar tment as a lecturer on the subject He mo ved ‘Up Nor th’ and lived in amongst his studies Such was his enthusiasm for br yophy tes he proposed to his wife Rosemar y in the middle o f a water-logged Sphagnum bog. The impor tance o f these plants is easily o verlooked due to their small size although there are around 1098 species (C.2021) and are thought to have evolved f rom green algae.

The hornwor t par t o f the trilogy is made up o f roo tless aquatic plants that gro w under water

They have long, branching stems and leaf-like branches that forked into two or more linear sections

While we are looking at all things small, we must no t forget ano ther plant although it is best described as an organism, the Lichen They are found mostly gro wing on headstones in old graveyards and on some woody plants The basis o f the ‘plant’ is an algae which unites with a fungus to create a symbio tic par tnership they need a pollu tion f ree atmosphere to thrive so if you do f ind some then rest assured the air you are breathing is clean Pu t simply it is a type o f organism that consists o f an algae and a fungus gro wing together

We must never underestimate the impor tance o f the little things especially in nature Take care o f these as they are at the bo ttom o f the ecology chain If you get do wn on your knees with a ver y strong magnifying glass and look at the soil, you will f ind it is teeming with life the size o f pin heads.

The Arlesey flora and fauna is just as impor tant to the planet as those that get featured in the media. It might no t be glamourous, bu t ACORN strives to pro tect what we have. At the end o f October, the AGM takes place and there are oppor tunities for people o f any skills to join and help us carr y on that legacy.

Contact Mick Jackson on 07970 734416 or email us at arlesey acorn@gmail com

Update from the Need Project Our latest facts & fi gures..

Helping 1789 adults, 37 pensioners and 1,550 children this month alone

It’s that time again Ano ther increase in our workload this month Our parcels were up by 56% compared to the same month last year It makes sad reading, bu t also makes us realise that what we are doing is so impor tant, just by the reaction f rom those we ser ve

before food is given away responsibly to anyone You don’t have to be referred as if you don’t come and take it, it will go to landf ill and that would be a shame So anyone can come and take items

Our day with the Sto tfold Walking Market sale on Bank Holiday Monday was a brilliant success We raised o ver £800 00 and met many lo vey people, some who went away with some great bargains

We are always open for a chat or if you want to see what we do, please let us kno w and it would be good to see you. Anyway, till next time. Praise God always and thank you ver y much. Gordon

Nearly 20 years ago, I never imagined we would have gone f rom maybe 4 parcels a month (and that was sometimes hard to give away), to an average o f 745 o ver the last 4 months. That statistic is staggering and so sad for those caught up in food po ver ty and it’s going up ever y month.

To be in the 700’s a month was no t something we saw coming We had a shock when Mays f igure o f 705 came in, bu t it has gone up since We need suppor t to carr y on what we do Suppor t with food is impor tant, bu t what makes the most difference is f inance, so we can bu y in bulk and maybe save in the process We are always grateful for any help we get

The premises situation is still simmering along There is no thing to say on that subject, bu t we are still hopeful to secure separate funding to bu y it and then develop it for our needs and also a community space to extend our ministr y to o thers

People o ften ask for us to share stories or situations regarding our clients and ho w they have been helped by us What we do is ver y personal and for that reason we hold back Bu t if you are a person we have helped and you want to share your situation (anonymously if you would prefer), please email admin@theneedproject.org and we will do so, for no o ther reason bu t to encourage o thers to seek help. The o ther side o f what we do is the drop in top- up shop or the best before items we get f rom supermarkets. The best

AUGUST FIGURES: * 773 parcels pro vided.* 401 top- up-bags collected from our Pop- up sites * £54,255 (estimated food value) * £6,602.50 cost to run the project *

Your LETTERS

Dear Editor, Our 1st Year

We arrived in the UK f rom Ukraine in May 2022, no t kno wing anyone in the countr y and with ver y few belongings My husband is no t allo wed to leave Ukraine and we felt so desperately sad to leave our home and family. We would like to take this oppor tunity to sincerely thank the local people so much for making us feel so ver y welcome In par ticular, our lo vely hosts in Sto tfold, Karen and Mark Mendoza who opened their house to us as if we were family. Rose and Dave Wrench who have also guided and suppor ted us through the considerable amount or paper work required to settle here

Ian at the ‘Wilde Co ffee Shop’, who gave me my f irst job ( Which has allo wed me to practice my English on the customers !) Jan at the ‘Stag’ Matt at ‘Cockney Rebel’ Barbershop. Gordon and his team at ‘The Need Project’. Etonbur y School where Ar tur was suppor ted so well, he no w speaks better English than I do!

Thank you all so ver y much.

Ohla and Ar tur

Editor ’s no te: We have included this letter from our Sto tfold issue this month as we thought you would all like to read such a lo vely stor y o f community spirit. We are so pleased that our local community have pulled together and made bo th Ohla and Ar tur feel so welcome!

News from Our Local Churches.

News from St. Peter ’s Church

The months slip by and here we are in October, the summer behind us and au tumn and it’s glorious tree and plant colours to enjo y The bee garden in the churchyard has been buzzing all summer, with lo ts o f bees and bu tter flies Time no w to chop do wn the lavender and to plant some winter shrubs to keep the bees happy In October we are waiting excitedly for the inter view day for a new V icar We continue to pray for this appointment, so the parish will have bo th a spiritual and pastoral leader

Our Parish Holy communion ser vice on the 15th October will be taken by the Revd Don Do wling and on the 29th by Archdeacon Dave Middlebrook All are welcome

No doubt some o f you will be celebrating Hallo ween on the 31st October Bu t do you kno w where this name comes f rom? The roo t o f the word Hallo ween is “hallo w”, which means Holy The su ff ix “een” is an abbreviation o f Evening So Hallo ween refers to the Eve o f All Hallo ws, the night before All Saint’s Day, the Christian holy day that honours saintly people o f the past So although you can enjo y the fun side o f the modern Hallo ween, you can also remember all those who did good things in their lives to help o thers

THE BIG ST. PETER’S AU TUMN QUIZ, RETURNS ON THE 3RD NOVEMBER.

7 for 7.30pm, supper included, £10 a head, up to 6 people in a team. There will also be a licensed bar.

If you would like to enter a team, you can contact me at, helen.bardell@gmail.com

Advance no tice o f St. Peter ’s Christmas Tree Festival to be held the weekend o f the 9th and 10th December. A magical weekend o f trees and lights and a concer t. Details in the No vember issue.

Ser vices

Our ser vice times are:-

1st, 3rd,4th,5th Sundays 9 30am

2nd Sunday All Age Worship 10 00am

Ref reshments are ser ved after each ser vice an oppor tunity to chat and socialise

Weekdays

Co ffee Mornings Tuesday 10 30am in church

10 30am-12 noon Toddler and Parent/Carer Group

1st Wednesday in the month Afternoon Tea 2- 4m All Welcome

Helen Bardell

Churchwarden

01462 731227

07967144571

email; vicar@arlesey.org.uk

churchwardens@arlesey.org.uk

Down Memory Lane

This month’s pho tograph was sent to us by Jill Wentwor th (nee Taylor) and features Arlesey Infant School f rom 1963-66 Jill thinks this may have been taken on Spor ts Day Jill can name a few children pictured, including Trevor Parker, Christine Leggett and Carolyn Kingsley - Can you help name any more? Jill used to live in House Lane where her mo ther Pauline still lives today If you can help wit the names please email us at arlesey news@yahoo com or call 01462 731986

Useful Telephone Numbers

Arlesey To wn Council To wn Council Off ice Arlesey Community Centre, High Street, Arlesey, Beds

SG15 6SN Phone: 01462 733722

Email: clerk@arlesey-tc.go v uk

Central Bedfordshire Council, Prior y House, Chicksands, Shefford SG17 5TQ 0300 300 8000

Email customer ser vices@centralbedfordshire go v.uk

Web www centralbedfordshire.go v.uk

Waste Collection / Recycling / Dog Warden / Fly tipping / Grass Cu tting / Street Cleaning / Abandoned Vehicles

0300 300 8631 or 0300 300 8632

Way Sou th,

City, Her ts, SG6 1NY

ACORN -Arlesey Conser vation For Nature Mick Jackson 07970 734416 ( Treasurer)

acorn@gmail com

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