Clubs and Community (Including good day for the Monday Club thanks to school fundraising)

Cheque presentation to The Monday Club

Hemel Hempstead School Year 12 sixth form students presented a cheque for more than £2,000 to John Fisher, chairman of The Monday Club.

The students raised £2,256.54 for the club at their annual Mistletoe Day event in December.

The event happens on the last day of term before Christmas and is run by Year 12 students for the rest of the school. It takes place in the school hall and students run activities and stalls to entertain their fellow students and to raise money for charity.

Examples of stalls include ‘Beat the goalie’, ‘Play your cards right’, ‘Kick ups challenge’ and ‘Guess the baby’.

The day is also a non-uniform day, with money raised also going to the charity.

The Monday Club is a charity and social club based in Abbots Langley providing activities and events for adults with learning disabilities. First formed in 1988 by parents it runs on a Monday evenings between 7 - 9pm.

Membership is open to any adult with a learning disability over the age of 16. Further information can be found at www.themondayclub.org.uk.

The amount raised by the students was the second largest single donation to the charity, with the largest amount given via a grant.

Hemel community centre’s toy time boost

Learning through play became even more fun with clever construction toys and voice recorders bought to entertain pre-school children in Hemel Hempstead.

The Warners End Neighbourhood Association has been awarded £142.70 from county councillor Terry Douris’s locality budget, to buy a 24-piece giant polydron toy and six voice recorders for pre-school pupils to play with.

Cllr Douris said: “I am delighted to be able to provide funds for these educational items which will be of benefit to the local children in Chaulden, Gadebridge and Warners End who attend the community centre’s facilities for the boys and girls.”

A total of £10,000 is available to each of the 77 members of Hertfordshire County Council to spend on worthwhile community projects in their area.

Locality budgets were launched in July 2009, with funding to be used for worthy social, economic or environmental causes in Hertfordshire. For information on how to apply for funding under the scheme, visit www.hertsdirect.org/localitybudgets

Hemel Hempstead community space is giving locals a boost

A community space in Hemel Hempstead is giving locals a boost. A group of volunteers is spending five weeks at Tintagel Close, Grovehill, making physical improvements to the site and improving their own job prospects at the same time.

Community charity Groundwork Hertfordshire has paired up with housing association Affinity Sutton to run the Green Skills course at its Grovehill site.

The volunteers are creating raised growing beds, constructing fences and planting shrubs to liven up the area. A tree surrounded by a circular bench will add the finishing touch, allowing residents to enjoy the improvements in comfort.

As well as making the outdoor improvements, the volunteers are working towards a CSCS card (crucial for work in the construction industry) and the City & Guilds Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment.

Groundwork’s community project officer Sean Tyrell said: “I’m really looking forward to getting to know the volunteers, helping them to learn various skills through the course and get stuck into some practical work to improve the area. Combining the employability skills with the outdoor work makes the course beneficial to both the Green Skills volunteers and Affinity Sutton residents.”

Victoria Whittle, head of Affinity Sutton’s employment and training service Ready2Work, said: “This is a great partnership which will generate some really genuine outcomes. For us, not only will Tintagel Close be improved but the project will also give some of our own residents vital qualifications to kick-start their careers.”

The course started at the end of last month and runs two days a week for five weeks.

Do you need help for a community project?

The Prince’s Trust team programme in Hemel Hempstead is currently looking for community project ideas. A team of 16 bright, enthusiastic young adults is being put together who are looking to make a difference in the local community and carry out a project that will have a lasting, positive impact.

Previous projects include redeveloping a garden for a dementia care home, producing a series of reading books for a special-needs school and delivering a mental health awareness campaign.

All work is carried out voluntarily and the team will raise whatever funds are required to complete the project.

If you have any ideas for projects or know of any groups who could use assistance, contact Princes Trust team programme team leader Joseph Oxley at YMCA Bedfordshire, First Floor Hamilton House, 111 Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead HP1 1BB or call 07903853794 or email [email protected]

Hemel Hempstead 
Movie Makers

At the last meeting Steve Ballard explained certain behind the scenes aspects of the latest production, Fruit Cake. The meeting was then thrown open to the club for comment, questions, and possible suggestions for improvement or amendments.

This was followed by discussion for an animated production and then a showing of a vintage club production, containing intriguing local history imagery.

The club is to decide which productions will represent members for the first round of the IAC’s forthcoming 4 x 4 regional competition, on February 15 at Walthamstow.

Hemel Hempstead will be up against three other clubs.

Each contestant will have to show a programme of movies, not exceeding 30 minutes. Hemel Hempstead won last year, so all fingers are crossed for this year.

Irrespective of who wins the first round, Hemel Hempstead Movie Makers will host the final at Leverstock Green at a later date.

The next club meeting will be on Monday February 16 in the Buglass Room at Leverstock Green Community Centre behind The Leather Bottle. Doors open 7:30pm for 8pm start.