Clubs and community: Including high-vis vests donated to school by manufacturing company

Hemel community project

The Heather Club is a small social club for the frail, elderly and those with early dementia. It runs on a Monday and Wednesday, and is held in a hall at Carey Church in the Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead.

The Princes Trust and YMCA Bedfordshire is currently revamping a small strip of waste land by the side of the church into a garden area for the members of the club to enjoy.

These young people have done all the fund raising to supply the tools and plants required to transform the plot, and are carrying out the work voluntarily.

They finished the work on Monday (March 23)and handed the garden over to the club.

Sahara trek in aid of testicular cancer

A former Berkhamsted Girls School student, 22-year-old Eloise Corswarem, is currently walking across the Sahara desert in memory of her ex boyfriend Rob who died in November at the age of 21 from testicular cancer.

She is undertaking the 10 day trek in aid of Orchid Cancer.

On her Facebook page she explains that Rob had a very short battle with the disease and thankfully suffered little due to the amazing care of the people around him. But the tragedy is that testicular cancer has over a 95% survival rate, but the symptoms were so subtle that for Rob it wasn’t caught until the cancer was quite advanced.

Eloise says this is a curable disease, but nobody thinks that cancer can strike at such a young age, and she wants to raise awareness that cancer doesn’t pick an age group and that none of us, no matter how strong, is invincible.

She is undertaking her walk across the Sahara desert in Morocco, with nothing but a tent and supplies to keep her going, to raise money for the UK’s leading charity working in the area of male-specific cancers.

Eloise is funding her trip which means all the money donated will go straight to the charity. She has already exceeded her target of £3,000 by almost an extra £1,000. If you wish to donate go to www.justgiving.com/Eloise-Corswarem

Flamstead & Trowley WI

After brief business details, the members took the meeting in March and presented small presents to the committee.

The speaker Ann Hall, Hertfordshire Federation chairman, spoke about calligraphy. The origins of calligraphy come from early medieval books, written on vellum, by monks. The monks were known as scribes and were usually the only people who could write. They wrote down in Latin what kings and noblemen said – hopefully with some accuracy!

Following the introduction of expensive paper, books were very precious. In the Renaissance period, italics was introduced and the secretary hand (small) became the special form. After the printing presses started to print books, copperplate became popular. Blue inks came from Lapis Lazuli (from Afghanistan) and red inks from lead. The best pens were made of swan feathers. Edward Johnston (early 20th Century) is known as the master of present day calligraphy.

Ann has studied various forms of the art, and become fascinated by the Elizabethan roundels. She produced her own set of replica wooden roundels and eventually produced a book about them and made some into table mats!

All members had contributed to the refreshment table.

The next meeting is on Thursday April 9 at 7.30pm. It is an open meeting and visitors are welcome. The speaker will be Tony Eaton, his subject will be Amy Johnson and Leslie Howard – two people who ‘disappeared’ in aeroplanes.

High visibility vests donated to school

Over 200 high visibility vests have been donated to Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School in Hemel Hempstead. The vests will be used by the school, which teaches children aged three years to seven years, for school trips and for a special education campaign to help children learn the importance of road safety.

And more vests are available for other infant schools in the area if they want them.

The vests were donated by Chicago Pneumatic, international manufacturers of compressors, construction, maintenance and production tools.

Jenny Russell, head teacher of Holtsmere End, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this donation, which means we can now equip every one of our children with a high visibility vest for future school excursions and local trips.

“This is something that had been high on our wish list for a long time, but hadn’t been possible due to budget restrictions.

“It’s crucial to teach children about the importance of road safety from a young age, and these vests will go a long way to instilling this in the minds of our children.”

Chicago Pneumatic is looking to support further infant schools in Hemel Hemsptead. If you represent a school and are interested in receiving the vests contact [email protected]

Box 2 Beat Cancer

A woman dies every two hours from ovarian cancer in the UK, and many of these deaths could be prevented if the condition was identified earlier.

Tragically, over a third of women are diagnosed in A&E when the condition is already in an advanced stage. Now you can help with fund raising for research into this deadly disease.

DazFitUK is presenting a fitness fundraiser in aid of ovarian cancer that includes elements of boxing related fitness, but participants do not need any previous boxing experience.

The event takes place in Berkhamsted Town Hall on Sunday (March 29) from 10am to 1pm.

The event caters for all levels of fitness and participants can put in as much or as little effort as they fancy, and the event will include an element of fun.

The cost is £10 per person with all proceeds going to the charity.

To reserve your place, or if you cannot attend but would like to make a donation, email [email protected] as soon as possible.

By knowing the symptoms of ovarian cancer you could save a woman’s life.

The symptoms include persistent bloating (not bloating that comes and goes with every meal); persistent pelvic pain; difficulty eating and feelign full quickly; needing to wee more frequently.