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Hello and welcome to the August Newsletter! Welcome to this month’s newsletter! As we enjoy the summer break, please note there may be fewer staff available due to school holidays.
We have welcomed Jonny Marshall who is joining us as our new centre manager. Be sure to say hello if you bump into him and give him a big Hale welcome.
We’d love to see you at the centre, so why not pop down to our Community Wednesday for a cuppa and a sweet treat? Looking forward to catching up with you! Everyone is welcome.
If you have skills to share, great at making a cuppa or just happy to listen and share stories, there are plenty of ways to get involved with us, drop us an email - office@halecommunitycentre.org.uk.
We’d be thrilled to hear from you! |
The newsletter can also we downloaded straight from the website. |
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Pets At Home helping Hale |
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We would like to extend a huge thank you to Pets at Home Farnham for choosing us as their charity for the in-store donation box. Your support will go a long way in helping to reduce the costs for Hale families caring for their furry friends. |
Annual Volunteer get together |
This July, we gathered for our annual volunteer celebration, a special occasion to say thank you to our incredible volunteers for their dedication and hard work throughout the year. It’s always such fun to come together and celebrate.
We are also so grateful to Perfect Fit Technologies, whose generous sponsorship covered the cost of Mister Frosty Ice Cream for everyone. A big shout out to Penny, our ice cream lady, for serving up delicious treats. Special thanks to Simon, our trustee, and his niece Sonia for kindly offering the use of the farm and taking farm tours, it was the perfect setting for our picnic.
It was a fabulous afternoon spent in good company.
Thank you to everyone who made this day special! |
A fun filled day out at Bocketts farm for local families |
We had a fantastic day out at Bocketts Farm with local families from Hale.
The centre organised a memorable day out. It was great to see families enjoying themselves and creating lasting memories together.
This wonderful event wouldn't have been possible without the generous sponsorship and support from Cash for Kids, Vivid, and Monday Charitable Trust. Their contributions made it all happen.
Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this day a success.
We look forward to more exciting events like this in the future! |
Doorstep Duets returns to the Centre |
We were delighted to welcome back the inspiring Doorstep Duets from The Maltings and Matthew Bourne this July for a special, free performance of The Bench. Beautifully choreographed by Glenn Graham, this performance brought joy and artistry directly to our community, showcasing the power of dance to connect and inspire. |
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Air Fryer course all wrapped up |
We finished off our Air Fryer course in style, with a crowd favourite of sausage rolls and chocolate chip muffins. This was a new offering at our centre and was an immediate hit, with lots of delicious treats cooked up and enjoyed by all.
Special thanks to Coral our master cook, for guiding us through the tasty journey.
Keep your eyes peeled as we’ll be announcing our next exciting courses soon. These sessions are made possible by funding from the Better Care Fund. Stay tuned for more culinary adventures! |
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Residents and people working in Guildford and Waverley can now access FiveDinners, a free online meal‑planning service. With the cost of living continuing to affect households, Waverley and Guildford Borough Councils have been working with celebrity TV chef Theo Michaels to offer free access to FiveDinners to make everyday meal planning easier and more affordable. FiveDinners creates personalised meal plans to help you: ✓ save money ✓ reduce food waste ✓ eat well and more healthily ✓ shop smarter ✓ be more confident in the kitchen Every week households get a new meal plan designed just for them with a complete shopping list for the week ahead. It’s simple to use and tailored to your household. Meals include low calorie, vegetarian, affordable, Gluten Free, type 2 diabetes and so much more! Let your friends and family living and working in Guildford and Waverley know – while it’s free to use! Employers – let your staff know about this benefit available to them – while it’s free to use!
Enter your home or workplace postcode. |
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Rural Life open their doors again for another incredible Community Day at the Museum on Wednesday 26 August 2026!
And, to make it even easier for you to join in, they are offering a free shuttle bus service from Waverley hoppa bus service!
One bus will be running back and forth from Hale Community Centre to the museum, with the first bus leaving at 9:30am. Another bus will be running back and forth from The Chantry's Community Centre, also starting at 9:30am. The last buses will be leaving the museum on both days at 16:15pm.
They are also hosting @Aesopstouringtheatrecompany at the museum for two fantastic performances. Catch 'The Hare and the Tortoise' at 11am, perfect for younger audiences, and 'Timeline', a brief history of England, at 2pm, ideal for older children! |
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Last chance to get involved with our survey. We really hope you will take a few minutes to complete this short survey and have your say and help shape Hale Community and Youth Centre's future. Click on this link to take you to the survey. https://forms.office.com/e/y29JtqVhni Thank you. |
Kids Go Free with Stagecoach Bus this August Budget-friendly way to keep kids entertained this August?
Kids aged 5-15 can travel FREE on Stagecoach buses across England all August long as part of the UK Government's Great British Summer Savings campaign.
More days out. More family fun. More money for the fun stuff. |
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Because of increased demand, we'll invite you to one Fridge and Cupboard session each week to collect food. If there's any extra food, we'll put it in the external cupboard or display it in the foyer. Please feel free to stop by and see if there is anything you would like. Our core hours of opening are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. On Wednesdays there will still be a pay-what-you-can-afford lunch, Fridays a cafe with hot drinks and pastries and Sundays it will remain as an opportunity to sit outside and enjoy the garden. You remain welcome to come along to any session for refreshments only. Please also remember we are a charity so any donations that you can give to us will help to sustain the work we do. |
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If you or your children are interested in getting fit or just moving a bit more, why not come along to the Build Your Own Fitness class on Tuesday evenings or for the younger ones to the Monday Kids Fitness class, Both classes are run by James who is a fully qualified fitness instructor, he can help you tailor the exercises to your needs and ability.
For more information feel free to get in contact. Bookings@halecommunitycentre.org.uk |
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Our youth provision is expanding to welcome Year 6 boys and girls to our single gender youth club sessions.
• Year 6 boys - Tuesdays
• Year 6 girls - Wednesdays
Sessions are age appropriate and offer a safe, friendly, and supportive space where young people can make friends, build confidence, and enjoy fun activities in a relaxed environment.
For more information or to sign up please email:
Youth@halecommunitycentre.org.uk |
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Our Youth team are now popping in weekly to Heath End school for a lunch time drop in session to give our young people a safe and friendly place to unwind and someone to chat to.
If your young people attend Heath End School and would like more information please contact student reception. |
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Do you know that we rely on our rental income to support the running of the centres, as we receive NO statutory funding. So if you need a space for anything, do get in touch and see if we can help. We have competitive rates for our warm and welcoming spaces.
We have the main hall that can come with or without the lounge area, a smaller training room and the consulting room suitable for 1-2-1s, therapies and beauty and medical appointments, all available to hire, and all have access to our lovely kitchen facilities. |
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Plant Profile - Cosmos bipinnatusRHS - The Garden |
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As is so often the case, when it comes to origins, there's no consistent agreement on the origin of the name Cosmos.
Both suggestions seem appropriate, if a little fanciful.
Is it from the Greek word meaning
an "ordered world", referring to the neat arrangement of petals (ray florets) around the sunny centre? Or is it from a different Greek word, that means "a jewel" and refers to the flowers' sparkling yellow eyes?
One undisputed fact about Cosmos is that they're members of the daisy family, and the large-flowered Cosmos bipinnatus, the widely grown Mexican species, is distinctively daisy-like in its wild form with its eight pink or white petals around a bright yellow eye that often turns a honey-brown as it matures.
The second part of its name tells us another thing that's special about this species - bipinnatus means that each leaf is split into opposite pairs of slender divisions - and then each one of those is once again split into pairs.
The result is a mass of fine, feathery foliage that creates an attractive plant long before the flowers even appear. When they do, they cross the spectrum in many shades from white to deep magenta, with newer cultivars appearing in blush, reddish burgundy and even yellow. Not to mention some unusual and intriguing flower forms and patterns. There are about 35 other cosmos species, including the popular tuberous chocolate-coloured (as well as chocolate-scented) perennial C. atrosanguineus.
Wild C. bipinnatus and older named cultivars tend to be tall - reaching 1.2m or more - and can be late-flowering. Breeders have developed cultivars that are dependably shorter and earlier blooming, with larger flowers - and in an extended range of colours and colour combinations. Look for those with a dramatic ring of tubular petals, including
C. bipinnatus Sea Shells, or anemone-centred types such as 'Pink Popsocks' that have emerged recently.
The first yellow-flowered selections were tall, very late-flowering and they were sometimes cut down by the first frosts of autumn before the buds opened. However, we now have a number of neat, prolific examples in primrose-yellow (Xanthos) and apricot tones (Apricotta') that flower all summer. Increased productivity has also been built in, so stems can often be cut for the house while still leaving an attractive plant in the garden. Grown well, cosmos are some of the most productive of all cut flowers.
This decades-long surge in breeding means that Cosmos bipinnatus is now a better bet than it's ever been for British gardeners. |
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1- 'Pink Mosaic' Mottled semi-double flower, with rosy-pink and white streaks. A few extra, short petals. Height 50cm
2- 'Antiquity'
Single flowers open crimson and mature to blushed salmon with dark streaks. H60cm
3- 'Fizzy Rose Picotee' Rosy-white petals edged in purple.
Semi-double flower. H90cm
4- 'Apricotta'
One of the prettiest new colours - semi-double peachy flowers blend to rose pink. A few short extra petals give a frilly look. H80cm
5- 'Fizzy White'
Frilly, semi-double white flowers, often with additional short, slender petals. Flowers last well in the garden and cut, and are pretty in mixed bouquets. H90cm
6- 'Kiiro'
Small, pale lemon flowers. The peach-pink colouring on the reverse of the petals sometimes seeps through to the front, in a lovely effect. H1.2m
7- 'Double Dutch Rose Masses of extra-fluffy rose-pink petals almost hide the central golden eyes that peep out once flowers mature. H1.2m
8- 'Dazzler'
Bright crimson-red single flowers that are attractively uniform in both shape and colour. Combines well with silver foliage in the garden. H1m
9- 'Fondant Fancy' Vibrant pink petals, each with a crimson ring at the base, are fused into saucers reminiscent of the Cupcakes Series. H1.2m
10- 'Rubenza' RHS Winner
Rich red single flowers, with dark slender streaks on the face of each petal. The flowers look lovely planted alongside old roses. H70cm
11- 'Candyfloss White' Neat and prolific, with pure white petals. Superb in large pots. H60cm
12- 'Apollo Pink' RHS Winner
The best dwarf plants are from the Apollo Series. Of the six colours The pink is best for pots. H45cm
13- 'Daydream'
Flowers open white with an increasingly rich pink centre.
Prolific and heat tolerant. H1.2m
14- 'Cupcakes Blush' Petals are fused into a cup shape in this Cupcakes Series cultivar, with a flurry of shorter ones in the centre. Captivating. H1.4m
If you would like to know more you can at: PHOTOGRAPHY: RHS | ANTHONY MASI. WITH THANKS TO BRITISH COSMOS |
August - Wildlife profile |
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Species information
Category StatisticsWingspan: 5.0-5.8cm Conservation status Migrant. Habitats The hummingbird hawk-moth is a small, day-flying hawk-moth. It is a summer visitor to the UK, migrating from Southern Europe in variable numbers each year. In some years, it can be common and may be seen in gardens, hovering like a hummingbird as it feeds on the nectar of honeysuckle, red valerian and other flowers. It can also be found along woodland edges, and on heathland and scrub. The caterpillars feed on various species of bedstraw, so the female adult moths lay their eggs on the buds or flowers of these plants.
How to identifyThe hummingbird hawk-moth has greyish-brown forewings, bright orange hindwings, and a greyish body with a broad, black-and-white 'tail'. Its hovering flight is a distinguishing feature; it flutters its wings so quickly that it can appear orange and makes an audible hum.
Distribution - A widespread migrant, most frequent in the south and near the coast.
Did you know? The hummingbird hawk-moth is the only 'hummingbird' in Europe: real hummingbirds are found in the Americas.
How people can help? To attract butterflies and moths into your garden, plant nectar-rich borders for them to feed along and climbing Ivy and shrubs for overwintering insects. To find out more about encouraging wildlife into your garden, visit our Wild About Gardens website: a joint initiative with the RHS, there's plenty of facts and tips to get you started, at www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk.
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Local resident sighting - Picture by Matt Gunn |
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There are also regular courses available through TalkPlus
Knowing Me Knowing You Course:
A six-week virtual course that explores thoughts and feelings around anxiety, low mood, and wellbeing in a safe environment, allowing space to have special time with your baby. This course is for new mothers with babies under the age of 12 months, Living with a postcode within Hart and Rushmoor, struggling with mild to moderate levels of low mood/anxiety. The next course starts 13th April 2026.
Baby and Me Course: (Farnham Patients only) Patients outside of Farnham can refer and ask for information about our Knowing Me Knowing you Course.
It is an 8-week course that explores thoughts and feelings around anxiety, low mood and wellbeing and feeling alone in a safe environment, allowing space to have special time with your baby.
Currently running in February, next course starts: TBC
CBT Strategies for Menopause Webinar: Gain valuable insights into navigating the peri-menopause and menopause journey, Learn how CBT can empower you and manage symptoms, reduce stress and foster a positive mindset during this time of change.
This is being run on Tuesday 12th May 6pm - 7:30pm online.
For further information about all the courses we run and how to self-refer, please visit: www.talkplus.org.uk
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Hale Community and Youth Centre values your connection with us, whether you are a regular newsletter reader or someone who enjoys our activities.
Can you give us feedback?
Can you make a small donation as a one off or monthly?
Can you volunteer?
We understand that not everyone will be able to participate, and that's perfectly fine. If you do NOT want to hear further from us on how you can make a difference please email us at fundraising@halecommunitycentre.org.uk.
THANK YOU. |
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Interested in volunteering?
We are currently looking for new volunteers for a variety of roles to support our new projects. Interested? Please contact Sue |
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At Hale Community Centre we have many great services on offer for free, one of these is Citizens Advice. Most Wednesdays you can find Sharon at our Community Pop-in 11:00-1:30 who is on hand to advise you on all sorts of different concerns.
A major concern at present is the rise in the cost of heating our homes and paying for other utilities, this is where advisers like Sharon are a real gem. You can pop in to speak to Sharon about where you may be able to get extra help. If you are struggling with any kind of financial issues you can also speak to a member of the Community Centre team as we can signpost you to local funding and support that may be available.
Citizens Advice - They give people the knowledge and confidence they need to find their way forward - whoever they are, and whatever their problem. They are here to help everyone who needs it with practical advice you can really trust. They are a national charity and network of local charities that offer confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free. |
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If you would like to donate! You can support us by donating via our JUST GIVING page: |
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Did you know that Hale Community Centre is a Not for Profit, independent organisation?
Can you help Hale Community Centre do more?
Hale Community Centre has worked hard to provide a safe and welcoming space that supports the community as it navigates its way through the changes we have all gone through to our normal lives and routines. We do not receive regular funding from the local councils and have to raise income from renting our rooms and from donations and project work in order to keep the Centre open to all. The operational costs to be covered by the Charity are over £1,000 per week.
Are you interested in becoming a friend of Hale Community Centre?
This would involve either providing a one-off donation or providing a regular donation, the charity could also claim gift aid if appropriate.
Are you able to support the activities at Hale Community Centre as a volunteer?
Or are you already involved in an organisation that could offer free sessions?
For more information or to donate or volunteer please contact Melissa Salisbury on 07471 180958 or by email at manager@halecommunitycentre.org.uk
Bank details: Sort code: 08 92 99 Account No: 65375602
You can support us by donating via our JUST GIVING page: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/hccjustgiving |
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