Clubs/societies

Jellyfish, sharks, freezing water, and oil-spewing ships may be some of the obstacles six girl guiders may have to face as they swim the English channel this summer.

Team Twenty Ten are planning to swim 21 miles from the English to French coast in July, to celebrate the Girlguiding Centenary and to raise money for charity Street Child Africa.

More than 100 people packed into St Hilda's Church on Sunday (February 21) to celebrate an annual girl guiding day.

Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, and their leaders from the River Ash Division, which includes outfits in Ashford, Sunbury, and Shepperton, visited the Ashford church to mark the centenary of Thinking Day.

A bunch of veterans will be holding post in Staines and Shepperton on Saturday as they host a 'flag' day to raise money for their organisation.

The ex-soldiers and RAF men are part of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Families Association - Forces Help, which helps out veterans and servicemen with small troubles such as getting benefits or helping them get out of debt.

Martin 'Bill Sikes' Frank, 90, of Junction Road, Ashford, fought in World War II in the RAF, and will be based in the Elmsleigh Centre in Staines from 10am to 4pm on the day.

He said: "I have been with Forces Help for the past 40 years, and this is the first flag day of its kind. We are like the British Legion but not as well known, so this day will raise money for us and also give us a bit of publicity."

Other veterans will also set up a stall in Shepperton High Street on the same day at the same time.

A talk on the history of Ashford will be given at a meeting of the Spelthorne Archaeological Field Group on Thursday February 4.

The organisation, who are affiliated with the Friends of Spelthorne Museum, will see Bob Calder talk about 'Old Ashford.'

He is the author of a few books on the town's history.

The event will be held at 8pm in Staines Methodist Church, in Thames Street.
Admission is £1 to non-members.

Ashford Rotary Club have sent a £500 shelterbox to Haiti due to the earthquake.

The box gives warmth and shelter to people in need, but the group raised a further £8,500 last year for local charities.

The group wish to thank all the people and organisations that donated.

Volunteers who care for the elderly and disabled are looking for people to care for due to a decline in numbers over the past six months.

Ashford Helping Hands said that a few of their clients have died recently, so they have volunteers who don't have anyone to care for.

An education charity for children who have been expelled is hosting an open day on Wednesday January 13.

The Surrey Care Trust will be hosting the day at STEPS Staines Learning Centre, based in the Thameside Arts building, in Wyatt Road.

The school is for 15-16-year-olds who have struggled to fit into school, and the institution tries to help them out, encourage them to behave better, and gives them qualifications for when they finish.

The event will start at 11am and finish at 2pm.

The eighth Ashford Scout group will be selling Christmas trees to raise money for themselves on Sunday 13.

They will have a range of different trees, which can be picked up from their hut in Convent Road from 10am.

Call Louise Sears on 0791 330 8071 for more information.

A vintage Victorian helter skelter and 46 themed Christmas trees were two of the festive frolics going on in Spelthorne at the weekend.

On Saturday November 28 in St Matthews Church, Ashford, the 11th annual Christmas tree festival took place, which saw schools, brownie and scout groups, and shopkeepers decorate trees to their own theme.

A drunken bet the night before led to a Freemason from Ashford donning shorts and plunging into freezing cold water for charity.

Simon Hodkins, 37, of London Road, stood in the sea at Bournemouth on Sunday November 22 with his 35-year-old friend Jed , from Windsor and raised, £350 for Slough Homeless Our Concern for standing in the cold water during heavy winds for 15 minutes.