We are battling to support families in difficult times. Ash Wharf is a recognised area of deprivation in Surrey. The surrey-I website shows in the 2024 data that Ash Wharf ranks 19 th for overall deprivation out of 709 areas in Surrey. (1 being the most deprived / 709 least) https://cdn-wp.datapress.cloud/surrey/20240722115840/July-2024-Guildford-010C-in-Ash-Wharf.pdf  It means that in hard times like these, a large number of local residents are really struggling. For exam

Thursday 2 nd  April  - Maundy Thursday Service and shared meal at St Mary’s. 6pm for a 6:30pm start (St Mary's on Vale Road GU12 5JE) Friday 3 rd  April—Good Friday Walk of witness starts at St Marys 9:45am. We walk down to Ash Wharf for the  10:30am open air service at Ash Wharf with Churches Together, and NWCLF, then we have fellowship, tea and hot cross buns afterwards at The Chapel. (The Chapel is here, Wharf Rd, GU12 5AY) St Mary’s church (Vale Rd) will be open from 2pm

The Ash Villages Food Parcels Project  began as a local response to hardship, during COVID-19 in 2020, and has evolved to become the local foodbank for Ash, Ash Vale, Ash Green and Tongham. Our footprint covers recognised areas of deprivation including Ash Wharf. We jointly run the project as a partnership between St Marys Church Ash Vale (Revd Neil Lambert) and the Ash Villages Support Circle (Cllr Carla Morson). The Project Manager is employed by St Mary’s Church on Vale Rd

Cries in The Desert A series of 6 short films which, together, create a 30 minute experience that redefine perceptions of AlUla, Saudi Arabia. This is a new artwork by international artists musson+retallick and Wilderthorn which reaches across cultural boundaries to connect past, present and future. Join us on Wednesday 18th March 2026 at 7pm. Artist in Residence Jono Retallick will be showing his latest work “Cries in the Desert” right here at the Chapel.

We are delighted to welcome you to Chapel Cafe on Mondays at The Chapel here on Wharf Rd, GU12 5AY. Here are the dates for the spring term 2026. We open at 9:30am, simple lunch is served at 12:00, and we close at 12:30pm. It is free / by donation, come and enjoy what's on offer, have a chat, and catch up with friends old and new. 5th January - open 9:30-12:30 12th January - open 9:30-12:30 19th January - open 9:30-12:30 - Citizens Advice Outreach attending 26th January - open

Did you see this wonderful project Exeter Cathedral? From the Vow made is a contemplative sculptural installation. Jono Retallick and Neil Musson ran multiple workshops, resulting in 1000 votives made by 1000 people in the community, suspended to create a beautiful installation. Each votive expresses gratitude, a personal giving of thanks by its creator. You can read more about this project in the attached leaflet, or visit mussonretallick.com

Did you know? The Chapel is home to a Home Ed Art Class, led by our Artist in Residence Debi Retallick. Here are some of the beautiful fruits of the home ed class on Monday this week. The group are looking forward to another 4 children joining from next week. I wonder what they will create next? Interested to know more? Contact Debi: debiretallick@googlemail.com

The Ash Villages Food Parcels Project would like to say a huge thank you to the Ash Hill Evening WI Meeting members. Alex Sanderson (Project Manager) reports… What a wonderful evening we had yesterday! I was very kindly invited to visit the WI for their January meeting at St Mary’s. The welcome was very warm, and it was lovely catching up with friends old and new – and some of our wonderful volunteers past and present as well! I was delighted to give a talk about the Foodbank

If you’ve been to the Chapel lately you will have noticed our beautiful new front door. What do you think? We absolutely love it! As part of our journey to net zero, and to make sure we can always offer a Warm Welcome, the Chapel Team is working hard to minimise drafts, make the building energy efficient and keep making the place future proof, step by step each year. Imagine our delight when Cllr Carla Morson agreed to help support our application to the YFS small projects fu

We have just finished adding up all the foodbank data for 2025 for our project reporting, and thought we should let you all know what an amazing community you all are! Huge thanks to everyone who has donated items, given funding, packed parcels, sorted veg, helped with packing, gone out delivering, collected donations, helped with fundraising, given prayer support, cleaned the fridges, spread the word, and all the various aspects of making it all happen. While we are sad that

Here’s whats on this term at St Mary’s (Vale Rd) and The Chapel (Wharf Rd) Open Planning Meeting for toddler groups takes place at Chapel (Wharf Rd) this Wednesday 7th Jan 10:30am Monday Chapel Cafe / Mondays 9:30-12:30 at the Chapel GU12 5AY (Starts 5th Jan) Warm Welcome Venue Little Lambs Library - Tuesday 10:00-13:00 at st Mary’s GU12 5JE (Starts next week 13th Jan) ChapelKids - Wednesdays 11am-2pm at The Chapel (starts next week 14th Jan) Friday Community Cafe - Fridays

#ChristmasFoodbank we have just a few days to go before the Ash Villages Food Parcels Projects volunteer team delivers the Christmas parcels to local people in need this year. If anyone is yet to donate, we are ok for mince pies and cranberry but we still need Christmas puddings, custard, treats and lots of stuffing mix please. We will also be needing over 200 tins of all the basics (beans / sweetcorn / tomatoes / tuna / meat etc) so all donations will be very gratefully rece

It’s party time! 🎄💕🎅🏻🤩🥳😇🌟✨ It’s our last Little Lambs (Tuesday at St Mary’s) and Chapel Kids (Wednesday at The Chapel) of the term this week, bring&share Christmas snacks, and why not wear your Christmas Jumpers? We look forward to welcoming you. *Remember to book for the Christingle Journey event on Saturday 20th* so you can make your Christingle, have a drink at the inn, make s’mores with the shepherds, visit baby Jesus and enjoy Revd Neil’s amazing food! #Christi

Looking forward to welcoming you all at the St Nicholas event today! Lantern Walkers meet at The Chapel (Wharf Road) 4:30pm to collect your lantern and glow stick, and we set off at 4:45. Be sure to dress for the weather! If you’re coming directly to St Mary’s (Vale Road) please arrive between 5:00 and 5:30pm. Our elves have the booking list and will be on hand so you can decorate a biscuit, make a decoration, visit Santa and we have hotdogs for tea.

Christmas Chill-out at At The Chapel Saturday 29th Nov 2:30-4:30pm The Chapel, Wharf Rd, GU12 5AY Pop in and join us for Christmas Craft Activities, Hot Chocolate bar, Christmas Bakes, and some fundraising fun for The Chapel and Foodbank. Try your luck with the Golden Bucket, guess the weight of the Christmas Food Hamper, have a go at Christmas Card Stamping and Make a Lantern for the St Nicholas event on 6th December. Hotdogs for tea, before you go to see Santa switch the li

Christmas Food Parcels 2025 - Can you help? Our local Food Bank for Ash, Ash Vale, Tongham and Ash Green is appealing for Christmas Hamper items, toys and winter warmers for local families this Christmas. #AshVillagesFoodParcelsProject Not everyone will be in a position to help this year, but if you can, we will be very thankful. Donations can be dropped off on or before Sunday 14th December at St Mary’s Church Vale Rd on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays 10:00-12:00 or at The Ch

Learn the art of felt making by making and designing your own pair of felt slippers. Artist Debi Retallick will take you through the 3D wet felting process in her studio at the Chapel in Wharf Rd, Ash Vale. This is a hands on sensory workshop! Participants will learn the wet felting technique to create their own pair of bespoke slippers. Felting a 3D form in merino fibres and using their feet as a mould to shape the slippers for a perfect fit! The workshop is open to Adults a

Please vote for St Mary's! https://www.bridges.co.uk/bridges-big-christmas-give-away/vote-now/  Bridges are giving away funding to local charities but we need your votes please! This will be a huge help with keeping all our projects going (We co-manage the local Food Parcels Project, Community Cafe, Chapel Cafe, 2 Toddler Groups and lots of community events at St Mary's and The Chapel). Please everyone vote for St Mary's, as they co-fund / co-run the Chapel Project as well, s

Good morning! We look forward to welcoming #ChapelKids for fun food and friendship today 11:00-14:00. We have a tea light holder to make at the craft table today, hotdogs or soup for lunch, and balloons for sensory play. See you soon! (Baby / toddler / preschool group for children 0-5years and their parents and carers. Free/donations welcomed) This is a term time group, no session in half term at the end of October, back on the first Wednesday of November. See you soon!

Thank you for your Donations! We are grateful for donations of in-date food, unopened toiletries, Christmas treats, winter warmers, and new toys for the Ash Villages Food Parcels Project, the Community Fridge and this year’s Christmas Parcels. Please do not leave bags of second hand clothes, bric-a-brac or books here . We have no storage space, and cannot accept them . There are local charity shops and the local Facebook group called  ‘Ash Vale Freebies’ to give away items li