Friends of Ancells Farm

Come along and join us at our Community Action Day on 21st April 2012

Friends of Ancells Farm are holding a community action day on Ancells Farm playing fields on 21st April 2012.

The RHS have kindly sent us some wild flower seeds to help add some much needed colour to our park. We'll be planting these, doing some tidying up and maintenance on the trees that we planted last year and also paint the fence around our under 5's play park in bright and vibrant colours. We also have some left over trees from last year to plant in place of any that have died.

We would love it if you would join us on this community day and help improve our local park even more. The more the merrier! If you need any further information regarding this, please email us at committee@ancellsfarm.org.uk

If you would like further information about the RHS Wild flowers Scheme, then please click here

Progress is made towards New Play Equipment for 4-7 year olds!

We've been listening to feedback from our members and we agree that there is a gap in our play park for equipment for 4-7 year olds.

We have agreed with Fleet Town Council that we can donate two items of equipment for installation in the park and fundraising is progressing well. We're looking to provide a medium sized climbing frame with a slide and also a 'trim trail'.

We need to raise £9,000 to secure both pieces of equipment and so far we've raised nearly £6,000! This means that we are close to installing the new climbing frame & slide and have made a good start towards the trim trail too.

We have a pub quiz planned to raise more money and further details about this will follow shortly. We hope that you will join us at this event for some fun, whilst raising money for a really good cause. If you would like to make a donation, please contact us at committee@ancellsfarm.org.uk - as they say, every little helps!

£15,000 Pavilion Renovation!

Following the successful clear out day on 15th October 2011, Friends of Ancells Farm been successful in persuading Fleet Town Council to allocate £15,000 towards the renovation of the Pavilion.

Fleet Town Council are working to an expected opening of August 2012 in time for the Summer holidays and in advance of the next football season. We are very grateful for Fleet Town Council's support in moving this project along.

Annual General Meeting

We had our first AGM in March this year and a number of local residents joined us to discuss local 'green spaces' issues and receive our report of progress to date and our aims for the forthcoming year.

We also published our 'Wish List'. This represents the ideas we've thought of to date. If you have any other ideas for our green spaces, then please do let us know and we'll add them to the list.

Choosing our Priorities for 2012

Following our AGM, we were pleased to carry out a planning session with one of our members, Sarah Holloway, a trained facilitator. Sarah took us through a process to assess and understand our aims and to select projects from our 'wish list' that represented these aims in priority order. At the end of this process, we agreed our priorities for 2012 to be as shown below. Click for a full copy of the meeting notes

• Community Action Day (21 April)
• Diamond Jubilee Big Lunch (3 June)
• 4-7 year olds’ park equipment (May)
• Pavilion refurbishment (Quarter 2 2012)
• Wildlife walk with Isle of Wight Trust ranger (August?)
• Park and zip wire flooring
• Bridge across the culvert to the shops/falkners arms
• More flowers
• Notice boards/signs, including Dog Poo Fairy signs
• Christmas/prayer tree
• Carol singing

Queens Jubilee

As you may be aware, there are lots of events happening in Fleet over the Jubilee Weekend. Friends of Ancells Farm will be having a picnic at the park on Sunday 3rd June at 2pm. Simply turn up with a picnic and have fun. We are also looking to entering a Tub of War team in Fleet Town Council's traditional sports day on Monday 4th June. If you would like to join in the tug of war, then please email committee@ancellsfarm.org.uk.

Pub Quiz update

Thank you to all those who attended our pub quiz in April and to the Falkners Arms for allowing us to use the pub. It was great fun and we raised £127 towards the new play equipment. We hope to run another quiz in the autumn.

We have a new logo and a new banner!

Friends of Ancells Farm wish to thank local Artist Hollie McManus who has designed a new logo for us. The logo incorporates the various community threads represented by Friends of Ancells Farm, including the green spaces, sports, play, ecology and community. We think it looks great!

Hollie's website is www.holliemcmanus.co.uk and she also posts information about her budding career at http://holliemcmanus.blogspot.com. Please have a look, as her work is excellent.

Designerprint of Fleet have also donated a new banner, which shows our logo off brilliantly. Thank you to Designerprint for their generosity.

Work continues on restoring our pavilion!

Saturday 15th October saw a number of 'football dads' from Hart FC joining forces with Friends of Ancells Farm and Fleet Town Council to clear out our boarded up pavilion. The afternoon was a great success and the building is now clear and ready for renovation. The building is structurally sound, but needs new facias, guttering, and a boiler as well as some other new fittings

Friends of Ancells Farm are now working with Fleet Town Council to explore ways to secure funding and assistance to get the renovations under way. Then the pavilion can be re-opened so that Fleet residents can use this excellent facility once again.

If you can recommend any local businesses who can provide plumbing, electrical or carpentry services, who may be interested in helping with this worthwhile project, then please contact us on committee@ancellsfarm.org.uk

Help our Hedgehogs!

Hedgehogs travel up to one mile each night looking for food and to find mates. Friends of Ancells Farm and Friends of Oakley Park are joining forces to start a Hedgehog Street Around Fleet to try to improve the lives of our local Hedgehogs. Joining in is simple! read on...

Planting Bulbs on Ancells Farm

The Fleet & Church Crookham Society is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and Friends of Ancells Farm worked with them to celebrate by joining in with their community bulb planting in October.

Friends of Ancells Farm held a joint community bulb planting session on Saturday 29th October where planted up to 1,000 bulbs on community land in Ancells Farm, bringing some much needed spring colour to our park and green spaces.

Thank you to everyone who got involved./b>

We've won an award!

Earlier this year Friends of Ancells Farm entered the RHS 'It's your neighbourhood' scheme and planted nearly 400 trees around the edge of our park. This scheme is part of Britain in Bloom.

Our assessor came to visit in July and We are thrilled that we received an award of 'Level 2 - Improving' which is a great achievement for such a new group. read on...

Awarded £2,000 from the Fleet Lions Dragons Den!!

So pleased to let you know that friends of Ancells have been awarded £2,000 from the Fleet Lions Dragons Den to go towards buying a new climbing frame and slide for the 4-7 year olds. Excellent news!!

The climbing frame and slide actually costs £5,000 so we have some serious fundraising to do.

Teddy Bears Picnic | Friday 12th August

Great fun had by loads of people today at the Teddy bears picnic.

Newsletter (July 2011)

Wow, what a fantastic six months it has been! Firstly, a big thank you to all of you for joining the group. We hope that together, as a voice, we can make Ancells Farm an even better place to live. Read more...

It's Your Neighbourhood! A Special Visitor is Coming to Ancells Farm in July

On Friday 22nd July we are delighted to announce that an assessor from the Royal Horticultural Society, South East in Bloom campaign is visiting our park to review the tree planting that we did in April and talk about the plans we have got for the park in future.

The trees were donated to us by the Woodland Trust in partnership with the RHS as part of their 'It's Your Neighbourhood' campaign. This is the beginner's version of Britain in Bloom and its aim is to support voluntary groups in improving their local green spaces. Our Assessor is responsible for the flower beds in the Royal Parks, including those right outside Buckingham Palace! Whilst our park won't be at the same level of the parks he is responsible for, we are very proud of the success we have had so far with our trees and we are looking forwards to his assessment and hopefully some helpful advice. We think that we should be getting a certificate for entering this campaign and we'll let you know how we get on. Further details on Its Your Neighbourhood can be found on the RHS web site.

Help our Hedgehogs!

Two wildlife charities have joined forces to research the reasons why hedgehog numbers are declining in the UK. They have also launched Hedgehog Street, a nationwide campaign to empower local communities to take small steps to improve their neighbourhood for hedgehogs. Hedgehogs travel up to one mile each night looking for food and to find mates, so the campaign advises gardeners to work with their neighbours to create links between adjoining gardens so hedgehogs can roam freely. Further details of this campaign can be found at www.hedgehogstreet.org. If you would like to become a 'Hedgehog Champion' please keep us informed and we will help.

Beer Festival

Fleet Lions bring their 5th beer festival to Ancells Community Centre on 13 August 2011. Fleet Lions raised over £3,000 for charitable uses last year. 28 Real Ales + Ciders + Wines + BBQ. Purchase your ticket in advance by visiting the Fleet Lions web site.

Under 5's Park Finished

Work to move the under 5's play park over to the main sports field, next to the over 8's park, has now been completed. The new park boasts two swings, slide and two rockers.

Tree Planting 16th April 2011

Community spirit prevailed at Ancells Farm in Fleet, Hampshire when Friends of Ancells Farm celebrated the launch of the RHS Britain in Bloom It’s Your Neighbourhood campaign by rolling up their sleeves to plant native trees on 16th April this year.

Approximately 100 volunteers of all ages, supported by local Beavers, Cubs and Scouts had fun planting over 350 trees which we hope will grow into beautiful hedges over the next few years. It is hoped that these will give all round colour and act as a colourful and sustainable shield between the park and the road, complementing our fabulous new play equipment. We are proud to make a significant contribution to increasing the number of trees in Britain and the associated wildlife benefits that this will bring.

The New Park is Finished!

The new over eights park on Ancells Farm opened on Thursday 31st March! Click here to see the photo's

Neighbourhood Police Surgery

Police surgeries are drop-in sessions allowing residents to meet their local officers, ask questions about neighbourhood policing or share any concerns they may have. The Ancells Farm neighbourhood Policing team will be holding a surgery on 31st March 2011 at 6:00pm in the Tesco's Car Park, Falkner's Close

Grand National Race Night

Saturday 9th April 2011 at At the Zebon Copse Centre, Hosted by HART FC. Ticket Price is £7.50 and includes entry, 1 drink voucher and plate of buffet food. Tickets available from Hart FC by calling Darryl:- 07946 576697 or Email taylordmade@ntlworld.com

Beer Festival

Fleet Lions bring their 5th beer festival to Ancells Community Centre on 13 August 2011. Fleet Lions raised over £3000 for charitable uses last year. 28 Real Ales + Ciders + Wines + BBQ. Purchase your ticket in advance by visiting the Fleet Lions web site.

Thank you to the Beavers!

During February, intrepid Beavers from Willow and Alder Colonies of 6th Fleet Ancells Farm pack ventured out into Ancells Farm playing fields to carry out a litter picking challenge, supported by Serco who loaned high visibility vests, grabbers and protective gloves for the event.

Divided into teams, the Beavers took turns to scour the field and retrieve as much litter as they could before darkness fell. White Lodge proved the winners with a huge bag full of litter, followed very closely by the other teams. Each of the Beavers took up their challenge with great enthusiasm and energy.

In taking part in this litter picking exercise the Beavers met one of the criteria for their Environment Award Badge. The Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in the Group have been working together in partnership towards this badge since January of last year and it was awarded to all of those who have completed the Badge criteria at their AGM on Friday 4th March 2011.

Friends of Ancells Farm would like to thank the Beavers for their efforts in helping to keep the park clean and look forward to working with 6th Fleet Ancells Farm pack in the future.

Community Pancake Racing

Fun for all the family courtesy of The Falkners Arms and Ancells Community Pre-School. Join us on the sports field for a fun-packed afternoon of pancake racing for all ages with trophies for the winners, beat the goalie, and even a good old game of rounders. Saturday 12th March from 12 noon

Funding Secured

Friends of Ancells Farm are pleased to announce that our campaign to secure funding to improve the children’s play parks has taken a huge step forward. Fleet Town Council have been awarded a grant of £50,000 as part of the governments Playbuilder scheme to replace the over 8’s park with new equipment. Works are scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2011. Further information will follow as soon as it becomes available.

Friends of Ancells Farm in the Local Press

The Friends of Ancells Farm group made the headlines of the Fleet News & Mail this week, see the online article at www.gethampshire.co.uk

Electing a Committee

We will be holding a meeting on Monday 10th January in the Falkner’s Arms pub at 8pm to elect a committee for the new Friends of Ancells Farm group. The meeting is open to anyone who would like to be on the committee or generally interested in the group, all help is greatly welcomed.

Planning for the future

Thank you to those who could make our first meeting. The next the step for us is to formally elect a committee so another meeting will need to be organised for this, date to be confirmed (watch this space for more info)

Website Live!

The new website went live today!