Scarecrow Theme: Children’s Favourites
Event Dates: 15th-17th October 2021
Location: Chorleywood

Scarecrow Makers
Registration Cost: £6.50 at tickets.mp/scarecrow
Registration Deadline: 4th October 2021

Trail Followers
Buy your Trail Guide and map (£5) on this link: https://bit.ly/3mvQDZf
TO VOTE for your favourites visit: https://bit.ly/3lnEjLn

Chorleywood Magazine 2021 Scarecrow Trail is on! The Trail, which is open to residents of Chorleywood, Chenies and Latimer, runs from 1pm Friday 15th October to 6pm Sunday 17th October. It is the sixth Trail run by Chorleywood Magazine, supported by Estate Agents John Roberts and Sewell and Gardner.

One to delight the young and young at heart this year. Whether it’s a character from a modern story book, a classic fairy tale,Disney or Warner Bros movie. GO to town on your straw filled hero, princesses, wizards and baddies.

Don’t forget your scarecrow needs to be in place on the morning of Friday 15 October.

The charity this year is Mission EmployAble, who together with Chorleywood Cricket Club are in the process of creating a training café for young adults with learning disabilities within the Cricket Club’s new pavilion on the Common.

TRAIL FOLLOWERS will need to register online for a map and will be asked to make a donation. Details for this and how to vote will be on chorleywoodmagazine.co.uk and Facebook page nearer the Trail weekend.

Date: 12th - 15th September 2021
Distance: 452km over 4 days
Route: Chorleywood - Stonehenge - Taunton - Okehampton - Padstow

If you wish to help them in their challenge to raise £5k please click here:

Donate Now

Photo courtesy of Erica bendall

Date: 12th - 15th September 2021
Distance: 452km over 4 days
Route: Chorleywood - Stonehenge - Taunton - Okehampton - Padstow

Team Coastbusters are a group of local friends who really enjoy combining cycling and fund raising. Tony Bendall, Gary Waller, Robert Finney, Patrick Turnbull and Adrian Horsburgh are off on Sunday 12th September with the first stopover just outside of Salisbury with 141km under their belts on Day 1.

If you wish to help them in their challenge to raise £5k please click here:

Donate Now

The Chorleywood Cricket Club and the local charity Mission EmployAble are pleased that the Parish Council has again publicly committed to supporting the new pavilion and cafe on Chorleywood Common.

We await a decision by the Parish Council to allow the building works to proceed having completed all the necessary paperwork.

We would like to thank the community for the tremendous support that has been received to date and the participation by many local people in the range of fund ranging events that have been held.

We now look forward to the new cricket pavilion being built in the very near future.

The atmosphere at our first Music Quiz Under The Stars was so “magical” that at times, we felt as if we were at rock concert, rather than sitting in a private garden.

Most people dressed up for the occasion and everyone brought their own food - with many enjoying ‘Cordon Bleu’ style dinner parties at their respective table - and were such enthusiastic drinkers that we had to re-stock the wine bar during the evening.

At one stage, the entire marquee of some 130 ‘quizzers’ broke into a rendition of ‘Sweet Caroline.’

The event raised a staggering £3,200, of which £1,130 was raised by raffle tickets; and a spontaneous mini auction raised a further £150, £40 of which was bid, would you believe, for a simple lemon.

Mission EmployAble chair and founder Katharine Weston said: “Everyone worked so hard to make the quiz a success, local shops and businesses generously donated raffle prizes and the contestants were such good sports.”

“After such a magical evening, we very much hope to repeat the event again next year, so please look out for it.”

A big thank you for your generous donations and support:
Heat Tech, Herons Restaurant, Higgins Butchers, Rootz, Nails By Ann, F Hinds, Hannahs Health & Beauty, Satya Photography/Kodak Express, Chorleywood Bookshop, Pet’s Corner, Paramount Wines (St Albans) & Shendish Manor Golf, Lords.

We are now recruiting for our new Supported Internships programme for young adults with learning disabilities, which will begin in Chorleywood on 6 September.

Our first group of interns will spend a year learning practical workplace skills, on a programme specially devised by the Bucks College Group, leading to industry-recognised qualifications.

The programme promises to be fun and tailor-made to suit the individual needs of each intern, who will be supported throughout by Mission EmployAble’s Training Manager.

Most of the interns’ on-the-job training will take place in Beaumont House, a care home for elderly residents in Chorleywood, with further opportunities to work in The Junction café (within Christ Church on Chorleywood Common), just across the road, where the interns will also meet for classes in Maths, English, Independence and Employability skills.

The wide variety of work experiences offered by Beaumont House include:

• Food and drink preparation
• Serving food and drink
• Customer service
• Storage, ordering and deliveries
• Cleaning
• Garden maintenance
• Preparation of group activities
• Office and library organisation
• Workplace Health and Safety checks

Our vision is to give our interns every opportunity to gain the independence and self-confidence from their training that will help them find paid work afterwards.

Applications will be considered from young adults aged 19-25 years* with an EHCP who can travel independently to Chorleywood (by bus, train or SEND taxi within Herts, Bucks and beyond), who are available from 6th September.

For more details about our Supported Internships and to register your interest:

CLICK HERE

* Our interns can turn 19 within the internship year 1st September 2021 - 1st September 2022 but must not turn 26 within that period.

When five friends who love wine said they wanted to organise an event in aid of Mission EmployAble, we naturally said yes.

One phone call, five wine experts, six tables of happy people in one beautifully decorated marquee, four cheeses and seven top quality wines later, we helped to put on a Fine Wine Tasting Experience on May 20. As well as raising their glasses, they raised more than £3000 for the new Cricket Club pavilion and Mission EmployAble café.

Mission EmployAble trustee Richard Walton, together with his friends Robert Finney, Luke Bugeja, James Gardner and Mark Minashi donated a selection of fine and unusual wines and shared their knowledge of each bottle with their delighted audience.

The very persuasive powers of two young raffle ticket sellers added to the fun of the evening - as well to the funds, by raising nearly £1200 - and one delighted guest, Dave Jones, won the top prize of a bottle of Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal 2012, worth an estimated £200.

Erica Bendall, chair of Mission EmployAble fund-raising committee said: ‘We are absolutely delighted with the money raised by this event and overwhelmed by the generosity of the organisers.

‘It is another wonderful example of how our community comes up with fantastic ideas to support Mission EmployAble.’

Mission EmployAble is raising money with Chorleywood Cricket Club for a new club pavilion on Chorleywood Common, with a café inside that will train young adults with learning disabilities.

If you have any fund-raising ideas that you would like to discuss with us, please email: ericabendall@missionemployable.co.uk.

What started out as a fun experiment with empty gin bottles ended in a successful sales venture and raised more than £300 for Mission EmployAble.

Chorleywood resident Marina, 17, wanted to do something personal to help Mission EmployAble and came up with the idea of making attractive flex-free lamps from recycled spirits bottles, to sell at the pop-up café at the Bluebell Walk weekend on May 2 and 3.

A quick email to friends of her parents, many of whom, ahem, are clearly secret drinkers, yielded a supply of beautifully coloured and unusually shaped gin and vodka bottles – just perfect for decorative table lamps to create mood lighting indoors or for brightening up an evening barbecue.

Marina kept the price at £10 and hoped to sell ‘about six’ bottle lamps over the Bluebell Walk weekend, with all proceeds going to Mission EmployAble.

Much to her delight, she sold every single bottle, raising just over £300, and such was the demand on Sunday, that she had to make more lamps at home that evening to sell on Bank Holiday Monday, when she also found herself taking pre-paid orders for further lamps.

If you wish to help Marina with her fantastic initiative, we have opened up a donation site for her so that with your generosity, she can boost her donation to Mission EmployAble to £600.

Donate Now

Photo courtesy of Simon Varnals

Our Bluebell Walk on Saturday 2 and Monday 3 May proved to be an absolute delight and a triumph for Mission EmployAble volunteers and visitors alike, with just under £4,000 raised from the two days - double what we were hoping for – and ended with a promise for another Bluebell Walk in 2022.

We were lucky with the weather and most of all, with the stunning carpet of bluebells in the woods, which one visitor described as: ‘quite magical, I had a real sense of people coming alive after a long hibernation, happy families enjoying the privilege of a new place to explore and a fun pop-up café.’

We were given unique access to the magnificent bluebell meadow just outside Chorleywood, for the afternoon of Sunday May 2 - the first time these woods have been open to the public -and when online tickets sold out within 48 hours, the owners kindly agreed to open the woods again for us on the morning of May 3.

Word evidently got round and visitor figures were almost double on Bank Holiday Monday, thanks in part to many walk-ins at the gate.

Our large and devoted team of volunteers did sterling work setting up and taking down, manning the car park, greeting visitors on the gate, clearing tables in the pop-up woodland café, and serving 100s of hot drinks and treats on the extremely popular refreshment stall, where we were overwhelmed by the quality of donated cakes and biscuits.

Throughout the weekend the buzz was amazing, with many compliments received on the two days, as well as via email afterwards, with visitors expressing admiration and excitement for the new cricket club pavilion and our training café, which they look forward to visiting.

Mission EmployAble founder and chair Katharine Weston said: ‘We are all absolutely delighted by the success of the Bluebell Walk weekend and want to thank our very hard-working volunteers and our many supporters for helping to make the event such fun.’

Our thanks must go too to the approximately 420 visitors who enjoyed our Bluebell Walk; not one single item of litter was found in the wood and not one single bluebell was crushed underfoot over the entire weekend – which, given that dead bluebells do not grow back, was a joy to see – and consequently the owners of the wood have already suggested a re-run in 2022, when we hope to welcome even more visitors, once we put the social-distancing restrictions of 2021 behind us.

So look out for details of the Mission EmployAble Bluebell Walk 2022!

Photos courtesy of Simon Varnals

Those of you who missed out on tickets for the Bluebell Walk and pop-up Woodland Café in Crosslane Wood on May 2 can now buy tickets for the morning of Monday, May 3.

Tickets for the Bluebell Walk on May 2 sold out within 48 hours but thanks to the generosity of the wood’s owners, Mission EmployAble has been given unique access for a second day on Monday, May 3, so that families, individuals, children, grandparents and dogs can admire its stunning bluebells.

Visitors will be able to wander along a marked path in the woods and buy teas, cakes and soft drinks from a pop-up woodland café.

Dogs must be kept on a lead.
Free parking and disabled access will both be signposted.

Tickets: £20 family ticket, £8 adult, £5 concessions and over 60s. Free for under 10s.

Photo courtesy of Jo Day jodayphotography.co.uk

Bakes and bikes were the co-stars of a recent joint venture between The Bike Project in Sarratt and Mission EmployAble, which raised money for both charities and was great fun for all those involved.

The Bike Project, which restores donated bicycles for recently arrived refugees in the UK, held a bike drop-off on Sarratt Green on the morning of Saturday, April 17 and invited Mission EmployAble to donate cakes and to help man the adjoining pop-up cake stall.

Perhaps helped by the glorious sunshine, the event was very well supported, with 114 bikes being donated and £366 raised by the cake stall, which was split equally between the two charities.

Erica Bendall, head of fund-raising for Mission EmployAble said: ‘This is a wonderful example of two organisations working together on a project, which raised awareness of both causes and was fun to do.

‘Most visitors were interested to hear about both charities and several asked how they could get involved further.’

Sarratt resident Flo Garvey who is a fund-raiser for The Bike Project said: ‘To get so many bikes donated was terrific, because new refugees to this country will use them to find work.

We are absolutely delighted that Chorleywood Golf Club is offering a donation of £50 to Mission EmployAble for each person who joins the club by the end of June.

This has come about because the Club’s new Captain, John Lees, has chosen us as his Captain’s Charity for the year.

Now that the Golf Club is re-opening, John is calling on all golfers and would-be players to “get practising” and is making annual membership available for just £499 to all those who join by 30th June.

And more good news: a virtual Bridge Drive organised by the Chorleywood Golf Club Ladies in March raised £525 for Mission EmployAble.

Ladies’ Captain Sue Brocklehurst said she was “thrilled” to have made so much for us at an online event.

Erica Bendall, chair of Mission EmployAble’s fund-raising committee said: “The Golf Club’s support is a fantastic example of how different groups within our community can come together, and we couldn’t be more pleased.”

Location: Sarratt Village Green
Date: April 17th
Time: 10:00am - 1:30pm

If you enjoy cake – or better still - can bake a cake, make a tray of flapjacks or any other sweet treat, we would love to receive them at our pop-up cake stall on Sarratt Village Green from 10am – 1.30pm on Saturday, April 17th.

We are helping with the cake stall as part of a drop-off morning organised by The Bike Project, which takes and restores donated bikes, which are passed on to refugees in the UK to help them find work and integrate into their communities.

Please take your bakes and bikes to The Bike Project gazebo (by the flagpole) on Sarratt Village Green between 10am and 1.30pm on Saturday, April 17th.

You can also book a drop-off slot in advance for your bike by registering at: www.thebikeproject.co.uk

All donations will be received in socially distanced manner and proceeds from the cake stall will be split equally between The Bike Project and Mission EmployAble.

Location: In your front room on Zoom
Date: March 27th
Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Tickets: £14.00 plus booking fee per household

Headliner - Arthur Smith is a Comedian, Presenter, Actor, Writer (& Night Mayor of Balham - self appointed), and is one of the much admired originals of the great British alternative comedy scene. He has a consistently brilliant talent and ability to provide light entertainment whilst also still finding new and interesting ways to make people laugh.

"Smith stands out among his generation for a willingness to keep pushing himself and experimenting with the new forms of comedic expression."

We have an exceptional line up of Comedians for the evening such as Compère Laura Lexx who is an award-winning comedian, actor and writer. TV credits include Live At The Apollo.

Nathan Caton is one of the most exciting young comedians on the scene.

Danny Buckler was asked to support Victoria Wood on a nationwide tour and later joined the show Victoria Wood and Friends at London's famous Adelphi Theatre.

Darren Walsh is a unique performer combining visual gags with screen trickery, strange sound effects and puns.

This is going to be a funny evening - Out of Bounds Comedy Company have given us many LOL moments here in Chorleywood over the years - so we are really excited to bring them back for another evening of lockdown laughter via Zoom into your household.

Mission EmployAble is raising money for a training café which will be staffed by young people with learning disabilities. It will be housed within Chorleywood Cricket Club’s new pavilion on Chorleywood Common.

So order in your Saturday night takeaway, top up your quarantini and get ready for some Lockdown Laughter in your own home. This is an over 18's event.

How do I watch the show? You can watch the show by following the link provided via email on launch night once you have purchased your ticket.

When will I get the link to watch the show? You will receive a link to the live show before 6pm on 27th March.

THERE is great excitement in Chorleywood that work is starting on the Cricket Club’s new pavilion on the Common.

The original 1960s building, which is in bad repair, will be demolished during March. The new pavilion will enable the Cricket Club to grow and to extend opportunities to play cricket to girls, women and people with disabilities.

It will also house a café run by the new charity Mission EmployAble, which, in conjunction with Bucks College, will train young adults with learning disabilities, via supported internships.

The café will be open every day to all comers, serving delicious home-made food for snacks, light lunches and afternoon teas, all with magnificent views of the Common.

The café will also have a small gift shop.

The project is the culmination of months of planning and hard work by the Cricket Club and the charity, both of whom wanted to create a special place that can be enjoyed by everyone in Chorleywood.

When the founder of Mission EmployAble met the Cricket Club in 2019, they found they had ‘a perfect fit’ and a joint scheme was launched to raise £2m, £1.7m of which has been raised already.

A statement issued by the Cricket Club and Mission EmployAble said: “We are delighted that contractors are starting on the new building, which will be a huge asset to cricketers and the community, as well as enriching the lives of young people with a learning disability.

“We will work hard to protect the Common during the building works and minimise inconvenience to residents.“

The site will be protected by the contractor Boom Construction Ltd from day one by secure and newt fencing as recommended by the ecologist, and parking and welfare facilities for the contractor will be provided on-site.

The new building is due for completion in late 2021/early 2022.

We were dazzled by the festive wreaths entered in our Doors For The Cause competition and are delighted to announce our winners.

Lisa Marheineke
Prize: Hamper

Everyone at Mission EmployAble would like to thank our many friends for their fantastic support over the past year. You have helped us with your time, energy, money and imagination and, when lockdown made life challenging for us all, you always managed to lift our spirits. Your efforts on our behalf have inspired us with tremendous hope and enthusiasm.

As 2021 dawns – and despite ongoing restrictions – we know we can rely on your continued support for our wonderful project.

This year promises to be a very exciting one for us, so please keep checking our website and local press for news about each stage of the new building and for details of how you can help with our fund-raising.

We wish you and your loved ones all the very best for a happy and healthy year ahead.