Upchurch Village Christmas Tree 2021

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Parish Councillors Tyrone Ripley, Neil Sheppard, Gary Rosewell, John Arnold with grandson Tom, and Bob Friend have all helped put the village Christmas tree up today.

'SANTA STOP HERE' has been added to the village sign along with the sleigh and reindeer lights.

This year's beautiful village tree was kindly donated by Bob Friend and his family again.

Thank you, Bob, and happy birthday! 🎄🎅🏼 👍🏼 😀

Upchurch Matters

Hundreds of Knitted Christmas Characters Return to Upchurch Village

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For the fifth consecutive year, the ladies of the Kitting Group, with their partners, have decorated the railings at St Mary's Church, Upchurch, with hundreds of beautiful knitted Christmas characters.

A lovely new post box topper has been added this year with characters on the Post Office railings and the Co-op garden fence, snowmen in the bus shelter, and knitted stockings hung on wooden bollards.

They have brightened up the centre of the village once again!

Thank you

Go and take a look...

Upchurch Matters

Public Access Defibrillator Installed at Beckenham Residential Park

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A Parish Council Public Access Defibrillator has been installed and is available to use 24 hours a day located at the Park Office:

Beckenham Residential Park

Otterham Quay Lane

ME8 7XF

A Parish Council Public Access Defibrillator is also available to use 24 hours a day located at:

Snaffles Equestrian & Country Store

2 - 4 The Street

Upchurch

ME9 7AJ

Holywell Primary School has a Defibrillator, which is available in an emergency only when the school is open.

An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electricity which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm.

Modern AEDs have been designed to be simple for the layperson to use.

In a medical emergency

In a medical emergency, you must dial 999.

The 999 operator will assist and instruct the user, particularly with CPR, and provide the unlock code to open the Defibrillator cabinet.

No training is required to use the Defibrillator. The Defibrillator will talk to the user giving them instructions on how to use it.

The 999 operator will also dispatch an ambulance.

If you notice a problem with the Defibrillator or if you have had to use it, please let the Parish Council know as soon as possible so that it can be made ready for future use - Thank you.

Tel: 07798 600696

Email: clerk@upchurchparishcouncil.gov.uk

Upchurch Matters

The Blythswood Care Christmas Shoe Box Appeal 2021 - Thank You

Bring joy this Christmas

Thank you to all those who have generously donated Shoe Boxes and items for Shoe Boxes

on behalf of Blythswood this year as they again take God's love to some of the poorest people in Eastern Europe.

If you would still like to fill a Shoe Box, we will be able to collect it from St Mary's Church, Upchurch up until Saturday the 11th of December.

The church is open most Wednesdays, so you can just pop your box in, and put it on the back pew near the font - thank you.

Filling a box can be quite expensive if you put in all the items suggested. Why not fill a box with a group of friends. Or, we are always short of socks, underwear, flannels, deodorants, sweets (not chocolate and with a good date). So you could put together a selection of any of these - they are always very handy.

How everything gets to those who need it.

Cartons in Gillingham full of your gifts being sent to Romania by the

Blythswood Care charity for Christmas 2021.

Photo: Elizabeth Shorthouse.

Can you help?

Blythswood is short of help to sort boxes and pack them into cartons. If you would like to help with sorting/packing shoe boxes, your help would be really appreciated. Checking is going on at St Barnabas Church, Nelson Road, Gillingham, with parking available 500 metres from the church.

Covid regulations are in operation at the church and masks are to be worn. Please bring a hot drink and lunch or a snack.

Please phone Ralph on: 07847 205431 to book a spot to help.

For further information, please click on: https://blythswood.org/shoeboxappeal

Heartfelt thanks to all for your overwhelming generosity ❤️

Gill Gay

Thank You, Val and John Arnold

On behalf of everyone, we would like to wish Val and John Arnold all the best for their move to East Sussex early next year to be closer to their family.

John has served as Vice Chairman of Upchurch Parish Council for many years and attended his last full council meeting yesterday.

As a Parish Councillor, John has overseen the village highways, reporting and chasing repairs to faults as they occur. He has lit up the village Christmas tree, installed defibrillators, and has taken the lead on the recent street light upgrade. John has also carried out work to Upchurch Village Hall.

John's electrical expertise and team of helpers have powered and made possible many of the village's most loved and well attended events over recent years.

Val and John were both involved in bringing back the Village Fete to the Paddock in 2014, and John's work with Upchurch Scout Group helped ensure their hugely popular Family Fireworks event could go ahead safely every year.

The number of projects John has volunteered his spare time to during the family's time living in Crosier Court is much too long to list.

Thank you, Val and John, for all you have done for our village 👏🏼

Upchurch will miss you, for sure!

Upchurch Matters

Gill Gay Will Be Collecting For Swale Foodbank Again

Hi Everyone,

We thank you all for the tremendous support we have received on behalf of Swale Foodbank so far.

Georgina and I will be collecting again at the bus stop opposite the Church in Horsham Lane on Wednesday the 8th of December between 10:30am and 11:30am.

Please come along with your donations (in carrier bags would be helpful) and put them into our open car boot.

We will then deliver your donations to the Swale Foodbank Warehouse, part of the Trussell Trust.

All donations are helpful providing, the food is long life and well within date.

They are desperately short of long life milk and squash but the usual life supporting basics are always needed. Can we also try and give those struggling a bit of Christmas. So any good date Christmas goodies. Small toys, gloves, scarves, and slippers maybe.

Thank you for every single donation - we are very grateful!

This will be our last collection before Christmas. Although on Monday the 13th of December there will be a group of us singing carols by the village sign, from 7:00pm, where we will be shaking buckets for the Foodbank.

It breaks my heart to know there will be such hardship amongst families this Christmas.

Thank you for helping us bring a bit of hope and joy and a good helping of God's love. 

Bless you, all, and may you enjoy an awesome Christmas!

While you are there, why not pop into the church for a warm-up and 'A Cuppa and a Chat' in the Lady Chapel.

We will have the kettle on between 10:00am and 12 midday, and on every second Wednesday of the month.

All welcome

Gill & Georgina ♥️

Gill Gay - Foodbank Co-ordinator
Email: gilliangay99@yahoo.co.uk