Please click on the posters to enlarge them                            Ascot's tireless charity fundraiser, Alan Carr MBE is to walk the length of the country  to raise funds for his new charity - Prostate Project. Alan and fellow walker, Nigel Lewis-Baker will be setting off in a few weeks, on the first day of Spring, for the 1,000 - mile trek. If you would like to help you can donate at www.justgiving.com/lovetrainappeal  or visit www.lovetrain.org.uk

Or click on 'Read Article' to see donation form.

Love Train Prostate Project

Opening of Wren Bariatric Unit at St Peter’s Hospital: On Monday 6th February the Trust will be officially opening its new dedicated bariatric unit, Wren (Weight Reduction, Endocrine and Nutrition), at St Peter’s Hospital.   Since September 2011, with the expansion of the bariatric team under Upper Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgeon Mr Samer Humadi, the Trust has been able to offer the full range of weight loss surgery including gastric bypass and gastric sleeve procedures.  The new unit has been purpose built for bariatric patients ensuring that appropriate space and equipment is in place to support patients with post-operative recovery. Local dignitaries, patients and staff have been invited and the event will be led by Trust Chairman Aileen McLeish and The Mayor of Runnymede, Councillor David Parr.

Please click on the photo to enlarge it Pictured: The Transport & Infrastructure Topic Group working on the vision. L to R - Marian Newell, Dudley Mills, Topic Group Leader, and Gill Owen  .                                                Ascot, Sunninghill & Sunningdale Neighbourhood Plan: ‘A VISION IS TAKING SHAPE.’
A team of dedicated residents are participating in planning the future growth in our area and great progress is being made to date.
The Housing and Environment Group are tackling issues such as balancing the need for housing against maintaining green spaces and village identities. Respecting the existing Townscape Assessment in the provision of mixed housing types, whilst protecting the natural environment, landscape flora & fauna and wildlife corridors.
We are asking local employers to tell us how the economy of the area can be developed in the next 10 years. Members of the Economy Group are talking to leading business leaders on growth and sustainable employment opportunities.

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www.virginmoneygiving.com/RachelColloff
 Please click on the photo to enlarge it Rachel goes the distance in raising funds for Thames Hospicecare : Rachel Colloff (27) from North Ascot will be lacing up her trainers to take on the Virgin London Marathon in order to raise funds for Thames Hospicecare.

Rachel hopes her effort will be an example to other runners who are signed up to run the Virgin London Marathon but are not supporting a charity to be part of Team THc and run for the Hospice:

“I really wanted to support a local charity, which is why I chose Thames Hospicecare. A neighbour was cared for by the Hospice, and I think they do such a wonderful job. Two of my grandparents were in fact supported by a hospice in Swansea when they were sick, so I know how important local hospices are to those with cancer and their families,” said Rachel,  "So many national charities get a lot of support through the Marathon, but as I got my place through the ballot, I really wanted to use it to support a charity that would not have lots of runners taking part," explained Rachel.

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Please click on the photo to enlarge it Duke of Edinburgh Award certificates were presented at the Trax youth club in North Ascot.

Pictured: from left to right James (aged 7), Imma and Aaliyah (both aged 6)
 
Boys and girls at Hurst Lodge Junior School recently celebrated Pooh Day on the 130th anniversary of AA Milne’s birth.  AA Milne wrote the classic children’s story Winnie the Pooh in 1926, taking inspiration from his own son, Christopher Robin and his toys Pooh Bear, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore.  The boys and girls enjoyed a day packed with Pooh treats.  They built Eeyore’s house in the school’s own Hundred Acre Wood, feasted on honey sandwiches and listened to their favourite Pooh stories.  Headmistress, Kate Leiper said, “The Winnie the Pooh stories are classics and it has been a real treat to see them work their magic on another generation of children.”

Click on the posters to enlarge them Bogus advertising scam alert: The Royal Borough’s trading standards team is warning of a current advertising scam aimed at small businesses – and is taking the opportunity to reinforce its advice to businesses to help increase awareness of such schemes. AscotMatters has been told of this scam operating in Ascot! Beware of advertising executives offering to meet in local coffee shops !

Officers are highlighting the techniques used by scammers claiming to provide advertising space in publications to small businesses including:
•    cold calling, by phone, e-mail, or in person
•    using a name the same as or similar to a genuine business
•    associating themselves with the police, health services or other public bodies including local authorities
•    associating themselves with charities
•    asking for immediate upfront payments up-front
•    offering discounts for immediate agreement to buy advertising
•    signing the business up to a direct debit which may be for a higher amount / a greater frequency than first appeared
•    signing the business up to a long term contract which may be extremely costly.

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‘Sad day’ for Royal Borough’s mental health patients: The Royal Borough has expressed its bitter disappointment and frustration at the NHS Berkshire decision, announced today, to move all mental health beds from St Mark’s Hospital, Maidenhead, and Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot, to Prospect Park Hospital in Tilehurst, Reading.

Cllr Simon Dudley, cabinet member for adult and community services, said: “This is a very sad day for mental health patients and their families in Maidenhead, Windsor and Ascot. At present they have access to these services locally but now, while we recognise that high quality care will continue to be provided, they will have to trek up to 25 miles for that care.”

Ascot Cllr Lynda Yong says she is also very upset at this move: "I believe that provision should be made at a local level especially for the elderly residents in the area. If a elderly resident who has mental issues I.e dementia breaks a hip, for example .It is a long way to go to Prospect Park to visit this relative especially if the visitors are elderly as well .So what will happen is that patient will get less visitors
We wait and see what travel arrangements will be put in place and if they will be needs tested !"


The move to Reading was proposed by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in 2010 as one of three options to enable it to save more than £20m over three years.

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Borough residents to benefit from further 1.5% CUT in council tax: ‘Meticulous money management’ results in third year decrease. For the third successive year Royal Borough residents are to benefit from a cut in council tax – this time by 1.5%.

The proposal – to be put to the council for approval on Tuesday 28 February – means the borough will remain the area with the lowest council tax in the country outside London, thanks to a total reduction of 6% since 2010 – 4% decrease in 2010/11 and 0.5% in 2011/12.

It also means that the Band D rate will have fallen by a total of £61 over the past three years.

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The planning application for the construction of seven detached dwellings and a new access road at West Burnside And Burnside Burleigh Road Ascot has been refused by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Development Control Panel.

The Council  took into account all  relevant factors, including comments from the public and  the policies in the Development Plan,
and in this case the proposed development was considered unacceptable. The application was therefore
refused on 19 January 2012 for the following reasons:

1 Plots 1 and 2 would both be visually dominant and result in a loss of privacy to Little Burleigh to a
degree beyond that which the residents of Little Burleigh might reasonably expect to enjoy and
contrary to saved Policy H11 of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Local Plan, 1999
(Incorporating Alterations Adopted in June 2003).

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Excitment is mounting about HM The Queen's Diamond Jubilee this summer, with talk of Thames pageants and new royal yachts. But the real action will be (Diamond Day?) in Ascot & the Sunnings; -  this great occasion will be celebrated here, on Sunday June 3rd (10am - 5pm), with a huge 1950s- themed,  community fun day,   in the grounds of Charters School & Leisure Centre .

Organisers are planning a celebrity opening,  sports competitions, beer tents,  food stalls by local restaurants,  live music, hog roasts, school dancing displays, cheerleading, 50s cocktails, community organisation stands, an exhibition on the proposed new community sports centre and top quality craft stalls, all culminating in a marquee party for all  local sixth formers. Truly something for everyone ! Not forgetting local businesses- who are going to have a trade stand area -  an excellent opportunity to promote your  goods and services.

The event had already been awarded a substantial Big Society grant and will be heavily promoted to all ages in the coming months. This is a great opportunity to showcase the whole spectrum of local business, from one-man picture framers to car showrooms, from local bakers to sporting venues ! You might want to sell retro snacks and gifts or offer 50s - style make up !

As well as bringing local volunteers together, the day will be raising money for the proposed community sports centre. This structure, the size of three indoor tennis courts,  already has an approved design and just awaits finance (CLICK HERE to read more) . To help this fundraising effort, businesses taking a stall will be asked to pay £50 a table and to donate a percentage of their day's takings.

If you would like to take part in this jewel of an event - either providing food/drink/entertainment - or demonstrating  your product, e-mail Sayonara at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Margaret at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   as soon as possible. Space may be limited if demand is high!

  Flying the flag for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games:
The 2012 Olympic and Paralymic Games events at Eton Dorney are just a few months away and the Royal Borough is preparing to fly the flag in celebration.

As a host borough, Windsor and Maidenhead has been given the official Games flag which will be officially unfurled by the Mayor, Cllr Asghar Majeed at 11am on Thursday 19th January at the Magnet Centre.

The flag will be presented to the Mayor by Olympic badminton silver medallist Gail Emms at a session of s.m.i.l.e. (so much improvement with a little exercise).

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The first Jagz Band Competition was a great success, taking place at the Ascot venue in the first week of January the competition featured 4 heats and a final with the winner of each heat plus the act the audience voted for going through to the final. Each heat and final was judged by people involved in the local music scene which featured agents, band managers, promoters and musicians.

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Were you Christened or married at All Saints’ Church, Ascot Heath? Are your family or friends buried in the churchyard or maybe you attended Ascot Heath School or one of the uniformed organizations that visit the church?
Or, maybe you just live in North Ascot and think fondly of All Saints’ church as your parish church.
To enable you to show your interest and support for All Saints and to keep you informed of services and events (especially as we lead up to our 150th anniversary in 2014) we are setting up a Friends of All Saints’ Church, Ascot scheme. This scheme will be launched on Sunday January 29th with a brief meeting in All Saint’s Hall at 2.30pm, followed by tea and then a concert in the church at 4.00pm. The concert includes music by Bach, Beethoven, Grieg and Elgar-played by Linda Hannah on violin and Christopher Goodwin on piano and organ.
Everyone is invited to the concert and to light refreshment afterwards and donations will be gratefully received for the church organ fund.
We hope you will be able to join us for a delightful afternoon of music and fellowship. Further details can be found on the church website -
www.all-saints-ascot.org

Friends of All Saints Church Ascot

Have your say on school admissions, residents urged: Royal Borough residents are once again being asked for their views on proposed school admissions arrangements – this time for the academic year 2013/14.

Consultation takes place every year among parents, governors, teachers and other interested residents on proposed arrangements for admissions to community and voluntary controlled schools across the borough.

All local authorities are required to consult on admissions arrangements annually on a wide range of elements of school admission procedures including allocating places, late applications, changes of preference, appeals, waiting lists and ‘in-year’ admissions.

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www.englemere-dfas.org.uk  Please click on the poster to enlarge it

Please click on the photos to enlarge them. Click on 'Read Article' to see photos of many teams. Full list of teams (with numbers for identification), at the end             The 16th New Year Fancy Dress Wheelbarrow Race took place in glorious sunshine, at noon on Monday January 2nd 2012. CLICK HERE  to see the video, starting with the Fastest Men's Team from The Swinley Pub setting off !

The Race started and finished at the  car park behind St Michael’s School in the centre of Sunninghill.  The Race is organised by the Rotary Club of Ascot and the local community,  and is sponsored by Ascot Racecourse, to raise vital funds for the Ascot District Day Centre. Thirty one teams registered to compete for the coveted trophies for Fastest Time, Best Fancy Dress and Most Sponsorship Money Raised. The teams comprise groups of friends, neighbours, work colleagues, local organisations and dramatic societies such as the Sunningdale Savoy Chorus (promoting Annie Get Your Gun) and the Quince Players (promoting the forthcoming panto - Cinderella)

RESULTS:  The Fastest Men's Team was  The Swinley Pub (sporting football strips and pub-owner face masks - 2nd photo);  second fastest was Grecian 2012 (dresssed in togas with a superb chariot - 7th photo below) with a time of  9 minutes 33 seconds; third fastest were the Hairy Hooligans (who looked frightening with hairy beards and horns - (5th photo  below) with a time of 10 minutes. There was a tie for the title of Fastest Women's Team  with the St.Michael's Angels (3rd photo) and the Ascot Fillies  (4th photo), completing the course in  13 minutes 47 seconds (both pictured below) .   The Best Fancy Dress Title went to Princess Leia's Buns with their Star Wars Theme (top  & 6th photos), runners up were The Lady Agas of The  Slow Cookers (2nd photo), and the Sunningdale Savoy Chorus with Annie Get Your Gun (8th photo). Watch this space for the Most Sponsorship prize announcement.      

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Please click on the photos to enlarge them. Click on 'Read Article' to see photos of many teams. Full list of teams (with numbers for identification), at the end The 16th New Year Fancy Dress Wheelbarrow Race took place in glorious sunshine, at noon on Monday January 2nd 2012. CLICK HERE to see the video, starting with the Fastest Men's Team from The Swinley Pub setting off !

The Race started and finished at the  car park behind St Michael’s School in the centre of Sunninghill. The Race is organised by the Rotary Club of Ascot and the local community,  and is sponsored by Ascot Racecourse, to raise vital funds for the Ascot District Day Centre. Thirty one teams registered to compete for the coveted trophies for Fastest Time, Best Fancy Dress and Most Sponsorship Money Raised. The teams comprise groups of friends, neighbours, work colleagues, local organisations and dramatic societies such as the Sunningdale Savoy Chorus (promoting Annie Get Your Gun) and the Quince Players (promoting the forthcoming panto - Cinderella)

RESULTS:  The Fastest Men's Team was  The Swinley Pub (sporting football strips and pub-owner face masks);  second fastest was Grecian 2012 (dresssed in togas with a superb chariot - 7th photo below) with a time of  9 minutes 33 seconds; third fastest were the Hairy Hooligans (who looked frightening with hairy beards and horns - (5th photo  below) with a time of 10 minutes. There was a tie for the title of Fastest Women's Team  with the St.Michael's Angels (3rd photo) and the Ascot Fillies  (4th photo), completing the course in  13 minutes 47 seconds (both pictured below) .   The Best Fancy Dress Title went to Princess Leia's Buns with their Star Wars Theme (top  & 6th photos), runners up were The Lady Agas of The  Slow Cookers (2nd photo), and the Sunningdale Savoy Chorus with Annie Get Your Gun (8th photo). Watch this space for the Most Sponsorship prize announcement.

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Grow Our Own branches out!  A popular Royal Borough service is living up to its name and "growing" its approach to matching local employers with residents looking for work.

The well-established Grow Our Own scheme – launched in 2006 to provide information, advice and guidance to local job-seekers and match them with local employers – is showcasing an innovative series of recruitment events in the New Year on behalf of LEGOLAND, one of the borough's largest employers.

LEGOLAND staff will be visiting Grow Our Own's weekly Job Clubs held at two centres in Maidenhead and Windsor during January to provide details of employment opportunities at the popular theme park.

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Please click on the photo  to enlarge it   A new Reading FC team was formed in Freetown, capital of Sierra Leone when Max Edgar, from Woodside, Ascot, and three other local lads visited a children's mission there.

The mission is for former street children, most of whom are ophans, or whose families can't support them, who have been taken in by the mission and are taking part in a rehabilitation programme to equip them to look after themselves. Part of the programme is to get them to take part in organised sports and football is the most popular. SIerra Leone is one of the world's poorest countries.

The trainers at the back of the picture (above) are Max, who is manager of the Sunninghill Saints U9 Leopards, with his friends Scott Hill, Ben Jackson and Dan Hardy who made up the foursome. The young players in the picture with Max and his chums are wearing Sunninghill Saints FC football strips!

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Please click on the photo  to enlarge it

As part of Heathfield School’s efforts to achieve Eco-Schools status, the whole school took part in a national Eco-Schools Campaign, ‘Switch-Off Fortnight’, between 21st November and 4th December 2011. The aim of the fortnight was to increase the school’s awareness of ‘switching off’ and to reduce the school’s energy consumption during the two weeks and beyond.

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Please click on the photo  to enlarge it Pictured: The St.Francis R C School Nativity, Year 2 (aged 7) - Mary and Joseph sharing the stable with some animals. Names of children from left to right... Isabelle  (sheep) Annika (owl) Scarlet  (mouse) Joel  (Joseph) Harriet  (Mary) Jay  (Mouse) Bradley  (camel) Max  (Camel)

Please click on the photo  to enlarge it
On Saturday 26 November the Marist Preparatory School opened its doors to the Marist community for the MFA Christmas Fayre. With other 500 Marist families, Governors, teachers and Sisters attending the event was a huge success.

Mr Bell and Antler Homes very kindly sponsored our Santa’s Grotto and Mrs Durkin-Badham commented “The Grotto was a huge success and very busy, the Elves from year 5 were a great help to Santa and looked amazing. Santa was delighted to meet everyone and was glad that they had all been good children!”

The live Nativity Scene was also very popular with a real Donkey, Cow, Sheep and a Goat (and Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus of course!) situated in the school grounds. 

Julie Gillborn, Vice Chair of the Marist Friends Association commented “With 20 local businesses participating with gifts for early Christmas shopping, together with plenty of activities and games run by the girls, the event were a fabulous fund raising occasion for all the Marist families and friends to enjoy".  

Please click on the photo  to enlarge it A £500 cash reward is being offered by an AscotMatters reader, to anyone who provides information  leading to the return of  Louis Vuitton bag pictured here.  It was stolen after a break in to a van in the Coral Reef car park between 11am and 12.30pm on Wednesday November 30th. The bag is of sentimental value and the victims would be very grateful for your help. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Please click on the photo  to enlarge it Pictured: Ivo Delingpole (L), and Ted Wallace (R). Boys at Papplewick School showed off their drama skills on December 1 with 'Ebenezer' - a Malcom Sircom musical version of the age old Dickens favourite 'A Christmas Carol.’  

A Bah Humbugging Jake Pitcher (13) portrayed the grumpy and unfestive Scrooge remarkably well, yet warmed appropriately as the tale comes to an end.  William Andrew (12) and Max Rumsey (12) provided the strong supporting roles of Bob Cratchit and Fred (Scrooge's nephew).  Spencer Gomes (13) and Leo Pembroke (12) created the comedy value as a rapping Ghost of Christmas Present and an over-joyful rock ‘n rolling Mr Fezziwig.  In contrast, Henry Parkin (12) was haunting as Marley's Ghost.  The cast and crew were 50-strong with all boys from Years 7 & 8.
Headmaster Tom Bunbury said: “The boys really excelled themselves.  The play demonstrated a wonderful mix of musical genres, from Christmas carols to 50s rock ‘n roll to a rapping Ghost of Christmas Present!  It was a great way to kick off everyone’s festivities this year.”