Twelfth Night

Set against the romantic backdrop of 18th century Hatchlands house, join the all-male cast of The Lord Chamberlain’s Men this summer for Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy.

A joyous tale of love, laughter, music, mischief and mistaken identity, ‘Twelfth Night’ is certainly not a play to be missed. So,whether you fancy a night with the family or a romantic evening out with your closest, we can think of no better way to kick back and relax on a Sunday evening.

Most critics consider the play to be one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies, so why not head along simply to enjoy some light-hearted humour?

The event will take place on Sunday August 23, 7pm-10pm, so either enjoy a spot of dinner in town prior to the start of the performance or help yourself to the refreshments available at the venue.

Tickets: Adult: £16, Child: £8 (age 5-17), Family Ticket: £40 (2 adults and 2 children)

Pony Magic

Keep the children entertained this month with pony rides at Hatchlands Park. Suitable for 2-11 year olds, children will be led on a 3-5 minute pony ride with experienced handlers, thus they will be in safe hands.

No booking is required for this event, admission is £3 per child.

This service will be available on Friday August 21 and Friday August 28.

Have a go at Archery

Think you’re the next Robin Hood? Then why no head on down to Hatchlands Park and check out their exciting Archery classes.

Admission: Child: £2 (6 arrows)

When: Monday August 31, Sunday September 20, Sunday September 27, Sunday October 25.

These are just a few of the things taking place at Hatchlands Park, East Clandon, this month.

Find more information in regards to these events at: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hatchlands-park/

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The Combat Factory is a private fitness facility near Guildford and they provide a variety of activities from personal training to self defence and boxing classes, and this summer they are hosting boot camps for children.

Summer boot camps may sound intimidating but they are designed to give children a fun-filled and challenging summer, in addition to teaching them basic self defence skills, enabling them to be more confident facing the world.

The children’s boot camps will feature team games, fitness drills, learning simple and effective self defence moves, as well as anti bullying techniques.

Bronwyn Sutton, who runs the Guildford branch with her husband Anthony Sutton, said: “The boot camps will help your child develop confidence, leadership and teambuilding skills in addition to boosting fitness levels and encouraging discipline and respect. Most importantly, it’s great fun.”

Children’s holiday club. 10-16 years. Learn effective and realistic #SelfDefence. Have fun and make new friends pic.twitter.com/Yukhg4WkWj

— Combat Factory (@TheCombatFactor) June 23, 2015

The boot camps are mainly for children between the ages of 10-16 years and cost £25 per three hour session or £100 per week.

At the end of the boot camp, the children will be awarded a certificate of completion if they attend all five sessions in a week, and there will also be prizes to award leadership, team work and attitude.

Sessions will be run at our new training facility, The Combat Factory, in Sutton Green (between Guildford and Woking) on the following dates:

Monday July 13 – Friday 17

Monday July 27 – Friday 31

Monday August 10 – Friday 14

Monday August 24 – Friday 28

So if you are looking for something different for your children to try this summer, this is an excellent opportunity! For more information, you can visit http://www.thecombatfactory.com/ or contact Bronwyn on 078 372 10922.

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The project was devised to raise awareness about acute dangers at level crossings and since launching at the end of 2011 has been seen by over 4,000 school children in Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and Kent. The play follows the fortunes of three students who use the local level crossing several times a day. Their story is mixed with testimonies from a train driver, a teacher, a British Transport Policeman and a mother who have all experienced tragedy on the level crossing.

The two-week tour will be delivering a vital message to 13 specifically targeted schools that are situated close to level crossings where there is a high risk of incidents. Hundreds of students from All Hallows, Romsey, Sutton High, Westgate, Broadwater, The Beacon, Hounsdown, Oasis Academy Mayfield, Richmond Park, Connaught, Salesian, Eggars and Ash Manor School will be visited between September 8 to 17.

Adam Forde, Head of the Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre explains, “It’s such a brilliant opportunity to take Off The Level into these schools free of charge, thanks to our partnership with Network Rail, as the message is so important that we want to reach the widest possible audience of young people.

“Schools book us because it is an issue that is rarely out of the news for long and sadly, so many young people are affected by accidents and incidents on level crossings. It’s a strong piece of theatre which gets the message home without preaching to, or patronising the audience.

“After getting great feedback we are thrilled to be revisiting four school, and are excited to be making our first visits to a further nine schools. The play addresses such an important issue that we hope Off The Level – and the discussions that go with it – will be playing to young people around the country for years to come.”

The project has been nominated in the safety category in the prestigious Network Rail Annual Partnership Awards and Off The Level has also won a £2,000 award from the High Sheriff of Surrey to enable it to be taken into more schools around the county. The play has also showcased at several seminars and conferences for railway and transport professionals across the UK, whilst reaching out to even more kids through workshops or discussion sessions after performances.

James Martin

Image sourced from: http://tinyurl.com/m9okbyj

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Artists up to the age of 18 can take part to create their own vision for the borough, using any media available, for example, watercolour, acrylic paints or pencil. The competition is open to all residents or students who attend a school in the borough and is part of an initiative to involve local people of all ages in planning for the future of our borough.

There are four competition age categories; 6 years and younger, 7 to 10 years, 11 to 13 years and 14 to 18 years. There will be an overall competition winner who will receive a £50 voucher for Guildford Spectrum, G Live or The Electric Theatre, with category winners being presented with £30 vouchers and £15 vouchers to those who are highly commended in each age group. All winning entries will be displayed in the public areas of the Council’s Millmead offices.

All entries should be A3 in size or smaller and include your name, age, address, contact telephone number and email, as well as being labelled ‘My vision for Guildford’. In order to enter, hand in your picture to 25 Swan Lane (between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Saturday) or at the Council’s Millmead offices. Alternatively, post it to PR & Marketing, Guildford Borough Council, Millmead House, Millmead, Guildford, GU2 4BB. The closing date for admissions is Friday 12 September, but unfortunately, the Council cannot return entries to applicants.

Cllr Stephen Mansbridge, Leader of the Council, commented, “We aim to reach out to all residents, including young people, through our extensive Draft Local Plan consultation. Their views are very important – the decisions we make now will shape the borough they live in with their families. The art competition will give children and young people a chance to show us how they think their future should look.”

Image sourced from: http://tinyurl.com/ljkxmcc

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This new initiative will see Glade provide opportunities for local residents in disadvantaged areas, where participants will benefit from access to training, skills and work opportunities. These young people will work in supervised teams providing gardening services to Guildford Borough Council or street cleansing in Westborough ward. They will also work towards an accredited qualification with opportunities to move onto paid employment with Glade afterwards.

Cllr Stephen Mansbridge, Leader of the Council has said, “This is another fantastic example of the benefits that social enterprise can bring. We have already seen the success of the Guildford Bike Project and we have every confidence that Glade and its volunteers will provide an excellent service. Social enterprise projects really need the support of their local communities to grow, so I hope businesses and residents will consider using Glade for gardening work in the future.”

Councillors have agreed that Glade will deliver selected gardening and street cleansing services while training local apprentices. Guildford College will then provide a programme of training and skills development to help volunteers have access to permanent employment thereafter.

The Chief Executive at Surrey Lifelong Learning Partnership (SLLP), Kevin Delf commented, “SLLP have always looked for partnerships to provide creative and innovative ways to bring learning into practical situations and change lives in a meaningful way. The most effective way to empower communities is to provide opportunities for people within them to make decisions about what affects their community together with practical opportunities to learn skills to make things happen for them, their family and wider community. We look forward to this project as a strong example of partners who are working towards these aims coming together to support the community in this too.”

Adding to this, Pete Brayne, Chief Executive of Guildford YMCA said, “The YMCA in Guildford is very pleased to be working in partnership to ensure young people are given the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and training. The success of these initiatives has a proven track record and we are delighted to expand these opportunities in Guildford.”

Clive Stone, the CEO of Oakleaf Enterprise also commented, “Glade is a fantastic social enterprise that ties into the work and support we provide at Oakleaf through vocational training in Horticulture. The opportunity it provides our service users is tremendous; the project allows us to continue building valuable community links and ultimately give back through volunteer and employment opportunities for those involved.”

All the profits from Glade will be reinvested in developing more training opportunities and benefits for the wider local community as it is a social enterprise. And Glade will also encourage local people in Westborough and Stoke to become involved in its management so that it becomes a sustainable community run business.

If you are a local businesses or resident that may require gardening services, please get in contact with Glade on 01483 487892.

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Cllr Lockyer-Nibbs added, “I believe that all children should have access to a range of play opportunities which they can enjoy together safely. I’m delighted to open the new ability roundabout at Sutherland Memorial Park and I hope that all local children, including those with a disability, will enjoy spending time at the park with their friends and parents. As my Mayoral Project is that everyone will have a smile.”

Guildford Borough Council is promoting and celebrating inclusive play this spring through its own play services, with a focus on access to indoor and outdoor play for children across the borough. It is important to remember that the principles of inclusion applies to children of all abilities, ethnic and social backgrounds and ages, as people’s perceptions can often focus on disabled children only.

Events like the recent Love Outdoor Play Week have offered opportunities to discover the fun of playing outdoors and the PlayRangers after-school sessions continue to welcome dozens of children from across the borough every week. The PlayRangers deliver free weekly outdoor play sessions at five sites across Guildford every day in school term time. Activities include bushcraft skills, cooking on the firebowl, woodland crafts and playground games.

Also, The Council’s FISH (Fun in the School Holidays) playscheme offers a week of action packed play and activities for 10 to 16 year olds this Easter. FISH is suitable for all and offers additional support for young people with a disability or additional needs. To book, parents or guardians can visit HERE.

Cllr Matt Furniss, Lead Councillor for Environment has commented saying, “We recognise that while not every child will always be able to take part in every activity, an inclusive service should offer everyone a choice of things to do. This has been a fantastic project to provide play equipment for children who previously could not take part locally.”

James Martin

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The annual event aims to:

1. Celebrate the value of outdoor play
2. Increase the use of green spaces by families living in urban surroundings
3. Inform the designing/planning for public open space.

These aims inexorably link to what the Playrangers do on a weekly basis in the parks and open spaces within our local community. And so all they needed to do was plan something suitably grand and packed full of fun at their usual sites in Pirbright, Ash, Westborough, Chilworth, and Bellfields for it to be a success.

The PlayRangers offered a fantastic assortment of playful opportunities for children and young people to engage with and enjoy. Once the children had it started, the fire bowl was roaring all week and once the marshmallows had been freed from the padlocked chest, they were roasted on it in traditional style. To get the marshmallows the children undertook a treasure hunt using a GPS where they explored the local area and located the numbers required to open the padlock.

As well as that, Red Phoenix, a professional storyteller, took residence in a wonderfully adorned rouge tent; her compelling stories of dragons thrust the children into an imaginative landscape bringing the other play and activities to life. Whether it was making flags using paint and stitches with artists ‘Think, Make, Do’ or constructing catapults, from expending their energy blending fruit on a smoothie bike to free play, imaginative quests or rope swings… the sessions were a hub of energy.

The first half of the week was decorated in sun, which bolstered the numbers; however, children continued to come out as the days became windier and windier. In fact, by Thursday the storyteller’s tent could not go up for the wind, though this did not deter Mayor Councillor Lockyer-Nibbs, who was happy to brave the cold and get thoroughly involved. The children of course were not concerned in the slightest by the weather and enjoyed the additional game of racing the gusts, chasing equipment as it blustered by.

Over 200 children helped celebrate this annual event with the PlayRangers and made the week extra special and fun. As well as children and families enjoying the playful spaces throughout the week, practitioners representing nurseries, youth groups and play schemes came along too, hoping to gain ideas and show their support. The PlayRangers were also joined by a number of Councillors and community officers throughout the week and they wish to thank them and you for your continued support and enthusiasm.

Thank you everyone for coming out to play!

Tom Burgess

Guildford PlayRangers is a play service aimed at 8 to 12 year olds. PlayRangers recognise the importance of children being able to play outdoors freely, actively and safely. Playrangers deliver outdoor play opportunities where qualified and experienced play workers visit parks and open spaces within local communities, supporting and encouraging children to play freely outdoors. The Play Ranger Project is an open access service which means children are free to come and go as they please. PlayRangers deliver from scheduled parks and open spaces and come equipped with lots of play resources, games and ideas. All Playranger sessions run from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.

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PlayRangers has been running at different sites across the borough since 2010 and is funded and staffed by the Guildford Borough Council all year round. The PlayRanger Project is an open access service which means children are free to come and go as they want, but please be aware that it is not a childcare service!

The idea of this stimulating child service is that the staff engage children in their natural, green local spaces and encourage them to play outside. It really is an excellent way to engender healthy lifestyles in young people as they enjoy, achieve, manage risk and develop social skills. PlayRangers can be found in term time on one of five sites around Guildford depending on the day of the week, with each session being run from 3.30-5.30pm. You can check the website HERE for maps and further details on these five sites listed below.

Love Outdoor Play Week is a campaign being led by Re:Play, all about celebrating the play opportunities on offer in the fantastic green spaces across the South East of England. It is an annual celebration in its fifth year now with events organised all over the region to help children and young people get out and play. It hopes to encourage and promote outdoor play, whatever the weather and act as a reminder to play workers and families alike that outdoor play is not just for the summer.

Children can experience a whole raft of benefits from outdoor play and it is more important than ever that we encourage this with child obesity rates rising and all the technological distractions that kids have at their fingertips nowadays. Play not only improves physical fitness, but greater emotional well-being, improved self-esteem, confidence and better social skills. Spending time outside in nature also puts children in touch with their senses and has a calming influence, helping them to cope with stress.

And so this year PalyRangers have lined up some fantastic activities for Love Outdoor Play Week including; fire bowl cooking, geo-caching treasure hunts, dragon crafts, a legend teller, a smoothie bike and natural den building. The PlayRangers would love to see you all at this wonderful free community event that is being supported by many local councillors and the Mayor of Guildford will even be making an appearance on Thursday. Take a look at the poster above to see where the events will be taking place over the week of 17-21 March and go out and enjoy yourself!

Tom Burgess

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