Welcome to our Summer Newsletter!
With the days now longer and sunnier, it’s hard to believe how quickly another Spring has flown by. As always, it’s been a busy and enjoyable few months at ACE Activities, with plenty happening alongside our regular programme of activities. From gardening and community events to sport, cooking, creativity and performances, our members have continued to learn new skills, build confidence, make new friends and represent ACE Activities out in the community.
We hope you enjoy reading about some of our highlights from the past few months, and thank you, as always, for your continued support.
In this issue
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ACE Gardening
Spring is always one of the busiest times of the year on the allotment, and from April onwards our ACE gardeners have certainly been keeping busy. From planning and preparing beds to sowing seeds, planting, watering and maintaining the plots, everyone has played their part in helping our community garden flourish. We are hoping for another successful growing season—and perhaps our best yet!
This also provided the perfect opportunity for our members to begin this year’s ASDAN challenges, with a focus on literacy through horticulture. Members have been researching gardening techniques using seed packets, books and the internet, reading and following instructions, designing and creating signs and information boards for the garden, and even writing articles for our newsletter. It’s been a fantastic way to develop literacy skills while learning practical gardening techniques.
Jason is an ACE gardener with a strong interest in history. He wrote this article as part of his Literature in Horticulture ASDAN challenge.
On the outset of WW2 Countryside was a big part of the war effort. The Land Army worked in Factories and in Agriculture the men were at war. The food grown by the Land Army played a big part in providing food for the country, in times of rationing.
In addition, many people grew their own food on allotments growing plants and vegetables ranging from carrots to potatoes.
The war last 6 long years between 1939-45 brave women who worked so hard.
We should be grateful for the women who worked so hard so we can garden for generations to come.
I am lucky to be one of the generations that came 40 years after the war. I was born in 1985 and am part of the Ace Activities Gardeners. I enjoy the achievements at the allotment and the hard work that the team does.
I hope that we can inspire the next generation of keen gardeners.
Zippo’s Circus
April also saw our second visit to Zippo’s Circus in East Ham, kindly organised by Rotary Club of Barking together with other local Rotary groups.
Once again, everyone had a fantastic day enjoying the spectacular performances, laughter and excitement under the big top.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone involved in organising such a memorable outing.
Swaines Green May Fayre
May saw our now annual visit to the Swaines Green May Fayre. This year, however, we attended as part of the wider Voluntary Action Epping Forest team, showcasing the wide range of services VAEF provides across the district. Alongside promoting ACE Activities, we were delighted to speak with local residents about the many ways VAEF supports the community, including befriending services to tackle loneliness, benefits advice, digital inclusion, volunteering opportunities, community handyman services, foodbank support, community projects and much more. It was wonderful to meet so many local people, raise awareness of the support available and demonstrate the positive impact VAEF has across Epping Forest in helping improve people’s health, wellbeing and independence.
The day was also a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talents of our members. We were delighted to sell out of the plants lovingly grown by our ACE Gardeners, while our ACE Upcyclers’ handcrafted bird boxes and other wooden creations also proved extremely popular with visitors. Not only did this help raise valuable funds for ACE Activities, but it also gave our members a real sense of pride in seeing their hard work appreciated by the local community.
A taste of China
May also brought another wonderful collaboration with our friends at Woodland Grove Care home, as we welcomed some of their residents to join us for a very special shared cookery session. Together we enjoyed a delicious Chinese banquet, freshly prepared by both groups. It was a lovely afternoon filled with great food, conversation and laughter, bringing everyone together around the table. A huge thank you goes to our amazing cooking Tutor/Lead, Andrea, for organising such a successful and enjoyable event.
Charity Football Match
On 24th May we hosted our second Charity Football Match against the Colebrook Legends. It proved to be another fantastic day, with a brilliant atmosphere and plenty of support from members, families, volunteers and local councillors.
The match itself was highly competitive, eventually going to a dramatic penalty shootout, with ACE Activities proudly retaining the trophy for a second consecutive year. More importantly, the event gave our sports members another unforgettable experience, allowing them to showcase their skills, teamwork and determination in front of a supportive crowd.
A very special thank you also goes to Pesh Kapasiawala and our friends at 3Food4U, who stepped in at the last moment to sponsor the event. Their generosity and willingness to help at such short notice were greatly appreciated and played an important part in making the day such a success raising over £1,300 for Ace Activities. Thank you to all who generously donated raffle prizes.
Our most sincere thanks also go to John Eagleton, Chief of Colebrook Royals, without whom the day would not be possible, and to Ray Harris for all their hard work in organising another outstanding event. We are already looking forward to next year’s match! Put Saturday 5th June 2027 in your diaries.
Essex County Council Learning Disability Festival
June began with another fantastic community event as we attended the third Learning Disabilities Festival, held this year at Harlow Rugby Club. It was wonderful to meet so many organisations dedicated to supporting people with learning disabilities and additional needs, while celebrating the incredible talent and achievements within our community.
One of the highlights of the day was watching the wonderful performances on stage, not least by our very own Hands Up to Music group, who once again did ACE Activities proud with an outstanding performance that was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone in attendance.
Alongside the performances, our ACE Upcyclers ran a range of fantastic hands-on activities from our large gazebo. Visitors enjoyed trying out our handmade wooden games and taking part in a unique collaborative art project designed by our volunteer and visiting artist Amanda McLeod.
Working alongside our members, Amanda created the outline of a cordless drill, with our upcycling team carefully drilling the guide holes in advance. Throughout the day, visitors were invited to screw in a single screw, gradually building the picture one screw at a time. By the end of the festival, hundreds of individual contributions had combined to reveal a giant drill – a wonderful symbol of teamwork and community.
It was rewarding to see so many people confidently use a drill for the very first time. Under the close supervision of our volunteers and following a thorough risk assessment, participants were encouraged to have a go, learn a new skill and take pride in what they had achieved. It perfectly reflected what ACE Activities is all about – supporting people to build confidence, develop practical skills and discover what they are capable of achieving.
It was a fantastic day, and our sincere thanks go to Essex County Council Adult Social Care for organising another excellent Learning Disabilities Festival.
Join our Art Sessions!
We still have places available on our popular all-day art sessions, where members have the opportunity to work with visiting artists and explore a wide range of artistic techniques and materials in a relaxed, friendly and supportive environment.
The sessions are currently available at the introductory price of £30 per day.
For further information or to book a place, please contact Sally Panrucker at .
Looking ahead
We have plenty to look forward to over the coming months.
We are also incredibly grateful to the Haslers Foundation for awarding ACE Activities a grant to support an exciting new community project.
Working in partnership with Essex Wildlife Trust, our members will be creating a beautiful ceramic butterfly installation for the new nature trail being developed in the meadows adjoining the Grange Farm Centre. The project will provide another fantastic opportunity for our members to learn new creative skills, work alongside experienced artists and leave a lasting legacy for the local community to enjoy. Our sincere thanks go to the Haslers Foundation for making this exciting collaboration possible.
On 11th July, we are delighted that the Epping Forest Singers have chosen ACE Activities as their Charity of the Year. They will be holding a special fundraising event in support of our work, and we are incredibly grateful for their generosity.
Later in the summer, our wonderful friends and supporters, Donna and Gary Castle, will once again be organising their fantastic Charity Golf Day at Theydon Bois Golf Club. We are hugely appreciative of all the time and effort they put into raising funds for ACE Activities, helping us continue to provide opportunities for our members.
September will see the return of one of our favourite annual outings, as our Gardening and Sports groups head off for a well-earned day at Southend-on-Sea. It’s always a highlight of the year and a wonderful opportunity for members to relax, have fun and celebrate another busy season together.
There will be more events announced in due course! Be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for details of the events above, and for all the latest news, events and activities throughout the summer.
If you’d like to find out more about our activities and available places why not contact us for more details.
To help us keep these wonderful activities going for our lovely members, you can donate here or contact us to offer sponsorship.
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