Author: ayleshamhub

Mondays

Drop-in service – Bechange Our experienced team can offer assistance on a range of matters inc Benefits, Debt, Housing and Employment – 10am – 12pm 

Aspire Gardening at Bechange with Rachel – learn more about gardening and the Aspire project – 10am – 2pm 

Health Walk from Bechange – Get walking and join our small team on short 30 mins stroll, it’s free simply turn up and join in – 11am for 11.15am start 

Tuesdays

Aspire Cookery Course @ Bechange. Please ring to book your place must be over 18 – no other eligibility criteria – 10.00am – 12.00pm 

Aspire – Get Working at Bechange. Gain skills, confidence, and move towards employment. For more information, please ring 01304 840134 – 12pm – 3pm 

Aylesham Arts Club – Meets fortnightly at Bechange. No experience necessary, no need to book – First session £2.00 and an easy membership scheme. Materials included. Call 01304 840134 for dates – 6.30pm – 8.00pm 

Wednesdays

Drop-in service at Bechange. Our experienced team can offer assistance on a range of matters inc Benefits, Debt, Housing and Employment – 10am – 12pm 

Camerados at Bechange – Come and join us in a public living room, a no agenda space, be yourself alongside others, a warm and welcoming place where you can just sit and chat to other people – No need to book Camerados meets: Weds afternoon, 2pm – 4pm

Thursdays

Crafts for Causes Club at Bechange. Do you love crafting and getting together with friends? Why not combine the two activities and join our crafting club? No experience necessary. Please ring 01304 840134 to book – 10.30am – 12pm 

Fridays

Drop-in service  at Bechange. Our experienced team can offer assistance on a range of matters inc Benefits, Debt, Housing and Employment – 10am – 12pm 

Upcycling Group at Bechange. Why not come and join a group of people who enjoy making something out of nothing. Please ring 01304 840134 to book – 10am – 12.30pm

4 December, Saturday From 2 – 7

Aylesham 4 Aylesham Tree Lighting and Fayre

St Peter’s Church and Market Square

11 December, Saturday Time tba

Bechange Christmas Bazaar – “Makers & Bakers”

Bechange Community Hub

18 December, Saturday Time tba

Christmas Carol Concert

St Peter’s Church and Market Square

19 December, Sunday Time tba

Aylesham People’s Cinema Kid’s Cinema Event

Venue tba

Aylesham Carnival Court presented to A&DCWT Chair Sue Bott and special guest Andy Lown from the Coalfield Regeneration Trust. 

The Bruderhof (Top right) provided cart rides and had a home bake stall. Money made from the cart ride and stall were kindly donated back to A&DCWT who then donated this equally to Aylesham 4 Aylesham and Aylesham Carnival Association. 

It was also an ideal opportunity for the newly formed Aylesham Majorettes (Bottom right) to show us their routine they have been working so hard on. Aylesham Majorettes started just prior to lockdown and then restarted in July.

Lisa Pope

RECENT TIMES have shown us that even when life is ‘pants’, we can get through tough times by being a camerado and looking out for each other. In September, Camerados from Aylesham and Dover came together at the Bechange Community Hub to chat, hang out and have fun.

Angela Doggett, the Manager at Bechange said: “There were people at the event from all generations, including people who have always lived in Aylesham and some who are new to the village.  

“We’re really looking forward to more people getting involved and finding out about Camerados and the public living room we have at Bechange.  It is the perfect place for people to reconnect after what has been an isolating and difficult time for many.”  

One happy participant in the day said “I moved here 3 years ago, I haven’t been to Bechange since before the pandemic, but I saw it on Facebook and wanted to come.” 

Anyone can be a Camerado, it’s a movement guided by things we can all do in daily life to help each other get through tough times better.

Speaking about “what next” Angela from Bechange added “This is a great opportunity to relaunch our public living room, which is every Wednesday afternoon 2pm to 4pm. Everyone’s welcome, just turn up. It’s a space for people to be alongside each other, have a chat, a cuppa and connect with other people in the community.” 

For more information, email angela.doggett@bechange.org.uk or phone 01304 840134 or 07484 221970

Monday 6th September heralded the start of undercover face-to-face rehearsals for Snowdown Male Voice Choir and, what an occasion it was! 

Chairman David Rance kicked off the evening by reflecting on our last rehearsal at St Finbarr’s – 18 months ago, almost to the day.  “Nobody ever imagined we’d be away for so long.  

And my message tonight is short and sweet – let’s go and sing again, and let’s enjoy it”. 

And enjoy it we did! 

After so long, we were understandably rusty and Chris Price, one of our co musical directors launched into some old favourites, which were great fun and laid down some serious homework that we all need to do to get back up to speed.  

The atmosphere was terrific and after rehearsal, we had all contributed to a buffet so that we could reminisce and renew old friendships that have been difficult to maintain during lock down. 

The icing on the cake was that a new potential member arrived and joined in with great enthusiasm. He left rehearsal on a high and is looking forward to next week when we meet again. 

If you are free on a Monday at 7.30pm, then come along to St Finbarr’s Church, Aylesham and give it a go. It is terrific fun and very therapeutic. 

No previous experience necessary, we will help you all the way.

If you are keen to give it a try, contact

profficer@snowdown-choir.co.uk or 07590 916574 for more information.  

When I moved to Aylesham five years ago, I was surprised and immensely pleased with the fact that the village had a thriving, hedgehog population. 

I had only moved down the road from the outskirts of Canterbury, but can’t say that I had seen one there for at least ten years, maybe even fifteen.

What sold me on the idea of making a home for hogs in my garden was when I saw one make its way under the Wendy house that had been left in the garden. 

I realised that I didn’t really have a plan for my garden yet, but actually the hedgehogs already did. 

To them it was home, a safe space and going by the size of the slugs, a gourmet buffet. 

So, if I was going to scrap the Wendy house, then I owed them a replacement and so that’s exactly where I started. 

This was, and is not, an overnight project by any means, more of a gradual investment in my garden and their future. It also gives me something nice to look at and is great for our mental health, and sense of wellbeing.

Hedgehogs are now classed as Vulnerable to Extinction and are a Protected Species here in the UK – so what can we do to help? 

l If you have a garden, one of the easiest things to do is just put out a low dish or plate of water and a little food. A bit of either dry hedgehog biscuits or wet dog/cat food. 

“Don’t put milk out though as it can make hogs incredibly sick and even lead to death in some cases.”

Simple really, isn’t it? 

l If you have space introduce a log pile for insects, this will not only add to your biodiversity, but makes things more interesting for hogs as they’re insectivores. 

l Adding plants helps with this too, slugs love my foxgloves and in turn are loved by hogs. 

l How about a compost heap? Last year mine housed four different hogs at several different levels, like a mini hog hotel. 

l Make sure that the hogs have access to your garden, either by having space under a gate to get in – a bunched fist isn’t a bad measure – or a hole in the fence about the size of a CD. 

l You could even make or buy a hedgehog house for your space and fill it with shredded paper and straw. 

l With autumn upon us and bonfire night coming up, make sure to check any bonfires you make for hedgehogs before lighting them or only build them the day they’re to be lit. 

l Finally, drive carefully at dusk. Hogs have a good turn of speed and one on the pavement can quickly become one under the wheel.

Well, I hope this helps in some small way starts a spark to get hogs regularly into your own gardens. 

We’re very lucky here with our local population of original spikey residents and long may that continue.                                  n

David Britnell, Aylesham Hub