Community Bread Basket
We are open again! Join us between 9.30am and 11.00am for a cafe style breakfast on Saturday 23 September in Plaxtol Parish Church. Our aim is to create a community hub where everyone is welcome to share in our monthly breakfast. Our hope is to create a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where neighbours and friends can get together. There is a book table and a children’s colouring table.
There will be a collection for the Chatham Foodbank. Boxes are placed in both our churches, normally over the fourth weekend of each month, for donations of food and toiletries, to coincide with our Community Bread Basket event.
St Giles Fair
Our traditional Fair will take place on August Bank Holiday, Monday 28 August, from 12.30pm to 3.30pm.
Join us for a fun afternoon on the Green at Shipbourne
- Enticing stalls – cakes, produce, books, bottles and more
- Hot bangers and burgers on sale at the Barbecue
- Beer and Pimms tent
- Sevenoaks and Tonbridge Training Band to entertain us with a string of favourites
- “Pocket money” stalls – lots of fun for children to enjoy
- A Prize Draw – tickets will be on sale at the Fair
- Fun and games
The stall holders would be grateful for donations of items for sale
Produce – jams, fruit and veg
Cakes
Books – children’s and adult books, in good condition please
Bottles – full and in date
Cakes and produce can be dropped off at the Village Hall from 10am on the day of the Fair. Other items can be dropped in advance in the Courtyard of the Stables, Back Lane, at the Farmers’ Market on Thursday morning, or in the porch of St Giles.
If you can help on the day, please offer!
The day will include a Fun Dog Show. This will have six classes:
- Waggiest tail
- Sit, Stay and Recall
- Catch the Sausage
- Fastest sit
- Best trick
- Simon Says (for children under 14 – plus dog!)
All winning dogs from each class will automatically be entered into “Best in Show”
Please come and join in the fun – the more the merrier!
Judging will start at 1.30pm
Ride and Stride on 9 September
Ride and Stride is an event for everyone. You can walk or cycle between churches and chapels in Kent. You choose your route and visit as many as you wish. Go alone or with friends or family. The aim is to raise money for our wonderful legacy of church buildings, by asking people to sponsor you.
Lionel Stielow will once again be taking part this year and there will be a sponsorship form at the back of the church. Do sponsor Lionel if you are able to.
If you would like to ride or stride, please contact Mary Perry on 810797 or by email at perry68[email protected] – do try it, it is an enjoyable day out!
The Friends of Kent Churches Sponsored Ride and Stride takes place on the second Saturday in September each year with 740 churches participating. It raises over £130,000 a year for Kent churches. Half the sponsorship money raised goes straight back to the church nominated by participants and half goes to the Friends and is distributed as grants to churches in Kent as contributions to their maintenance and restoration work.
Churchyard working party
Our churchyard is a haven of peace but it does need work to keep it looking good. We meet twice a year to cut back grass, weeds, shrubs and hedges. If you would like to help, do come to the churchyard when we have our next session in the autumn, for a morning of clearing vegetation. Bring your own tools – secateurs, shears, strimmers etc – and protective clothing. With luck it will be reasonable weather.
Coffee, tea and soft drinks and a cake or two will be available, to keep our spirits up.