Grangetown and Ashbrooke - Down Your Way

St John’s Church, Ashbrooke, will be holding its Autumn fair on Saturday, November 26, opening at 11am. There will be a variety of stalls, including china, plants, home baking, Christmas gifts and refreshments. Santa will also be visiting. Entrance is 50p for adults, with children free. Everyone is welcome.

Ashbourne Lodge Care Home, The Cedars, will host a Christmas fair this Friday between 2pm to 4pm. There will be a tombola, raffle, refreshments, pastry stall, book stall and a bric-a-brac.

St John’s Church, Ashbrooke, will host a messy church after school from 3.30pm to 5.30pm and the theme is Special Message. Contact Andrea on 07838136090 for information

As the temperatures plunge to zero and lower in the evenings, the work of Sunderland Churches Together to support the homeless in our city becomes especially important. Besides supplying hot meals every Sunday at Burn Park Methodist Church Hall Drop In Centre, there is a constant need for sleeping bags for those who sleep rough. The Rotary Club of Sunderland has supplied food, finance and new and used sleeping bags in previous years and will again donate new sleeping bags this winter. If you have unwanted sleeping bags in your possession, consider donating them to this project. You can drop them off on Sunday evening at Burn Park Church hall or phone 5671880 with details and a Rotarian will arrange to collect and deliver.

The Friends of Backhouse and Barley Mow Parks held their regular monthly meeting last week at the former Hendon Library building. Claire Wayman was in the chair, with St Michael’s ward councillors Michael Dixon and Peter Wood in attendance, and Michael Barrass, Community Engagement Officer of “ultural Spring, the principal guest. The meeting discussed what activities the Friends and Cultural Spring could work together promoting in the parks, with an emphasis on the heritage of the area. There was also discussion of recent successful events held in Backhouse Park (the Zombie run and Halloween parade) and an agreement to stage further events before Christmas and Easter.  In December, the AGM will take place along with the now annual Christmas meal at The Chester’s. Meetings return to the Back-on-the-Map building in January.

The regular Northumbria Police “PACT” meeting for St Michael’s Ward residents will be held tonight at Auckland Homes, Hill View Road, starting at 6pm.

St Michael’s ward councillors, Michael Dixon, Robert Oliver and Peter Wood, will hold their next ward surgery tomorrow at St Nicholas Church hall, Queen Alexandra Road, from 10am to 11am.

Ashmore Residents’ Association met last week at the British Legion Club, Grange Crescent, with Liz Griffiths in the chair. Local Police Officers and St Michael’s ward councillors, Michael Dixon and Robert Oliver, joined residents to discuss a variety of issues. These included the recent crime statistics, the time a local resident had to wait for an ambulance, parking and pot holes. The next meeting, which is the AGM, will be held at the same venue on Wednesday, January 11, at 7.30pm.

St Michael’s Residents’ Association met last week at Auckland Homes, Hill View Road. A Community Police Officer plus St Michael’s ward councillors, Michael Dixon and Robert Oliver, joined residents to discuss a variety of issues, including road repairs, inconsiderate parking and recent crime statistics. The first meeting of the new year will be held at the same venue on Wednesday, January 18 at 6-30pm.