SATURDAY June 8 will see people taking part in the Alresford Big Help Out.
It is part of a national initiative from June 7-9 to encourage people to volunteer to carry out work to make their home towns and villages nicer places to live and work.
Alresford Pigs, Rotary, town council and town trust have been co-ordinating ideas.

 

EXPECTATIONS were low at 8.30am in Avington on Sunday April 28 as the grey clouds thickened and the drizzle gathered momentum, but trade got going soon after, thanks to the combined efforts of many of the residents.
Buyers and sellers appeared in solid numbers, attracted not only by the goods on offer but also the village cake and plant stall and the Earth to Oven food truck.
By the end of the morning more than £1,000 had been raised for village projects, just as the sun appeared through the clouds.

CHERITON Village Fete is returning on Bank Holiday Monday.
The annual event will be back on Monday, May 6. This year it will be held at The Old Rectory garden from 1.30pm to 4pm.
Attractions for the fete will include Maypole dancing, a children’s entertainer, lots of home-made produce, barbecue, tea stall, tombola, bric-a-brac, coconut shy and more.
A beer tent will also be present, supplied by the Flower Pots Brewery, which is based in the village, as well as a Pimms tent.
Tickets to the fete will cost £2, with children entering for free. This year, proceeds from the event will go towards the upkeep and maintenance of the village church, St Michael and All Angels.
Clare Cholerton, who runs the fete, said: “The village fete is always a great family event, and we are really looking forward to ours on Bank Holiday Monday.
“It is being held in the beautiful gardens of the Old Rectory and there will be lots of stalls and entertainment for all the family. Everyone is welcome, so please do come along. We are just hoping the weather is kind to us!”

CHILDREN are being encouraged to enter a poetry competition inspired by local chalk streams. Tales from the Riverbank poetry competition is aimed at 7- to 18-year-olds with prizes to a value of £75. Winning entries will be included in a commemorative booklet.

It is part of the Watercress and Winterbournes project being organised by the Hampshire Wildlife Trust. An event was recently held in Bishop's Sutton.
The closing date is July 31. For more details see hiwwt.org.uk/tales.

THE next Open Day for the Museum, Eel House and Medieval Bridge in Alresford will be Monday, May 6 when the Brocante Market will also take place in Broad Street.
The market runs from 9.30am to 3.30pm. Stalls will include antiques, collectables, curios, retro and bric-a-brac.
For more information call 07514 680872 or visit www.acvreevents.co.uk.

NEW Alresford Town Trust is fund-raising to replace its minibus which is now 18 years old.
The trust runs a service to take local people shopping and on day trips.
The trust is considering buying a £130,000 electric vehicle and charging station. The trust has £80,000 in reserves but needs to raise the balance.

THE next meeting of the Alresford History and Literary Society will be on Wednesday May 15 when Adrian Smith will speak on Lord Louis Mountbatten.
The society meets monthly in the Methodist Church in Jacklyns Lane. Visitors are welcome at the door for just £3.


CHERITON Singers are putting on a concert with local school children later this month.
The choir will be performing at St Michel’s Church on Saturday, May 18 at 7.30pm.
It will be joined by pupils from Cheriton School in a performance of Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo.
The choir will also perform A Little Jazz Mass by Bob Chilcott and a piece for female voices by Poulenc.
It said it was delighted to welcome the Cheriton Golden Fields Ringers to perform a selection of classical and traditional pieces from their repertoire.
Tickets are £10, free for under-16s. They are available from the village shop and on the door.

FLOODING alerts remain in place in the Alresford area. The Environment Agency has flood alerts in place in Bishop’s Sutton, Bramdean, Cheriton, Old Alresford and the Candovers.
It says cellars will still be affected and there could be impacts on septic tanks.
The agency says groundwater is high but falling very slowly.

SEND us local news of community events from the Alresford area. The patch stretches from the Candovers to Kilmeston and Tichborne to West Meon. Email newsdesk@hampshirechronicle.co.ukor call 01962 861860 (choose option 1).