Support Hammersley Homes mental health charity by buying their lovely Christmas cards

Hammersley Homes in Lymington seeks to enrich the lives of vulnerable mentally ill adults by providing them with a safe home for life, together with friendship, compassion, kindness, comfort and a sense of purpose and community

It's an enormous mission upon which Hammersley Homes has embarked; in these times more than ever it's also an enormously important one. 

Something many of us can do to help is to buy these beautiful artist designed Christmas cards, all the proceeds from which will go to the charity.

The cards are in packs of 15, all different!  A wonderful array from which to select for each and everyone on your Christmas card list!  They have been designed especially for Hammersley Homes by different artists, and although seasonal in theme, they are perhaps not the usual sort of Christmas Card... 

Each contains the greeting: “Happy Christmas and all good wishes for the year ahead” - which leaves plenty of scope for further wishes!

The packs of 15 cost £8.95 including delivery within the UK, so 60p per card - they are good quality laminated cards and come with envelopes too of course.

Buy Hammersley Homes Christmas cards here!

A home for life: safety, security, comfort and friendship for adults with enduring mental illness

Established in 2018 in Lymington, Hammersley Homes is a relatively new charity that aims to provide permanent supported homes for life for vulnerable adults who suffer from enduring mental illness, in the main people whose condition cannot be cured.  

Hammersley Homes wants to keep them safe, out of hospital, away from the Criminal Justice System - and enrich their lives with friendship, compassion, kindness, comfort and a sense of purpose and community.  

The Hammersley Homes team is working hard to raise awareness of this issue, raise the profile of the charity and raise funds.

Buy Hammersley Homes Christmas cards here!

Some of the background to Hammersley Homes

Following the introduction of the “Care in the Community” initiative in the 1980’s, many of the residences, homes and hospital wards which used to accommodate adults who suffered from enduring mental illness were closed, and the closures continue.

Now, all too frequently, these unfortunate and vulnerable people live alone, often in chaos and unable to manage; or they are homeless; or live with family who one day won’t be there for them. They live too often without friends or a sense of community, a sense of purpose – things we all need for our general wellbeing.

Hammersley Homes aims to provide long-term homes for this vulnerable sector, reducing their loneliness and chaos by giving them a safe and secure home for life, a community to live in with friends, and bring some fun, meaning and purpose back into their lives.

Living in a Hammersley Homes community will introduce safety, security, routine and purpose to their lives, and keep them occupied, entertained and out of trouble with the law.

Everybody can help in some small way to build the first Hammersley Home!

Hammersley Homes needs volunteers as well as funds to build the very first local Home. If you are interested in getting involved the charity would love to hear from you.There's more information on the main Hammersley Homes Website - including how you can volunteer to help in one of many ways.

But right now you can help simply by buying these lovely cards and sending to your relatives and friends and thus spreading the word further.

Buy Hammersley Homes Christmas cards here!

Around the Island - on foot!

Hammersley Homes Isle of Wight Coastal Path Challenge

This weekend we're not talking about the iconic Round the Island sailing race, but an Around the Island circumnavigation on foot by two mature ladies, one aged 80. We'll let Louise tell you all about this, in her own words.

By Louise Hallett, July 2021

I've set myself a rather mad challenge!

"I’ve set myself a rather mad challenge, to walk the 70 mile Isle of Wight Coastal Path later this month, to raise much needed funds for Hammersley Homes - a charity that’s very close to my heart.

Safety and support, friendship and compassion, for adults with enduring mental illnesses

The charity was established in 2018 to provide supported homes for life, for vulnerable adults who suffer from enduring mental illnesses and struggle to live independently.  The purpose is to relieve the loneliness and chaos they so often live with, and enrich their lives with friendship and compassion, giving them a sense of purpose as well as the safety, security and companionship that we all need in our lives - helping them to live their best life.

Too many...

There are too many ageing parents with their middle-aged children still living with them, who worry always about who will take care of their loved ones when they are gone;  there are too many people in our overcrowded prisons with mental health challenges, effectively being punished for having an illness;  there are too many homeless people with mental illness;  and our NHS mental health services are under-resourced and overstretched, unable to offer the much needed care and support to those requiring it.   

Hammersley Homes aims to provide a solution to these problems with the provision of homes for life for this vulnerable sector, keeping them safe, out of trouble with the law and out of hospital, resulting in significant savings to the public purse. We know that the many temporary residential options available to the mentally ill, work well for as long as the residents are there;  however, they all aim for “recovery”, reintegration into society and back to independent living, without consideration or provision for those who will not recover, whose illness is for life.   

In most of these instances "recovery" is simply not feasible

I am doing this Isle of Wight walk with our most intrepid new supporter who, at the inspirational age of 80 is joining me to raise funds to extend this model, to enable the provision of this same support for life, for those who require it - and there are hundreds of thousands of adults in the UK suffering from some form of psychotic illness, deserving of care and support.

• If you would consider supporting me in my challenge, I would of course be enormously grateful for any donations, however small.   Any donations would be extremely gratefully received, and my donation page can be found here.

• If you would consider taking on this challenge yourself, and walking the 70 mile Isle of Wight Coastal Path at any time, to raise funds for Hammersley Homes, that would be amazing, and full information can be found here - click on the button that says FUNDRAISE FOR THIS APPEAL. Please email me for further details.

• If you know anyone or any families who are affected by these issues that Hammersley Homes champions, please do spread the word about the work that this charity is doing, and please ask them to get in touch if they would like to know more. Contact us here.

If you’ve read this far, THANK YOU!!   And thank you for your support. 

Please click this link to make a donation!

PS Charitable Travel travel agent - includes 5% to charity of choice!

Louise also asked us to mention that if anyone is considering booking a holiday - UK or abroad - if they book through Charitable Travel, then at no extra cost, the company will donate 5% of the cost of the booking to a charity of the buyer’s choice, from the list on the Charitable Travel website.  As Louise says "they are an excellent travel company, and the holidays on their website are extremely tempting …. obviously we are listed as one of the charity options to support!"   

Take a look here at the holidays on offer. 

Safety, security, comfort and friendship for adults with enduring mental illness

Established in 2018 in Lymington, Hammersley Homes is a local charity with a big mission: to provide a home for life, for adults suffering from enduring mental illness –people whose condition cannot be cured and who will not recover. 

Following the introduction of the “Care in the Community” initiative in the 1980’s, many of the residences, homes and hospital wards which used to accommodate adults who suffered from enduring mental illness were closed, and the closures continue.

Now, all too frequently, these unfortunate and vulnerable people live alone, often in chaos and unable to manage; or they are homeless; or live with family who one day won’t be there for them. They live too often without friends or a sense of community, a sense of purpose – things we all need for our general wellbeing.

Hammersley Homes aims to provide long-term homes for this vulnerable sector, reducing their loneliness and chaos by giving them a safe and secure home for life, a community to live in with friends, and bring some fun, meaning and purpose back into their lives.

Living in a Hammersley Homes community will introduce safety, security, routine and purpose to their lives, and keep them occupied, entertained and out of trouble with the law.

Everybody can help in some small way to build the first Hammersley Home!

Hammersley Homes needs volunteers as well as funds to build the very first local Home. If you are interested in getting involved in any way, the charity would love to hear from you."

Make your donation here!

More about Hammersley Homes

There's lots more about Hammersley Homes on its Website - including how you can volunteer to help in one of many ways.

Pedal power guides Colten Care’s charity thank-you

Bighearted care home staff got on their bikes to thank PedALL who helped give their residents a summer of days out in the natural beauty of the New Forest. 

Nine cyclists from Colten Care raised nearly £600 on a 50-mile ride in aid of PedALL, a charity that offers guidance and specially adapted bikes for people with disabilities or restricted mobility.

During the summer, the two organisations teamed up to enable around 200 Colten residents from seven homes to access the New Forest off-road cycling network in safety and comfort.

As a thank you, Colten staff staged a sponsored ride starting at the Salisbury home Braemar Lodge and taking in homes in Brockenhurst, Lymington and New Milton, and finishing at Avon Reach in Mudeford.

Among those waving them off at Braemar Lodge after a breakfast of bacon butties was resident Betty Winter, who recalled her trips out in the summer.

“It was great fun, a splendid idea,” said Betty. “I enjoyed going out on the bikes so much. It was absolutely great. We had lovely days.”

Ben Benson-Breen, Senior Companionship Team Leader, who helped organise both the summer trips and the thank-you ride, said: “The volunteers at PedALL were brilliant, they made some very special moments possible for our residents, and we thought it was only right to try and give something back.

“For some of our residents, the summer was the first time they had been back in the saddle for many decades and they absolutely loved it.”

The thank-you ride included refreshment stops at each of the homes on route: Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst, the Lymington homes Linden House, Court Lodge and Belmore Lodge, and Kingfishers in New Milton.

Ben said: “The support from everyone has been awesome. Not all of us are experienced cyclists but by the end we were all hardened road warriors crossing the line at Avon Reach as very much one team. Some serious muscle power was put in. The morale and positivity was definitely down to the encouragement we were shown along the way. We really couldn’t have been better looked after.”

Find out more about Colten Care's New Forest homes

Colten Care operates six residential nursing and care homes in the local area, including three in Lymington: Belmore Lodge, Court Lodge and dementia specialist Linden House. There are also homes in Brockenhurst (Woodpecker's), New Milton (Kingfisher's) and Mudeford (Avon Reach). Click on the links to find out more about each home...

Every Wednesday 'Come Dine with Us' at Belmore Lodge - come and join the residents for a sociable lunch (booking essential!). Ladies, on the first Wednesday of each month join the residents at Court Lodge for Ladies' Afternoon Tea and gentlemen, come along to the Gentlemen's Lunch Club, also at Court Lodge.

Olivia Inspires: the spirit of Milford on Sea's Olivia Burt will live on

A new charity to help young people in the New Forest who are facing financial hardship.

Olivia Inspires, an enchanting new charity in the New Forest that allows the spirit of Olivia Burt to live on, has been officially launched. Born out of tragedy, the charity will help young people in the New Forest District Council area who are facing financial hardship to develop their potential in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths), the Arts and Sport. 

Speaking at the official launch of the charity on Thursday 3 October, Olivia’s father, Nigel Burt, said: “We have been touched by people’s willingness to support Olivia Inspires. Perhaps this is because Olivia was so well known and loved by so many people; perhaps because of the awfulness of the tragedy that befell Olivia, and Paula and I as Olivia’s parents; perhaps because of the need for a charity like Olivia Inspires. Most likely it is for all of these reasons.”

Nigel went on to say: "The most important thing in life is to stop saying I wish and start saying I will."

Read on to find out more about Olivia, the charity and how to apply for support.

About Olivia

Olivia Burt was a gifted and beautiful young woman who inspired others. Only 20 years old, she was killed in February 2018 in a horrendous incident at Durham, where she was a first-year student studying natural sciences.

Olivia lived most of her 20 years in the New Forest, in the village of Milford on Sea. She achieved many things in her short life and always tried to be the best that she could be in everything she did.

Olivia started sailing Optimists at Salterns Sailing Club in Lymington when she was 5 years old, moving into Lasers, 4.7s and Radials. She sailed internationally in GBR teams in all of these classes. As a gifted pupil at Bournemouth School for Girls, she was fully involved in her school community leading to her being chosen as Head Girl. She did all of this and much more with an infectious smile and a willingness to help others.

She was just embarking on a journey that would have doubtless seen her leaving a lasting mark on our world. But more than this, everyone who knew Olivia remembers her smile and her kindness, and how she would go out of her way to help people.

Olivia has been taken from us, but Olivia Inspires aims to allow her spirit to live on by helping young people in her home, the New Forest to realise their potential.

Olivia Inspires

Olivia Inspires will help children and young people aged 11 to 18 years, whose families live in the New Forest District Council area and who are facing financial hardship.

Grants of normally no more than £500, will be awarded for items or services which enable them to develop their potential in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), the arts and sport.

A grant could be used, for example, to purchase new sports equipment; to take music lessons; to pay for sports coaching; to go on an academic field trip...  

Applications for support are now open

There will be three application deadlines each year, the first will be 1 December 2019. Find here full details of how to apply for support: https://www.oliviainspires.org.uk/how-to-apply-for-an-olivia-inspires-grant/

More details about Olivia Inspires can be found here: https://www.oliviainspires.org.uk/

There is also a Facebook page for Olivia Inspires. Please have a look, Like and Share: https://www.facebook.com/oliviainspires

The Colten Relay Ride in support of PEDALL New Forest

Colten Care's New Forest homes raising funds for inclusive cycling with a 50 mile cycle

Over the sunny summer months, residents from Colten Care's New Forest homes have been going on regular rides through the New Forest thanks to the support of PEDALL, their brilliantly adapted bikes and their wonderfully supportive volunteers. 

The experience has been a complete breath of fresh air (pun intended) for the residents and families who have attended as well as the teams supporting them. Residents have enjoyed wonderful times on these rides, some even bursting into song as they whizzed between the trees and more than one resident has got off a bike saying “I never thought I would do that again”!

Ben Benson-Breem, Senior Companionship Team Leader at Colten Care, said: "None of this would have been possible without Pedall, with their fleet of specially adapted bikes, caring volunteers and excellent ride leaders. We’re so grateful to Pedall for making these moments possible. Based in Burley Village they are a local charity, truly dedicated to improving quality of life and so we wanted to do something to support them!"

"As well as giving Colten residents some fantastic days out, Pedall cater for a huge range of people who are otherwise unable to enjoyable the simple pleasure of going for a bike ride in the great outdoors. Pedall work with people with a broad range of disabilities and their mission is to make having fun on a bike a truly inclusive activity."

Fundraising relay ride for Pedall

On Tuesday 24 September, a team of dedicated (and slightly nervous!) riders from Colten Care's New Forest homes will be riding 50 miles to raise money for The Friends of Pedall.

Cycling between all the homes who have taken part in their summer rides, the ride will travelling from Braemar Lodge in Salisbury down to Avon Reach in Mudeford, via Kingfishers in New Milton, Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst and the Lymington homes, Belmore Lodge, Court Lodge and dementia specialist Linden House. 

At a little over 50 miles it’s a daunting distance to cycle the specially adapted bikes, but the team are hoping to raise £500 for Pedall along the way so anything that you can add the pot will make each mile a little easier!

Follow this link to the fundraising page.

Find out more about PEDALL Inclusive Cycling here.

Just one of many activities at Colten Care!

Pedall Inclusive Cycling is just one of many life-enriching activities that Colten Care residents have the opportunity to enjoy. Every day, in each home, there are meaningful and exciting activities - including several that are also open to non-residents who many be feeling lonely in their community. 

Every Wednesday is Come Dine with Us at Belmore Lodge - come and join the residents for a sociable lunch (booking essential!). Ladies, on the first Wednesday of each month join the residents at Court Lodge for Ladies' Afternoon Tea and gentlemen, on two Tuesdays a month come along to the Gentlemen's Lunch Club, also at Court Lodge.

Find out more about Colten Care's New Forest homes

Colten Care operates six residential nursing and care homes in the local area, including three in Lymington: Belmore Lodge, Court Lodge and dementia specialist Linden House. There are also homes in Brockenhurst (Woodpecker's), New Milton (Kingfisher's) and Mudeford (Avon Reach). Click on the links to find out more about each home...

Lymington Força charity raising funds for 'Nourish' programme

Can you or your business help to fund nutritious meals for local people receiving chemotherapy in the local community?

Força - Strength Against Cancer is a Lymington-based charity that raises funds to support local people living with or affected by cancer.

The charity was founded by a group of mums from Lymington, who came together to help a dear friend who had been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Helping every way they could, the team took it in turns to deliver nourishing meals for their friend and her young family, knowing how exhausted she would be after chemotherapy. 

You may be aware of the work done by Força – Strength Against Cancer in our community, a key element of which is the 'Nourish' project based at Lymington Hospital and at Oakhaven Hospice.

Nourish...by Força

Started in 2016, Nourish provides two free meals a week to anyone receiving chemotherapy treatment at Lymington Hospital, as well as to people attending the day hospice at Oakhaven. 

Nourish has been enormously successful in the three years since it started, and has been expanded twice. Most recently the team have doubled the number of dinners provided when the chemotherapy unit moved from Oakhaven to Lymington Hospital in 2018.

Força – Strength Against Cancer fund Oakhaven to prepare and cook a range of healthy meals, which are then frozen and offered to chemotherapy patients so that they don’t need to spend time and energy on cooking while they are undergoing what is often a gruelling treatment. Força has funded two freezers at Oakhaven and at the hospital to store the meals and we also cover the running costs. Patients may take up to two meals a week for themselves and their immediate families.

"Thank you so much..."

Feedback to date indicates how much service users and their families appreciate the meals and the fact that they don't need to think about organising food for at least two nights a week. 

Feedback from a chemotherapy patient: “I want to send you a huge “THANK YOU” for all the wonderful work you are putting in to supply ready-for-the-oven meals for patients having treatment at Oakhaven. We are so lucky having this facility and you are making it even better. The meals are great!”

Chemo Treatment Receptionist: “I wanted to tell you how much the meals you provide are appreciated. Our patients are clutching their meals and they are so relieved not to have to cook for the next couple of days. Very well done.”

“Thank you so much for the service you provide. I know you all realise how important it is at such times to have something to look forward to. It is inspiring what you do as força. Thank you.”

The cost of Nourish is growing as more and more patients benefit

Since its conception in 2016, over £36,000 has been raised by Forca for the Nourish project. However with growing demand, the project is getting (desperately) short of funds, and going forwards Força will need to reduce the number of meals they can offer from September unless more funds can be raised to sustain the project.

Can you help fund Nourish...by Força?

The Força team, all volunteers, are launching a summer appeal to raise funds for the Nourish programme. Can you help with a donation? Would your business consider becoming a sponsor of the Nourish programme? Just 16 donations of £1,125 will secure the Nourish project as it stands for a year.

If the Força team are able to secure business sponsorship of the Nourish programme, it will enable them to spend time fundraising to continue providing help with individual requests and new projects, such as their new 'Support' initiative (Força have just secured a donation of bras for post operative care).

How to donate

If you would like to make a donation, please email the team on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and one of the team will be in touch. 

How your businesses can become a Nourish Sponsor

Business sponsorship of a local, well organised and well-regarded charitable programme like Nourish can be highly beneficial to business. If your business would like to become a Nourish Sponsor, the team have a range of options available and would love to hear from you!

Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and one of the team will be in touch to arrange time for a coffee to go through their information pack and to discuss how Nourish Sponsorship can benefit your business - or they can send further information on request.

Lymington Italia raises £3,000 for The Honeypot Children's Charity

Thousands visited Lymington for the annual Italian-themed market and Ferrari display 

This year Lymington's Italia Festival on Sunday 7 July has raised £3,000 for the Mayor’s charity, The Honeypot Children’s Charity, which provides respite to young carers in our area. The donation includes £1,000 generously donated by Barclays Bank.

The weather was kind throughout this year's Italia Festival and the Italian-themed market was buzzing with thousands of visitors enjoying the 50 Ferraris on display.

The £3k raised, plus Honeypot’s own street collection during the event which raised £618.13, will fund a full year of Honeypot support for 7 of the 33 Honeypot young carers that live in the Lymington area.

When the children come to Honeypot House, they bounce on trampolines, build dens, climb trees, use the swimming pool, make new friends and enjoy taking a break from their caring responsibilities and difficult circumstances at home.

Honeypot support also ensures that these children will be visited in their local community three times a year by the Honeypot outreach play team, receive a birthday card and Christmas present and return to Honeypot House for a weekend break every year.

Lymington and Pennington Town Council would like to thank everyone who supported and attended the event.

Find out more about The Honeypot Children's Charity here.

Recycling Lymington's Carnival Queens

Calling all previous Lymington Carnival Queens - please contact the Lions Club of Lymington & Brockenhurst!

The Lions Club of Lymington & Brockenhurst, organisers of Lymington Carnival, are appealing for past Lymington Carnival Queens to contact them.

By ‘Recycling the Queens,’ it will fit very much into this year’s theme of ‘Saving Our Planet,’ suggested by the headline sponsor Colten Care.

The Carnival parade will take place on the morning of Sunday 21 July and will be taking a circular route around the Town from 11:00.

Lymington Carnival is one of the biggest and most spectacular carnival processions in the New Forest area. This year's Saving the Planet theme will give the opportunity for a number of local groups and organisations to send out important messages about the environment.

Recycling Carnival Queens

"Many other Carnivals around the world invite past Queens into their parades," said Ian Duncan, Lions Carnival Organiser.

"We thought this was a very good idea for Lymington, but guess as in the Town’s own unique style, we will not be asking for them to dress up in crinoline hooped dresses, but encourage more of an individual style.

Naturally, many will want to recreate the elegance of their previous appearance in the procession. Others girls might just want to give a quirky new twist, such as Joanna Lumley’s ‘Patsy’ - the morning after the night before!! It’s very much up to the girls, but we will be providing the Carnival Queen Sashes.

Get in touch with the Lions Club on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Carnival Entries

There is still time for walking entries to enter the Carnival. The number of entries is restricted and therefore it is important that you email (to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or post your application form as soon as possible. More details can be found here.

Find out more about Lymington Carnival here

Photo: 2018 Carnival Queen being driven around the procession by BHG Marine.

Photo credit: William Bonett, with thanks.

Lymington Community Centre: heart of the community for 70 years, used by 4,000 weekly

£2 million fundraising campaign underway to meet the needs of the next generation and the next 70 years

Over the 70 years since it opened in 1948 and supported by a huge number of passionate volunteers Lymington Community Centre has contributed enormously to the local area, offering both recreational and educational facilities to all, always vibrant and busy - it's used and enjoyed by up to 4,000 people every week.

A reception was held recently at the Centre to present plans for its future development as part of the “Celebrating 70” appeal. 

Community Association Chairman Councillor Anna Rostand supported by appeal patrons the Hon Mary Montagu-Scott and the Centre’s popular dance class leader Kayleigh Sergeant, outlined the need and the proposed solutions.

The planned revamp aims to increase income and decrease maintenance costs by renovating some areas and connecting all the separate buildings together, to simplify getting from one area to another and making all the activities on offer more accessible to everybody.

The plan is to keep the Centre open for as much of the time as possible during the renovations and improvements, and to proceed in self-contained phases as funds become available

How will the funds be raised?

Following the  70^th anniversary celebrations, fundraising has already raised over £75,000, including over £2,000 from the recent Strictly Lymington dance event.  

The campaign has also had a tremendous boost with a £900,000 grant from Lymington and Pennington Town Council’s windfall fund.  This money is dependent on match-funding which it is hoped will come from a number of sources including grants from national, regional and local Trusts & Foundations, personal philanthropic gifts, and corporate contributions and sponsorship as well as direct fundraising by the Centre.

Can you help?

Anybody able to offer help in any capacity with this challenge is warmly invited to contact the Centre! 

In the first instance contact Centre Manager Rachel who is in the Centre most days and would be happy to have a preliminary chat, totally in confidence.   You can contact Rachel by email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on her mobile which is  07985 055329.

Anybody who would simply like to make a donation can do so by clicking the Just Giving link:  https://www.justgiving.com/lymingtoncommunityassociation

Lymington Community Association - a Charity

Lymington Community Association whcich owns the Community Centre is a Charity, Number 301880.

Read the history of how the Association began and how the Centre came into being and evolved to the current day here. 

Facilities on offer at the Centre

Not everybody will know the full extent of the current facilities at the Community Centre.   

So please read all about what's on offer here!

Lymington Community Centre: new "Lymington Anthology" 

New "Lymington Anthology of short stories and fiction, great Christmas presents, raising funds for Lymington Community Centre - heart of the community for over 70 years whose buildings are badly in need of further renovation...

Over the 70 years since it opened in 1948 and supported by a huge number of passionate volunteers Lymington Community Centre has contributed enormously to the local area, offering both recreational and educational facilities to all.  It's used and enjoyed by up to 4,000 people every week and is always vibrant and busy!  Call in sometime and find out more!

The Centre is on an enormous fund raising mission to renovate and update its tired buildings and continue to perform its vital role in the community....as per the images here.

Lymington Writers Launch Anthology

Lymington Writers have now created and published the first Lymington Anthology to help raise more funds for the Centre.

It goes on sale in early December and is the perfect Christmas present!  The Anthology contains short stories and flash fiction from the Lymington Writers group, as well as the successful entries to the Lymington Competition, held last year by the Lymington Community Centre.

It is all to support the Lymington Community Association Appeal, which is raising funds to refurbish the Community Centre.

Entries for the Competition were all on the theme ‘Community. and a wide range of excellent, entertaining stories was received.Those published include an imagining of the first community to settle in the area, a war-damaged soldier finding a home, and a heart-warming story of disability overcome, through the care given in a residential community.

All the short-listed Competition entries, in adult and Under-18 categories, are included in the Anthology. Competition winner Mike Watkins, from Ashurst, created a humourous Christmas tale, featuring two old ladies, a reformed burglar, and some magic shenanigans with a Rolls Royce.

The Anthology also includes short stories from Lymington Writers in several genres: humour, magic realism, future fantasy and under-the-covers machinations in an un-named Planning Office. There is a preview of a hilarious chapter from the forthcoming novel by Trina Woolhouse, set in a traffic jam all round the M25. In total, there are fourteen short stories, and twelve flash fictions (500 words each) spread over 147 pages.

The Lymington Anthology has 147 pages. It will be available from the Lymington Centre, from early December. Full details are on the LCA website: https://lymingtoncommunity.com

Photo: Editor Colin Johnson with the Lymington Anthology

Can you help with the fundraising?

Anybody able to offer help in any capacity is as ever warmly invited to contact the Centre! 

In the first instance contact Centre Manager Rachel who is in the Centre most days and would be happy to have a preliminary chat, totally in confidence.   You can contact Rachel by email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on her mobile which is  07985 055329.

Anybody who would simply like to make a donation can do so by clicking the Just Giving link:  https://www.justgiving.com/lymingtoncommunityassociation

Lymington Community Association - a Charity

Lymington Community Association whcich owns the Community Centre is a Charity, Number 1188765.

Do read the history of how the Association began and how the Centre came into being and evolved to the current day. 

Facilities on offer at the Centre

Not everybody will know the full extent of the current facilities at the Community Centre.   

So please read all about what's on offer here!