GHC Chairman praises Helping Hands volunteers hard work!

John Turpentine, Galleywood Heritage Centre's Chairman, expressed his gratitude and admiration for the volunteers and the amount of hard work that has been completed at the Centre. He said: "I can't believe how much you've done, but why doesn't that surprise me!?"

...Helping Hands 2009!

Nearly 400 volunteers from the Ipswich Stake joined forces with the Parish Council and the Friends of the Centre and started refurbishment work on the disused depot on the Common, part of the old racecourse northern grandstand.

During the 12-hour day volunteers of all ages created a pond, laid out new paths through the grounds, (as pictured) put up fencing, built brick walls, cut back trees, removed undergrowth, landscaped and created a new gateway, painted garage doors, window frames and security grilles along with a multitude of other tasks using material, plant and machinery purchased by Galleywood Parish Council.

Helping Hands also provided 200 bird and bat boxes, new picnic tables, made curtains and created story bags for up to 5 years old for the Children’s Day Nursery. Relief Society Sisters created a beautiful quilt which will be presented to the Centre on November 14th.

The work was completed in less than 12 months and under the expected budget!

Among those who came along to see the work being carried out were Vice Chairman of the parish council, Chairman of the Galleywood Heritage Centre, Chelmsford Mayor & Mayoress and Simon Burns MP.

Maldon and Chelmsford Wards are adopting the centre for ongoing service which has commenced with another wave of bat and bird boxes being built, painting and external decoration, and conservation work by the youth and Elders of the church.

Helping Hands hits the headlines...

We are busy collating all the photos from the day and from the project at the Heritage Centre... but we have already hit the local news headlines!

Counting Down... 1 day to go!

Getting ready for Helping Hands 2009 is no mean feat... and the team behind the project have been planning with military precision since 2008!

We have been involving local Councillors and local media (including the Essex Chronicle) in searching for the perfect opportunity to MAKE A DIFFERENCE. We are often asked WHY we volunteer our time, with nothing in it *for us*... and the answer is easy! We (along with 13 million other volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, as well as volunteers from other faiths) believe that serving other, serving our community is the right thing to do.

The annual Helping Hands day is observed throughout the world - and is not just confined to our efforts at the Galleywood Common! From Brazil to Botswana, and America to Africa... Helping Hands brings people together to build something worthwhile... to make our communities better.

For more information on Helping Hands projects throughout the world visit www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/

Helping Hands help Haiti Earthquake victims start to rebuild their lives
Helping Hands cleans up areas affected by Tornadoes
Helping Hands clean up after Hurricane
Helping Hands help school in Brazil
Helping Hands in Africa
Helping Hands help 300 Brazilian Hospitals
Helping Hands youth in USA, Finland, Philippines...
Helping Hands 2009 (USA) - links to media coverage of the multi-state projects...
Helping Hands in New Zealand
Helping Hands help flood victims
Helping Hands in Tonga
Helping Hands youth in Australia

"...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17)

Counting Down... 3 days to go!

Counting Down... 5 days to go!

We are dropping 3500 info-filled leaflets in the area to invite our local community to *get involved* with our mammoth Helping Hands 2009 project this coming Saturday! If you live in the Chelmsford area - please stop by and get your hands dirty, wet, paint-covered and more with us...

From 8am-8pm, everyone is welcome at the Galleywood Common. Whether painting, weeding, building, sewing, pruning, sanding, or cleaning... there will be something for everyone! Bring a picnic and enjoy the day making new friends, renewing old ones from previous year's projects... and contributing to a worthwhile community project.

Helping Hands: Where many hands make a difference!

2009 Project Shout Out!

As per our rather detailed *site map* we have a massive range of "roll your sleeves up" projects on the go for our 2009 Helping Hands Day (make a note in your diaries!)

If you can volunteer your skill, time and supplies on any of these projects, please get in touch... We never say no to help from children and adults of all ages - and can find the perfect project to set your helping hands to! Whether sewing, demolishing (sounds fun) or building, painting or gardening. WE NEED YOU to make our 2009 project the best yet!

Work includes... removing old fencing and trees; creating a new path; relocating a gate; tidying the back hedge; creating a Pond; trimming trees; clearing brambles; demolishing a low wall; clearing moss; repairing and painting Garage A as well as Garage B; demolishing more walls; trimming laurel bushes; removing corrugated shelter; creating new disabled bays; renovating fench drain; painting external windows on main building; painting window bars on main building; renovating electrical cupboard; creating new picnic tables; making curtains; gardening; building Bird and Bat boxes; conservation work on Galleywood Common; and creating Story bags for up to 5 years old for the Children's day centre...

Want to get involved? Email us today!

Helping Hands 2009... Project Announcement!

WE HAVE FOUND OUR 2009 PROJECT!

Project 2009: Galleywood is steeped in history with many historical features still existing today. One such example is the now disused depot on the Common; part of the old racecourse northern grandstand. Galleywood Common was the scene of the Chelmsford Races for 176 years (1759 -1935). The racecourse was one of the oldest in England and the principal racecourse in Essex.

Other notable historical features are:

• Visible remains of the Napoleonic Defences built in 1803.
• Brick works dating from the early 1800’s.
• A windmill, first mentioned in 1777, which until the 1920’s stood in the grounds of Mill House on the Common.

Proposed Heritage Centre...

The Heritage Centre is planned around the main building comprising of a main hall, three side rooms, kitchen and grounds. It will be made available for exhibitions of both historical and natural heritage interest, with facilities for research and continued learning. There will be provision for the much needed storage of historical artifacts and archives, and also for use as a meeting place for local organisations.

It will also cater for those with more active interests, such as walking groups, kite flyers, cyclists, and for a range of other community activities.

The Common was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1993. It is envisaged that the Centre will provide the opportunity for parishioners to continue to learn more about local flora and fauna of the Common and the surrounding areas.

Galleywood Parish Council’s earlier application for lottery funding was unsuccessful, but the Galleywood Heritage Committee comprising of six Councillors and advisers, have spent the last six months preparing a revised plan to help fund the capital work from Parish Council reserves, with the help of volunteers’ time and in kind contributions.

Follow our progress online... or come and join in this historic community project!

FOR MORE DETAILS ON HELPING HANDS (Past & Present)... CLICK HERE