Oakhurst, the National Trust property in Hambledon can only operate with a team of volunteer guides. We still need more tour guides, as two people facilitate each session. We are opening Thursday and Saturday afternoons, as well as Bank Holiday Mondays, with each tour lasting about an hour at 2pm and 3.30pm. Would this interest you?

If doing the guided tours is not for you, could we interest you in becoming one of our first Conservation Cleaners? This involves keeping the cottage presentable and maintaining good conservation and housekeeping standards. Of course training on specific conservation will be provided. Sadly, we did have to close on just a few occasions last year due to a lack of tour guides, so we really do need more volunteers. Plus if we were really successful in getting a significant increase in tour guides, in future years we could potentially open on more days in the season, as we used to do.

So if you are interested please visit the website to register  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/support-us/volunteer or contact Camilla Edmiston [email protected] to arrange an informal chat.

Originally set up by Georgina Aylward, Sarah King and a few other community-minded volunteers, the Scheme was re- launched in June 2023 to expand both its volunteer base and the number of Villagers it assists and to make it compliant with up to date requirements for schemes of this kind.

Run by a small band of Hambledonians, HGNS is there to help local residents and is essentially a community car scheme for those in need. HGNS volunteer Mary Grove says “the scheme is really to fill the gap in local public transport for those who live in Hambledon who don’t drive and would otherwise find it difficult to get to medical appointments. Having local drivers who you know and can rely on means one less worry.”

The scheme was set up with a generous grant from the Village Festival Committee to meet its initial costs. Ongoing, it aims to be self-funding and non-profit making. Clients may wish to make a small voluntary contribution to help meet the Scheme’s costs.

HGNS would welcome new volunteers to join the roster of helpers. There are essentially two roles. Administrators, who monitor and respond to the HGNS mobile answerphone system, allocating the trips to drivers and then confirming the details back to the clients. This role is not onerous, can be managed from home or remotely and is rotated on a weekly basis. Volunteer drivers with their own car who can dedicate their time travelling to and waiting at appointments. Motor expenses and any parking costs incurred are reimbursable.

If you would like to help HGNS in either or both of these volunteer roles

or
you need transport to a medical appointment

then please ring the HGNS Helpline number 07400 839471 and wait for the recorded message.

Hambledon is well served with many public access defibrillators in the village and surrounds – but there is another layer of aid that is provided by a group of trained volunteers ready to respond swiftly to medical emergencies. The First Responders. They are looking to recuit new First Responders for our area – can you help?

Could you be the neighbour your neighbours can’t live without?
In the coming months the ambulance service will be looking for caring, reliable people who are calm in an emergency and want to make a difference in their community.
Community First Responders are trained volunteers sent by South East Coast Ambulance Service to certain types of 999 calls. We provide treatment and care for patients while the ambulance is on its way.
If you would like to know more about what’s involved send us a message and we can explain the role and responsibilities.

SECAmb Godalming Community First Responders

https://www.secamb.nhs.uk

In an informal, outdoor, socially distanced event at the Shop last Thursday 10th June, a core group of shop volunteers were presented with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service pins by Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey, Michael More-Molyneux. The event was also attended by Julie Llewelyn, High Sheriff of Surrey

The presentation recognised the volunteers who worked so hard to serve the village during lockdown, by transforming the shop into an on-line delivery service. During the first coronavirus lockdown between late March 2020 and the end of June 2020, the shop picked, packed and delivered almost 2500 grocery orders, at times doing over 60 a day. This allowed customers to safely and responsibly do their grocery shopping from home at a time when the supermarkets were struggling to cope with demand.

The shop volunteers have previously received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2015. Equivalent to an MBE, QAVS are the highest awards given to local voluntary groups in the UK, and they are awarded for life. As the award could not be given again, it was decided to recognise the individuals involved during the pandemic by presenting them with QAVS pins.

The event, on a beautiful sunny day, was covered by both Radio Surrey and BBC South Today. The BBC South Today piece is available below for those who missed it.

Many people have been put off walking the footpath from the Merry Harriers towards Enton and Witley because of its boggy condition. All that has changed, thanks to the efforts of volunteers, as Mike Parry explains.

The Old Road to Witley – Bridleway 186

This will be known to most of us as the path alongside the Merry Harriers to Buss’s Common and beyond and was many years ago an established highway between Hambledon and Witley.

More recently it has been even better known for its very wet condition as for most of the year it has only been passable on foot if wearing waterproof boots. The photograph below was taken in March last year.

The bridleway was last repaired in 2002 by Surrey County Council and has deteriorated through use and flooding problems since then.

In October 2018 the Parish Council asked for some help from SCC to at least evaluate the possible cost of repairs and a sketch was prepared by the Parish Council with a suggested improvement scheme. Due to a lack of funding at that time there was no further progress until March 2019. Continue reading →

If anyone in the Parish is keen to get involved in voluntary maintenance of rights of way (footpaths and bridleways), then please contact the Parish Council Clerk by e-mail or telephone to register your interest.  This is a real opportunity to help restore and retain some of the beautiful footpaths and bridleways in the village, whilst getting some fresh air with friends and neighbours!  01428 481956 or [email protected]