At Holtwood we're delighted that our new fully-accessible hall and other facilities are now available both for church and community use.  We have now have a large hall which is ideal for conferences, awaydays, parties, etc with a fully equiped kitchen which complies with all of the current hygiene and health & safety standards.  There are also new male & female showers and toilets and similar facilities for people with disabilities.  Our Sunday School Room is also available for smaller meetings.  The premises are ideal for camping weekends for organised groups - the main Hall and Sunday School Room can also be used for separate boys/girls sleeping accommodation.  In late 2007 a small group of Trustees purchased part of an adjacent field called Chapel Ground and this also will be available for hire once some essential work has been completed - hopefully by May 2007.  Weekend visitors are very welcome to join with us at our 10.45 Sunday services at which there are a variety of worship styles and opportunities, followed by coffee and biscuits.   Hall and field bookings can be made and further information obtained by contacting Anne Sanyal on (01202) 880201 or e-mail: brian-anne@freeuk.com

Here are a couple of pictures of the completed hall - one was taken from the field at the back of the hall which really gives the impression of a church in the woods and the other one was taken from the side which also shows nearby Horton Tower.  It is part of this field that has recently been purchased. 

Church members and friends in the local community raised about £160,000 towards the final cost of the new premises.  This is a remarkable achievement, by far exceeding our own target of £88,000 (£1,000 a member). The balance came from Methodist Funds (Central, District & Circuit), grants from Dorset Community Action, East Dorset District Council & Holt Parish Council, together with landfill tax grants (Biffaward and SITA) and generous gifts from other individuals and bodies including The Rank Trust, Norwood Newton Settlement, Joyce Fletcher Trust and Talbot Village Trust.  Many other smaller grants were also received - they've all made such a difference!  Thank you for supporting our various fundraising events in recent years - these will continue and will give us the opportunity to raise money for other bodies as well for our own projects.  For example in February 2008 our Hot Potato Club was delighted to present children's hospice Julia's House with a gift of £400.  We're now putting together an events programme for 2008 - please scroll down for details as they are confirmed.

Review of 2006

February - we held a "Lay-a-Brick Day" where we invited the local community to lay a brick for a £5 donation.  We were quite overwhelmed when we did the sums -£3,325 had been raised!  

July - we shared an enjoyable day in the delightful grounds of Bindon Grange, Holt where we played tennis, croquet and other gardens games interspersed with copious cups of tea, cream scones and homemade cakes.  Lunchtime was extremely dramatic with a sudden wild and windy thunderstorm when, for an hour or so, 'day turned into night!'  Thanks to all those who made the day so successful - more than £300 was raised - and special thanks to David and Mary Marsh for hosting the day.

August - Mrs Win Potter unveiled the Hall Date Stone and the DVD "Holtwood Chapel - This is Your Life" was previewed.  Sales of the DVD by producer David Joy subsequently raised £465 for the Hall Fund.  Well done, Dave!  

September - a significant fundraising month!  There was a 6-a-side football tournament at St. James' School, Gaunts Common which raised over £160, shared between our Hall fund and the School.  There was also a charity fundraising event hosted by Wimborne Football Club with the money raised being shared between the Wessex Heartbeat Appeal and our Hall fund.  The amount raised, with tax gift aid, was more than £14,000 - a magnificant effort!  Our very grateful thanks go to the event organisers and, especially, to Paul Miller.  Over 20 years ago Paul was a member of Holtwood Youth Club and wanted to use this fundraising opportunity to say 'thank you' in a very practical way - he certainly achieved his wish!   The Opening and Dedication of our new Hall was on 30th September when hundreds of people viewed the new premises, many from the local community who were with us for the first time.  The weekend continued on 1st October with our harvest festival and lunch for nearly 200 people in memory of Norman Shears who passed away earlier this year and who had done so much to make the project a reality.  The weekend was rounded off with a Songs of Praise evening where, again, we were pleased to welcome well over 100 visitors to Holtwood. 

October - we held our first Hot Potato Club (HPC) evening when well over 100 people enjoyed supper followed by an informative and entertaining talk on Dorset Smuggling by author Roger Guttridge, whose ancestry includes a number of local smugglers - and other miscreants!  £452 was raised and future HPC evenings (you don't have to be a member!) will be on the first Friday of alternate months from February 2007. 

November - a bonfire party at Rowe Farm raised £190 and an illustrated talk by Revd. Ralph Ward about his (exhausting!) Coast to Coast walk across the north of England raised £200. 

December - we enjoyed a candlelit "Dickensian Christmas Revue" of music, poetry, short stories and drama - an enjoyable variety production which raised £270 for the hall fund and a "Ghost in the Machine" concert at Verwood raised over £250 for the hall fund.  Also in December Ralph and Rob appeared as "Ghost in the Machine" at Verwood Royal British Legion Club - a fun night which raised £250.

Review of 2007 

January - our New Year fundraising events kicked off with the actor Ray Sargent presenting "Two Victorian Tales", an evening of Dickens and Hardy story-telling in a spell-binding, incredibly atmospheric presentation which raised £404 for the hall fund.  Sadly Ray passed away in March 2008.

February - we enjoyed a hot potato club evening with a Tommy Cooper tribute cabaret (£270), a concert by the Guides & Brownies (£108), a ceilidh with Cottage Industry (£165), a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Evening (£110) and a Guides/Brownies Show (£108).

March - something different was a "Come Strictly Ballroom" Evening (£315) and we also staged a wonderful concert by the ever-popular Dorset Police Male Voice Choir (£400).  A Bible Quiz raised £50 - joint winners were Win Potter of Horton Heath and Jean Raymond of Verwood with a special 3rd prize  to Ian & Angela Head of Gaunts Common for their brilliant tie-breaker "A feline seamstress brought back to life" (Tabitha).  Thank you to all who took part - it was just a bit of fun! 

April - we welcomed speakers from the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance to the HPC which raised £175.

May - we enjoyed a tremendous evening with Nashville country and gospel ambassador George Hamilton IV - a really humble country gent!   This sold-out concert was a remarkable achievement for a small, country church like Holtwood and speaks volumes of George's willingness to take the gospel message, as Jesus instructed us, "to the very ends of the Earth".  A bonus was that the concert raised £777 for our hall fund.  Thank you to George and to all who supported the event or helped in any way to make it such a success.  Unbelievably, George will be 70 on 19th July - please think of him and give thanks for his music ministry!   Becky Shears and I (plus an impromptu song from Pete Emberley and Sharon Pearcey) provided supporting entertainment.  Here's a picture of George, Becky and me after the extremely warm concert under the spotlights!  You can visit George's website at http://www.georgeiv.net

June - a second Open Day was held at Bindon Grange, Holt courtesy of Dave & Mary Marsh which was well supported and, despite the showers, raised £300.  The HPC enjoyed an evening featuring "Five Cheers for Enid Blyton", an illustrated talk of "Famous Five" locations inspired by Purbeck landmarks, such as Corfe Castle, Lulworth Castle, Dancing Ledge and Brownsea Island. 

July - another real highlight of the year was the Holtwood Summer Fete which was opened by hugely popular former BBC presenter Hugh Ashley.  The day featured many stalls and garden games, a BBQ, strawberry cream teas and a variety of entertainment from Ghost in the Machine, Holtwood Puppets, Phoebe Ward, Holtwood Mission Band and Becky Shears & myself.  Our special guests were Wimborne Community Theatre who also recruited actor Ray Sargent for the day!  After the wettest June on record and a wild & windy start to July, we were really blessed with glorious weather - so much so that many of us got unexpectedly sunburnt!  We were delighted to welcome many visitors to Holtwood and, as a bonus, the day was also a financial success - £1,000 was raised towards the Hall Fund.  Thank you all.

September - our Harvest Supper was on Saturday 29th September and made a profit of £53.  Entertainment was by Mr. Geoff Clacy, a well known 'rustic' comedian in these parts.  I missed him because I was playing at the Ringwood Harvest Festival.

October - the HPC on 5th October featured a DVD about a Panda Reserve in China recently visited by John James, one of the members at Holtwood, and the evening raised £150.  One of the regular coffee morning hosted by the Holtwood Sisterhood raised a further £86 and our six monthly Gift Day raised a remarkable £2,000+.

November - the Holtwood Bonfire & Fireworks (and rain-free!) evening raised £200 and the wonderful Holtwood Bistro on 17th November raised about £1000.

December - the HPC on 7th December was on the theme of a Victorian Christmas and raised £255.

2008

February - The HPC on 1st February featured a presentation about Julia's House, a highly regarded local children's hospice not far from Holtwood.  The evening raised £400 for the charity.

April - The HPC on 4th April featured an enthralling evening with Mrs A. Thom speaking about "Adventures of a French Woman in the Resistance" which raised £318. 

May - on Bank Holiday Monday 5th May we emjoyed a barbecue accompanied by music and maypole dancing which was the first event in the newly-acquired field adjoining the church and which, aptly, has traditionally been called "Chapel Ground.".   

June - The HPC on 6th June will feature music from a quartet of lady accordianists.  The Bindon Grange Open Day will be on Saturday 7th June between 11.00 and 4.00 - do go along and play garden games, tennis, etc or just chill out in the lovely Dorset countryside.

July - The second Holtwood Fete will be on Saturday 5th July.  Guests for the day will include Forest FM, our community radio station based in Verwood broadcasting on 92.3FM, singer/songwriter Adrian Bowyer and Wimborne Community Theatre.   They will be supported by the usual homegrown culprits including 'Ghost in the Machine', HMB and the Holtwood Puppets - and I'll fill in the gaps with flautist Becky Shears!  The day starts at 12.00 with a BBQ and continues until about 5.00 with cream teas including wonderful local strawberries from nearby Glen Farm which is a great place to PYO all summer if you're out this way - lots of roadworks at the moment but just follow the diversion signs!  You can listen live to Forest FM by clicking here. 

October - The HPC on 3rd October will be a charity night for the RNLI with an illustrated talk.  The national headquarters of the RNLI are near to Holtwood in Poole. 

November - on Friday 7th November at 7.30 the former BBC presenter, and a good friend to Holtwood, Hugh Ashley will be presenting one of his famous "Sing-Ins", with Jane & Nella Joy on piano & organ, supported by HMB - altogether an excellent plan for blowing away any cobwebs in the roof!  

December - George Hamilton IV will present a Christmas concert at Holtwood on Friday 5th December at 7.30.  Supporting entertainment will be from local musician Nathalie Green-Buckley.  Tickets are £12 and are available now from Peter Aston on (01258) 840844 or by e-mail.  On 12th December the HPC will include Christmas entertainment.