Switch Café comes to Love’s Farm House

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Switch Now 2Switch Café is open at Love’s Farm House every Thursday and Friday 10am-2pm, offering a selection of hot and cold drinks and delicious and delicious, freshly-baked cakes at competitive prices. Our co-workers offer a warm welcome to everyone in the community. We also provide a takeaway service and lunches to order.

Switch Café offers meaningful work placements and supported training for young adults (co-workers) with additional needs, to help progress them towards paid employment and more fulfilling futures. Any profits made are reinvested to support our co-workers development. For more information www.switchnow.org.uk.

Switch Now 1

Switch Café was officially launched by the Mayor and Mayoress of St Neots

Bar staff required

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Love’s Farm House requires part-time bar staff. Shifts will be on an ad hoc basis, mostly on Friday and Saturday evenings. You may also be required to perform caretaking duties, such as opening and closing the building and looking after hirers.

Preferred skills and qualities:

  • friendly and outgoing
  • a willingness to work as part of a team
  • suitable judgement and confidence to enforce licencing regulations
  • good numeracy skills
  • awareness of health, safety, security and hygiene issues
  • available to work evenings and weekends

Shifts may vary from two to seven hours, depending on the booking schedule. £8 per hour.

To apply for this position please send a brief CV and covering letter setting out why you believe you would be suitable for this role to jobs@lovesfarmhouse.co.uk. For more information please contact Emma on 07751 121354.

St Neots Film Club comes to Love’s Farm House

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On 15 January we welcome St Neots Film Club to Love’s Farm House. Film screenings are free to attend, the bar is open and there’ll be a post-film discussion so you can chew over those narrative arcs and symbolic imagery over a glass of wine or a cool beer.

The Film Club starts with the 1990 sci-fi classic: Total Recall. See you there!

total recall

Visit the St Neots Film Club Facebook page or email Melina at melinalafirenze@gmail.com for more details.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Love’s Farm House

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Let's Party like it's 2015People of Love’s Farm: who’s up for a party? Celebrate the New Year in style with your family, friends and neighbours. At this family-friendly party there’ll be fun and games for all ages, a reasonably priced bar and dancefloor classics into the early hours. At the end it’s just a short walk home to your cosy bed.

Tickets are £10 per person, £5 for under 18s (must be accompanied by an adult), and are on sale now from the Love’s Farm House office (Mon-Fri daytime) or at the Farm House Bar (Fridays from 7:30pm). All proceeds go towards keeping our community centre up and running!

Trustees Wanted

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Love's Farm House logoLove’s Farm House is managed by Love’s Farm Community Centre CIO, a charity set up by members of LFCA and other local residents. We have our AGM coming up and would like to welcome new trustees to our board. The trustees are volunteers who take overall responsibility for the community centre: setting hire rates, managing finances, fundraising, defining policies, employing and managing staff. We also do lots of practical jobs: planning events, managing bookings, running the bar and café, helping out wherever it’s needed. There’s lots to do but it’s really rewarding.

If you’re interested in becoming a trustee (or would like to volunteer in any other way), we’d love to hear from you. Please email chair@lovesfarmhouse.co.uk or call 01480 262626. Please get in touch by 1st December.

Thanks!
Ben

What’s On: November 2015

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Love’s Farm House is now open! Click the calendar below for an at-a-glance What’s On guide for November 2015, and scroll down for more information and contact details to book your place.

What's On November 15

Mondays

HartbeepsMondays 9:30am, 10:30am & 11:45am: Hartbeeps
£6.50 per session (£5.50 in advance)

Multi-sensory, developmentally directed, musical storytelling sessions for small people and their grown ups. Designed by experts, fuelled by magic, delivered with love.

  • 9.30am Happy House – toddlers to five years
  • 10.30am Baby Beeps – sitting to walking
  • 11.45am Baby Bells – newborn to sitting

www.hartbeeps.com
Contact Anna on 07903 142 133, annac@hartbeeps.com to reserve your place.

NCT YogaMondays 1:15pm: NCT Mother & Baby Yoga
£10 per session or £50 for six weeks

Sessions for women from six weeks after birth, gentle yoga-based exercises for mums and babies to do together.

www.jennysclasses.uk
Contact Jenny on 01480 215658 or email jenny@jennysclasses.uk to reserve your place.

Pop MoversMondays 4:15pm: Pop Movers
£4.50 per session (or £27 for seven weeks)

A 45-minute dance class for boys and girls aged 5-9. Start with a fun and energetic warm up and then learn a dance routine to your favourite pop songs. Pop Movers is the perfect opportunity for children to have fun, build confidence and make friends.

www.limelightentertainmentuk.com
Contact Amy on 07825 331453 or email amy@limelightentertainmentuk.com to reserve your place.

At Peace YogaMondays 7pm: At Peace Yoga
£7.50 per session (booked in nine week blocks, £9 drop-in)

Yoga for everyone, all ages and abilities, incorporating breathing exercises, movement (asana), meditation and relaxation. Taught by a British Wheel of Yoga teacher and Yoga Therapist.

http://oakleyrebecca.wix.com/peace-yoga
Contact Rebecca on 07789 175009 or email oakley_rebecca@hotmail.com to reserve your place.

Tuesdays

Baby SensoryTuesdays 9:40-10:40am & 11am-12pm: Baby Sensory
£58.50 for nine weeks (normally £65 for 10 weeks)

Baby Sensory introduces you and your baby to a world of rich and varied sensory experiences through a wide range of creative, imagination and exciting activities and tools, all to encourage learning and development in those precious early months.

www.babysensory.com
Contact Sarah Knights on 07921 29937, email Beds@babysensory.co.uk or visit the website to reserve your place.

Everyone HealthTuesdays from 10 November, 1:30pm:
Everyone Health Adult Weight Management
Free (book in advance through your GP or self-referral)

Nutrition and exercise based group session for overweight adults looking to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle.

www.everyonehealth.co.uk
Call Vicki on 01223 941150 / 07834 173726 or email victoriawhite@everyonehealth.co.uk for more information.

Pilates ProfessionalTuesdays 7pm & 8pm: Pilates Professional
First class free (must be booked in advance), £78 for 12 classes

Annie Morton’s Pilates classes will help you to reduce back, neck and shoulder pain, improve your posture, flexibility and strengthen your abdominal core muscles.

www.pilates-professional.com
Contact Annie on 01480 474 363 or email annie@pilates-professional.com to reserve your place.

Wednesdays

DSC01094Wednesdays 9am-12pm: Farm House Coffee Morning

Pop in for tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cake, lovingly baked and served in the foyer by our team of volunteers.

Music For Little PeopleWednesdays 9:45am & 10:45am: Music For Little People
£7:50 per session 

Award winning classes build the foundations of learning through music with colourful props and puppets. Delivered by qualified teachers.

www.musicforlittlepeople.co.uk
Call Karen on 01480 812469 or email karen@mflp.co.uk to reserve your place.

At Peace YogaWednesdays 10:30am: At Peace Yoga
£7.50 per session (booked in nine week blocks, £9 drop-in)

Yoga for everyone, all ages and abilities, incorporating breathing exercises, movement (asana), meditation and relaxation. Taught by a British Wheel of Yoga teacher and Yoga Therapist.

http://oakleyrebecca.wix.com/peace-yoga
Contact Rebecca on 07789 175009 or email oakley_rebecca@hotmail.com to reserve your place.

Children's CentreWednesdays 1:30pm: Love’s Farm Starlings
Always free

A drop-in session with play based activities that change weekly, regular baby weighing with a Health Visitor and monthly visits from JobCentrePlus.

www.cambridgeshirechildrenscentres.org.uk
Contact St Neots Rural Childrens Centre, 01480 357540, stneotsruralchildrenscentre@cambridgeshire.gov.uk for more information.

Wednesdays 6:30pm: Youth Club

A new youth club for school years 8 to 11 (ages 12-16). Watch this space for more information.

Thursdays

 

4 Seasons FitnessThursdays 1:15pm: 4 Seasons Fitness Bootcamp
£6 per session

A full-body, 45-minute mix of body weight and resistance exercises. 4 Seasons Fitness Bootcamp will leave you wondering why you hadn’t started sooner!

www.4seasonsfitness.co.uk
Contact Max on 07862 726276 or email max@4seasonsfitness.co.uk to reserve your place.

4 Seasons FitnessThursdays 2:15pm: 4 Seasons Fitness Crunch
£4 per session

Crunch concentrates solely on your core! Plenty of abdominal exercises with the aim to tighten and strengthen your stomach!

www.4seasonsfitness.co.uk
Contact Max on 07862 726276 or email max@4seasonsfitness.co.uk to reserve your place.

St Neots LibraryThursday 5th November 3:15pm: Baby and Toddler Rhymetime
£1 per session

Action rhymes and songs for babies and toddlers to enjoy, courtesy of our friends at St Neots Library.

Contact St Neots Library on 0345 045 5225 for more information.

Brownies GuidesThursdays 6pm and 7:30pm

Love’s Farm Brownies and Guides move into their new home.

Email guides@lovesfarmguiding.org.uk for more information.

Fridays

Switch NowFridays 9:30am: Switch Now

Switch Now aims to provide young adults with learning difficulties / disabilities supported training and work experience to develop employment skills, with the objective to be ‘work ready’. We aim to work collaboratively with the local community and partner organisations to identify the opportunities for employment, aiming for inclusive places of work, with a mutual benefit to both employer and employee.

www.switchnow.org.uk
Contact Mark on 07518 795301, markhawking@switchnow.org.uk or Catherine on 07518 795370, catherinefairholm@swithnow.org.uk for more information.

K Dance and FitnessFridays 6:15pm: Burlesque Fitness
£5 per session

A fun and mischievous exercise class combining a cardio work out and burlesque tease.

www.kdanceandfitness.co.uk
Contact Katy on 07500 875060 or email katynorth.danceacademy@gmail.com to reserve your place.

Fridays 7:30pm: Farm House Bar

Good beer, fine wine and the best company you could hope for, every Friday in the foyer.

Trival-pursuitFriday 13 November 7:30pm: Games Night

Pit your wits as you lubricate your brain cells. On the second Friday of the month at the Farm House Bar we’ll have a selection of board games to play, or bring your own. Come with friends or make some new ones.

Quiz nightFriday 27 November 8pm: Love’s Farm Quiz
£1 per person

The LFCA monthly quiz returns in its new home at the Farm House Bar. Jamie is your quizmaster this month. The bar will be open so no more bring-your-own-bottle.

Saturdays

PastriesSaturdays 9 – 10:30am: Lazy Breakfast

Join us in the foyer for pastries, bacon sarnies, great coffee and speciality teas. Everything you need to start your weekend gently.

The Katy North Academy of Dance and CheerSaturdays 9:30am: Rosettes Dance Class
£4 per session

Street/Pop dance mixed with ballroom and Latin for kids ages 4-6 years.

www.katynorthdanceacademy.com
Contact Katy on 07500 875060 or email katynorth.danceacademy@gmail.com to reserve your place.

The Katy North Academy of Dance and CheerSaturdays 10am: Junior Street Dance
£5.50 per session

Street dance for kids aged 7-10 years.

www.katynorthdanceacademy.com
Contact Katy on 07500 875060 or email katynorth.danceacademy@gmail.com to reserve your place.

DSCF5483Saturdays and Sundays: Private Hire
Hold your party at Love’s Farm House

Children’s parties cost just £50 for a two-hour party with 30 minutes either side to set up and clear away. Saturday 6pm until midnight is £200. More details here.

Sundays

Breakfast ChurchSunday 8 / 15 / 22 November 10-11:30am: Breakfast Church
Always free

come when you can, leave when you need to, come back if you want

Hosted by Helene, the Love’s Farm Community Chaplain, Breakfast Church welcomes all ages to come and eat breakfast, read the papers, explore questions about life, faith and doubt and consider how an ancient story relates today.

www.facebook.com/lovesfarmchaplain
Contact Helene on 07938 803501 or email community.chaplain@yahoo.co.uk

Thank you

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We launch tomorrow, so now feels like a good time to thank some people.

First, to Philip Gibbs and all at LFCA past and present for keeping up the pressure and making sure that Love’s Farm got the community centre it deserved. To George Yazigi, Ed Norton and Colin Chaplin, who along with me (Ben) formed a subteam back in January 2014 to develop plans and liaise with HDC. To Mark Houston and Chris Allen, and later, Bill Tilah, Dan Smith, Joanne McMullough and Chris Stopford at HDC, who had the dubious pleasure of handling all our demands for the building. To Paul Dickens, Tim Jackson and all at Lakeview Village Hall for giving us some much-needed pointers as to what’s involved in launching and managing a community centre.

To our intake of volunteers in April 2014: Caroline Gregson, Claire Renwick, Rosie Ferguson, Rebecca Mitton, Emma Lovelock, Judith Sampson, Sarah Bentley, Emma Stevens, Annabel van Nieuwkerk, Sally Tilley, Kirsty Pitt, Maria Russo, Susi Cracroft, Caroline Henderson, Chris Pritchard, Cornelia Lucian and Femke Millership, all of whom have played or continue to play a vital role in shaping the community centre project. To Mandy Reeve, Maria Russo, Mennel Welch, Emma Lovelock and Matt Gooderham, who contributed to the design of our kitchen.

To Kim Burrows, Katie Baldwin, Carolyn O’Donell, Tegan Ryan, Nicky Dahl and all at BPHA for their on-going support. To Alan Turner and all at Hunts Forum for their training sessions, expert advice and moral support. To the dozens of county, district and town councillors who have argued our case, have given us financial backing and helped us in innumerable other ways. To Ed Reilly, Kevin Matthews, Donna Cooke, Katrina Conroy, Sue Ritchie and all at the St Neots Town Council office for all the times I’ve phoned up, turned up and generally made a nuisance of myself with complicated requests. To Sarah Gosling and all at WREN for their generous support and coping with even more complicated questions and requests.

To our founding trustees – Caroline Gregson, George Yazigi (and me) – followed by nine more a few months later: Claire Renwick, Judith Sampson, Rosie Ferguson, Helene Tame, Eleanor Whalley, David Ruff, Barry Chapman, Emma Lovelock and Rebecca Mitton. To Anne Jones at Pippins and Jacqui Huckle and Gerald Clutterbuck at 19 for their invaluable guidance on the subject of community coffee shops. To Adam Livermore and all at Atkins for designing such a fabulous building, and for welcoming our contributions to the design. To Lee Davis, Andy Gale, Paul Evans, Marc Jeffries, Andy Holland, Jason Davenport and the hundreds of other people who were involved in construction.

To all our regular hirers and session providers: Keela Shackell-Smith, Sarah Morgan, Lucy Knights, Anna Crompton, Katy North, Sarah Knights, Rebecca Mitton, Penny Marsh, Nicky Booth, Nicky Munro, Emily Smith, Declan Tonks, Helene Tame, Karen Dickinson, Jenny Barrett, Amy Barron, Max O’Keefe, Annie Morton, Sue Batchelor, Vicki White, Angie Robertson, Mark Hawking and Catherine Fairholm. Can’t wait to get started.

To Patryk Gacorysiak, Damian Wawrzyniak, Anna and Steve Thompson and especially Ross Millership and Rebecca Mitton for building acoustic panels into the early hours, night after night over the last week. To Caroline Gregson and Judith Sampson for stepping up to do the jobs no one else wants to do. To Eleanor Whalley for being wise and hilarious. To Jonathan, Helene and all the Tame family for their dedication and positive energy. To Rebecca Mitton and David Ruff for being frighteningly hardworking and efficient, particularly over the last month. To Emma Lovelock for bringing her wealth of experience and dedication to everything she does. To Marcus Pickering, who has been a constant source of wisdom and support for Love’s Farm House and so many other projects in and around Love’s Farm.

To Kirsty, Bethany, Finn, Hattie, Margaret and James Pitt for their love, support and generosity in allowing me to be a very distracted husband/father/son over the last couple of years, and to the families of all our volunteers.

I hope it’s been worth it. We find out tomorrow!

Let’s Make Bunting

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ButningEveryone loves bunting, right? And what better bunting could there be than Love’s Farm Bunting?

Bring your pre-loved items of clothing to the Love’s Farm House Launch Festival on Saturday 24 October and we will turn it into a piece of bunting to decorate our fantastic new venue. It might be a favourite top that’s getting a bit tatty, a band t-shirt that you never wear but can’t bring yourself to throw away, or perhaps something that the kids have grown out of. This is your chance to turn it into something everyone can appreciate for years to come.

The bunting production line can be found in the hall from 4pm to 6pm on Saturday. See you then!

Love’s Farm House Time Capsule

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Time CapsuleOn Saturday 24 October during the Love’s Farm Expo, we are burying a time capsule in the garden at Love’s Farm House. Join us and be part of the story. Take an envelope (a dinner money envelope 90x65mm) and fill it with your Time Treasure.

For example:

  • a photo of you, your family, your house
  • a drawing by you or your children
  • a newspaper or magazine cutting
  • a coin
  • a message to the future or a
    question to ask
  • a story about how you moved here
  • a small, everyday object
  • your own idea

Bring your Time Treasure to Love’s Farm House (17 Kester Way) by 5pm on Saturday 24 October. It’s all about you and your life on Love’s Farm for a future generation to discover.