Charity/voluntary

With top TV quizmaster Chris Tarrant as its Vice president, it makes perfect sense for Princess Alice Hospice to launch 'LET'S QUIZ'. The charity is calling out to their local community to organise a quiz night event during the coming months.

The Hospice is hosting one of the first quiz nights with a staff fundraising evening, the event will see nurses battling fundraisers and doctors competing with the housekeeping and catering teams for the accolade of the 'Brightest Department'.

Quiz nights are very simple fundraisers, you simply need a venue, be it a pub, school hall or even your dining room and a pack of questions, answers and some competitive guests, the Hospice will provide the quiz pack - including questions sheets, answers, posters for publicising the event, balloons etc - and organisers simply need to find some quizzers.

A SHEPPERTON woman retired from the British Heart Foundation with the best possible leaving present - an MBE.

Valerie Hendry (Valerie Mason to colleagues), of Felix Lane, stood down on New Year's Eve after 26 years in the research department with the perfect end.

THE Goat in Shepperton has launched a campaign to help Thai orphans to mark the fifth anniversary of the great tsunami.

The Upper Halliford Road pub is calling for people to donate unsuitable children's Christmas gifts. Half of the collected items will go to UK charity KidsOut, which runs a Toy Box Scheme providing toys for children fleeing domestic violence.

Bikers visited a residential home on Sunday December 6 dressed as Father Christmas to give out presents.

More than 20 members of the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Club visited The Bradbury Centre, in Manygate Lane, in Shepperton, dressed as Santa, Batman and Robin, and Gnomes.

Seventeen girls dressed in their pyjamas to raise money for Children in Need in Shepperton.

The members of 2nd Shepperton Guides held a teddy bears picnic at their weekly meeting on Friday November 20 and raised £170 for the BBC's appeal.

A TRIO of worthy causes from Spelthorne are hoping their Christmas wishes come true today (Thursday) with the allocation of grants for a variety of their projects.

The Spelthorne Natural History Society (SNHS), Spelthorne Junior School and Stanwell Carnival have all applied for money from the Heathrow Community and Environment Small Grants Awards, and a judging panel will look at their applications this afternoon.

A TIRELESS Desborough Sailing Club member who trains disabled people to enjoy the pursuit was presented with a Royal Yachting Association award by HRH the Princess Royal at a ceremony in London.

Paul Johnson was nominated by RYA council members for an Outstanding Contribution Award and was selected as a winner by the awards panel for his work last Friday.
Mr Johnson goes to the Shepperton club every Thursday and helps with disabled sailors at Queen Mary Sailability sessions.

MOVE aside Katherine Jenkins, Shepperton postmistress Sharon Simmons is the real forces sweetheart after she dispatched nearly 300 parcels of goodies donated by the public to troops in Afghanistan.

There can be no doubt Mezzo Soprano star Miss Jenkins' flying visits to the troops perked up the soldiers no end, but Ms Simmons is providing them with more than just a quick fix and has so far shipped out 272 boxes of treats, including biscuits, sweets, magazines and books.

THAMESMEAD School is holding a charity 'rowathon' at its sports centre on Saturday, November 14 as part of its annual open fun day.

Held between 11am-3pm, there will be all sorts of entertainment laid on, including a bouncy castle, tombola, slides, live music and refreshments.

BOSSES at Charlton Lane tip are offering grants of up to £50,000 for any worthy community projects within three miles of the site.

Owners SITA Trust's Enhancing Communities Programme will provide money from the landfill communities fund for any projects that make physical improvements to community facilities, sports projects and historic buildings / structures.