Peak Advertiser

21/12/2024

17/12/2024

MONYASH CE PRIMARY SCHOOL SHOWING COMPASSION FOR OTHERS THROUGH SHOEBOXES

The children of Monyash CE Primary School have been collecting items for children (such as toothbrushes, toys, notebooks, pens, sweets etc) and the school council have been packing them up to donate to the Rotary Club of Ashbourne as their latest initiative. The Ashbourne Rotary Club, in conjunction with the charity Teams4U have been collecting shoeboxes filled with small gifts, toiletries etc for children in parts of the world where they would otherwise receive nothing at Christmas, and the children of Monyash decided they wanted to get involved.
Each term, the school study a value and this term’s is Compassion, and what better way to show this than by preparing these gifts for children less fortunate than themselves. In total, this small school prepared 12 shoeboxes crammed full with gifts.
The school prides itself on working within the community, having previously supported Jigsaw Food Bank, Matlock and was praised in it’s recent SIAMS inspection for his ethical and Christian ethos underpinning everything the school does.
The report in June of this year stated, “Guided by the vision, the school council decides which charities to support. This provides opportunities for pupils to consider the needs of people within, and beyond, their community. They learn that working together with others provides the encouragement needed to begin to overcome adversity”.If you are interested in visiting the school for your child, please contact the school on 01629 812413 to arrange a visit.

17/12/2024

GRINDLEFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL’S CHRISTMAS CRAFT AFTERNOON

On 4th December, children and parents at Grindleford Primary School kickstarted the Christmas period with with a Christmas craft afternoon. The children made an array of different crafts to decorate the school. The afternoon was made even more special by all the children from Reception through to Year 6 learning an alternative skill of wreath making, which put everyone in a festive mood.

17/12/2024

CHURCH FOODBANK GIVEN BOOST TO HELP STRUGGLING FAMILIES

Struggling families in Derbyshire have been thrown a lifeline, thanks to a donation to a local food bank.
Ashbourne Food Bank – which is run and managed by Ashbourne Elim Church - has been awarded the grant by Platform Housing Group.
The donation is part of the social landlord’s yearly community kindness campaign, which will see it support 117 local specialist organisations, charities, food banks and events across its communities; overall the campaign will donate £82,135 this year.
Tracey Silk, Community Engagement Officer at Platform Housing Group said, “Food banks up and down the country have become a staple for many families. And with Christmas just around the corner, many people will be relying on them even more. We have close to 700 properties in Ashbourne itself and more in the surrounding villages with many of the food bank users being Platform customers.
The church provides a great deal of support to both our customers and the wider community through its food bank, youth work and support for older residents. We are so pleased to be able to provide financial assistance to this essential service.”
The donation will be used to buy Christmas gifts for struggling families who use the food bank.
Mike Swan, Community Outreach Worker at Ashbourne Elim Church said, “We are so thankful to Platform for offering our community such a lifeline at this time of year. Over the past year we have given out more than 100,000 meals to families and individuals in need in our local area. This was only made possible due to the generosity of organisations like Platform.”
For those who would like to donate food items, there are collection points at Ashbourne Elim Church, Sainsburys and both Co-ops. To give financially to the work of the food bank, please email: food [email protected]

L-R; Mike Swan, Community Outreach Worker at Ashbourne Elim Church and Sarah Sutton, Director of New Customers and Specialist Housing at Platform Housing Group

13/12/2024

11/12/2024

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11/12/2024

🗞 DISTRIBUTORS WANTED 🗞

Delivery Rounds currently available in the following areas:
🏠CHELMORTON
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11/12/2024

D-DAY VETERAN LOOKS SET TO RECEIVE HONOUR OF FREEDOM OF DERBYSHIRE

Derbyshire D-Day veteran, Albert Keir looks set to be honoured with the Freedom of Derbyshire.
At a meeting of its Full Council on 27 November, Derbyshire County Councillors voted unanimously to agree in principle to bestow the honour of Freedom of the County of Derbyshire to Mr Keir in recognition of his achievements during his life and career, including the part he played in the Second World War.
Following the agreement in principle, the formality of agreeing to confer the title will be made at a special meeting of Full Council on a date to be set next year where Mr Keir will be invited to receive the honour.
Mr Keir, 99, of Bakewell, left school aged 14 and was an apprentice painter and decorator, and around 1939 he helped to camouflage hydro-electric dams and buildings before joining the Royal Navy in 1943 when he was 18.
As a Royal Navy seaman he carried out general ship and gunnery duties on his ship, the Flower class corvette, HMS Potentilla.
He was part of the naval crew that ferried US troops onto Utah beach on D-Day on 6 June 1944 and he was awarded the National Order of the Legion of Honour (Légion d'honneur) by the French Government in 2015 for his heroism. The Légion d'honneur is the highest French order of merit for both military and civilian personnel, and Mr Keir received his medal from the Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire at a service at Bakewell Church.
Following the war Mr Keir worked as a painter and decorator for Derbyshire County Council but left to work at Furness and Hassels in Longstone before returning to the county council in the 1960s. He retired around 1990 aged 65.
Mr Keir married Dorothy in 1954 and they were together for 66 years, having one son, Andrew. Dorothy died aged 87 in 2019.
He has another son, Michael, from a previous marriage and two grandchildren from him.
To honour the memory of fallen comrades, Mr Keir sold poppies for the Royal British Legion, becoming one of the longest serving poppy sellers in the country, and he returned to Normandy in June this year with other veterans to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Whilst there he met HM King Charles and HM Queen Camilla among other dignitaries.
Derbyshire County Council Civic Chairman Councillor Tony Kemp said: “We are delighted that our Council was unanimous in its decision to agree in principle to the bestowing of the honour of the Freedom of the County of Derbyshire to Mr Keir. He is an extraordinary man and one of the last surviving veterans of D-Day.
“We very much look forward to officially bestowing the honour on him following a formal, final agreement at a special meeting of our Full Council next year.”
Mr Keir said: “I was very pleasantly surprised and thrilled to be considered for such an honour and would be extremely proud to accept it. I would like to thank everybody involved in the process and for putting my name forward.”

11/12/2024

SUPPORT FOR UNIVERSITY VISITS

The Dorothy Vernon Lodge of Freemasons in Bakewell have made up to £1,800 in grants available to support Sixth Form students from Lady Manners School in their academic pursuits. This generous contribution is specifically targeted at students who may require financial assistance to visit universities, an important step in their educational journey.
This support is part of a broader community partnership between Dorothy Vernon Lodge and Lady Manners School, reflecting a shared commitment to fostering educational opportunities and ensuring that all students, regardless of their financial background, have the chance to explore higher education options. “We are delighted to support Lady Manners School and their students with this level of commitment.” said Tim Stanish, Charity Steward at Dorothy Vernon Lodge. “Access to higher education is important and we believe that financial constraints should not prevent students from exploring their full potential. We are proud to partner with Lady Manners School in this endeavour and look forward to seeing the positive impact this funding will have on students’ futures.”
Gary Peat, Headteacher of Lady Manners School, expressed gratitude for the support, stating, “This contribution will make a significant difference for our students. It will enable them to visit universities, gain valuable insights and make informed choices about their higher education pathways. We are appreciative of the support and their generosity and commitment to supporting our community.”
This level of financial support reinforces the importance of community partnerships in supporting educational initiatives and will ensure that all students have the resources they need to succeed.
For more information about this initiative, please contact Lady Manners School Sixth Form who will liaise with Dorothy Vernon Lodge to support individual grant applications.

11/12/2024

ROTARY BAKEWELL

Bakewell Mayor presents cheque to Repair Café & Medway Centre - At Rotary Bakewell Repair Café on Saturday 30th November Bakewell Mayor, Helen Garvey came along to see the activity and to present a special award to be shared between the Medway Centre and the Repair Café.
Another successful and convivial repair café with a very positive buzz – a steady stream of customers and nearly 30 items attended to, most fixable – but no bikes this time!
The next café will be at the Methodist Church, Bakewell on Saturday 31st January 2025.
Rotary Bakewell Meeting Update - At our SGM (Special General Meeting) on 4th December we elected club officers for 2025/26 with John Hopkins as President and 2026/27 with Tom Marshall taking up the role. David Goodlad and Peter Huxtable remain as Treasurer and Secretary respectively.
The examined accounts for 2023/24 (year ending June) were approved. During the year the club charity account raised some £10,000 and disbursed monies to many local schools and organisations as well as Air Ambulance, Ashgate Hospice, Rob Burrows MND appeal, EMICS and CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young).
We were joined at the meeting and for lunch by EMICS who were Ann Esders’ nominated charity last year – and for who we have raised nearly £3K for.
Our guest speaker at the evening meeting on 27th November was BBC radio sports reporter Peter Slater who entertained us very well and most informatively with his A-Z anecdotes around the sports personalities he’s met over the last 45 years - and some honeymoon memories of the Rutland Hotel in 1978!
Club Member Evelyn-Rita Hickin gave us a further presentation on her work with the Landmark Trust on Lundy island, North Devon at the lunchtime meeting on 20th November. On this occasion she was searching for non-native species and sifting through seaweed!

Bakewell Repair Café. Top row L-R: Carol Clegg, Mayor Helen Garvey, Ann Esders and John Craike. Front Row: Evelyn-Rita Hickin and David Rawson

11/12/2024

CAROL SINGING AT ST GILES CHURCH, MATLOCK
Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd December

If you like to sing Carols, St Giles Church Matlock offers 2 super opportunities. First: Afternoon Carols and Cake on 21 December at 4-5.30pm at St Giles Church, Church Road Matlock. This will feature beautiful Carols and popular Christmas hits, with a St Giles School Christmas Choir.
Then on Sunday 22 December, at 10.30 in the morning, there will be a traditional Carol Service followed by mulled wine and soft drinks, as well as mince pies.
We will be delighted to see any and all to either – or even both and wish you and yours a blessed Christmas.

11/12/2024

CUPS FOR LIFE

Following encouragement from children at Buxton Community School, Buxton Football Club is moving away from the use of disposable plastic pint cups at the Tarmac Silverlands Stadium, replacing them with ‘cups for life’.
Buxton FC Chairman, David Hopkins was intrigued to receive a large number of handwritten letters expressing concern about the use of throwaway plastic cups at the stadium and their negative environmental impact. The letters were from year 7 pupils at Buxton Community School asking the Club to switch to a more sustainable option.
David said, “Here at Buxton Football Club we are mindful of our responsibilities to protect the environment and to receive letters from so many children from our local community was a really impactful reminder of this. We were prompted into action by the many young voices and very soon gained interest from our friends at Buxton Brewery who were keen to lend their support. We are delighted this has now come to fruition and would like to thank Buxton Brewery and of course the pupils from Buxton Community School for taking the time to write to me with their concerns.”
Vicky Booth, Eco Lead at Buxton Community School said, "What Buxton Football Club and Buxton Brewery have done is amazing! We are very lucky to live in a community where our young people are listened to like this."
The cups are now in use and were well-received by all in the recent victory over Oxford City FC. Hopefully they will continue to bring good luck for Buxton FC whilst supporting the children in their mission.

Some of the children who wrote directly to Club Chairman, Dave Hopkins (front left), alongside Dom Metcalfe from Buxton Brewery and Vicki Booth from the Community School

11/12/2024

HEDGEHOG EXPERT VISITS HATHERSAGE

Hedgehog hero, Hugh Warwick held the Hope Valley in his hand at his recent talk to members and guests of Hathersage Horticultural Society.
Despite it being one of the coldest and snowiest nights of the year, the Methodist Hall was packed with representatives from every village such is his reputation as one of the country’s leading experts on hedgehog care and conservation. Always entertaining, often thought provoking and occasionally provocative, Hugh did not disappoint. Whilst large and more exotic animals hog the limelight when it came to global compassion, the hedgehog seems to go below the radar even though it is always voted the nation’s favourite native wild animal.
In critical decline, the hedgehog is thwarted at every turn by human encroachment on its nightly rambling routes whilst its lack of fight or flight response leaves it open to attack and predation.
So what can we do to help the humble, harmless and hapless hedgehog? Well there are a few simple steps that anyone can take. Make sure that hedgehogs can move freely from garden to garden by making small gaps in the boundary fences or walls, just 13cm square holes in fences or walls at ground level is enough. Check out old cattlegrids as you pass to see if there is an internal ramp for trapped hedgehogs to escape, they are surprisingly sprightly when it comes to climbing steps and ramps and modern cattlegrids should be fitted with escape routes anyway. Don’t strim along hedges and stop being so tidy. Visit the British Hedgehogs Preservation Society website to log any sightings and to see how you can become a ‘Hedgehog Champion’.
Alongside the talk, local hedgehog enthusiasts staged a display detailing sightings in the village.

Hedgehog expert, Hugh Warwick and friend

10/12/2024

WINSTER VILLAGE SHOP CHRISTMAS WINDOW

As is tradition at this time of year, Winster Village Shop has a Christmas themed window. This year’s is a stunning masterpiece and features a marvellously detailed model of Winster Market House, populated by witty characters representing Winster villagers. The set was designed and crafted by a talented duo; Ali Carter and Jean Dugmore, who both live in the village. The window is brilliant, and free to see day or night. Winster adults and kids love it, so it’s worth a trip out to see it. The shop is easy to find on Main Street, Winster, opposite the Market House. Winster Shop is open on Christmas morning, 9am-12pm. So, if you’ve forgotten some vital ingredient, or had a culinary disaster and need to start again, our wonderful volunteers will be on hand to help you out. The staff and volunteers at Winster Village Shop, wish you a happy Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year.

10/12/2024

BUXTON COMMUNITY CHOIR FESTIVE FANTASIA
Friday 20th December

The build up to Christmas has started and for Buxton Community Choir (BCC) rehearsals are in full swing as the choir tunes-up for their main Christmas concert, “Festive Fantasia”, at St John’s church, Buxton on 20th December.
The choir’s Christmas 2024 adventure started last weekend as they performed in Buxton at the bottom of the slopes on Saturday afternoon as part of the Christmas Light Switch on festivities. They then marched up the hill to The Palace Hotel to sing at the Christmas Market and collected charity donations in support of Ashgate Hospice.
At both events, Led by Musical Director, Chris Blackshaw and accompanied on keyboard by Chris Flint, a 30 strong contingent of the choir let the harmonies ring out as they performed a musical set of seasonal songs and traditional carols.
Community is at the heart of the choir and BCC provides an open and inclusive place for all adults who want to sing. BCC strive to create fun and take pleasure in seeing members make friends and develop their singing talents through their participation in it. This approach has guided the Buxton Community Choir from strength to strength as a mixed voice choir of 68 singers who, under the direction of Chris Blackshaw, create a well-rounded sound and tremendous harmonies as witnessed in the summer fringe concerts when quoted, “the choir makes an awesome sound”.
Christmas is coming, a time where community matters most. In Buxton the choir will perform festive song at several of the local residential homes and at local pubs throughout the run up to their main event.
The excitement builds for the choir as they entertain and prepare for the main concert “Festive Fantasia” a selection of Christmas favourites at St John’s church Buxton, where the acoustics of the building will enhance the sound and harmony of the choir’s voice. The concert is on the 20th December commencing at 19:30 it promises to be a magnificent way to start Your Christmas. Tickets are available for the concert at Buxton Opera House box office and online.

Buxton Community Choir at The Palace Hotel, Christmas Market event

10/12/2024

WARM HEARTS THIS WINTER…RAISE YOUR VOICES WINTER CONCERT
‘Hark Hark’ Saturday 14th December

Raise Your Voices continues to enjoy a busy year of singing…now happily honing the seasonal songs and music for their 2024 winter concert “Hark Hark”
The performance will take place at 7.30pm in the splendid acoustics of St Mary’s Church, Wirksworth, on Saturday 14 December, led by musical director Lester Simpson. Donations from proceeds will yet again be made to support local charities so a full house is always appreciated...
The audience will be treated to a programme encompassing a wide variety of styles, eras and origins, with glorious harmonies and a mix of popular and rarer pieces, together with narration and stories, to inform and entertain – full details on the website. Tickets £10 from Marsden’s in the Marketplace and online from TicketSource.
Singers will close their musical year by once again joining the lovely Nightingales, the residents’ choir at Waltham House in Wirksworth, to celebrate the season by singing some well-loved carols together in harmony, always a joy… and RYV will then carry on to party elsewhere for a private singsong (with the tradition of party pieces thrown in for good measure) before breaking up for the holidays! RYV knows how to have fun….
The choir has recently moved venue for the Thursday evening sessions, still meeting up from 7-9pm but now at Wellspring on the corner of St John Street and Wood Street. It is warm, welcoming and spacious with room for more singers to join this well established community choir, formed over ten years ago by Lester Simpson, purely for the joy of singing. Full details of the choir and how to join are on the RYV website – no auditions, no hidden costs – weekly £4 subs on a 'pay as you go' basis, and whether experienced, novice or power shower singers, all are welcome to give it a go! www. raiseyourvoicesww. com and Facebook .