Category Archives: Community

End of June 2021 Bulletin

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Here’s a detailed guide.(opens in a new tab)

L.R.A. Bulletin for the end of June 2021

Dear Member(s),

I hope you are well (or reasonably so!) and I am sure you have your eyes firmly fixed on July 19th in the hope that this does not prove to be another false dawn.

Mole Valley District Council has informed me of several initiatives, some of which I feel may be of interest to you:

1. Tickets are now on sale (via internet or phone) for The Mole Valley Community Lottery.   This weekly online lottery raises money for good causes and green initiatives in the District.     Players have a chance of winning a £25,000 jackpot each week.    Tickets start at £1 and the draw is held weekly on a Saturday evening, starting Saturday, 24 July.   Other prizes include a Dorking Halls Family&Friends Membership and a Surrey Hills Enterprises shopping voucher.    Half of the ticket money goes to a good cause of the player’s choice and 10% goes to a fund run by the Council which benefits climate change initiatives and the Environment Fund.   To view the various “good causes” asking for help, and for further details about the Lottery, visit www.molevalleylottery.co.uk or phone 01306 310016

2. The District Council’s  “Walk for Health” group walks have resumed across our District.    This is a programme of fun, free and accessible weekly walks ideal for anyone looking to become more active and meet new people.    It can also, if advised by a doctor, assist with recovery from the long-term effects of Covid.   The walks last from 30 to 90 minutes, ideal for a wide variety of ability levels.    There are weekly walks in Leatherhead, Dorking, North Holmwood, Buckland, Brockham and Bookham.   The group is always looking for new volunteer Walk Leaders, so please get in touch if you are interested.   Training, support and equipment is provided and walks can take place anywhere in the district. during the day or evening.     For more information on the walks or to find out how to become a walk leader, visit www.molevalley.gov.uk/walkforhealth  or email wellbeing@molevalley.gov.uk or call 01306 885001

3. Mole Valley Climate Emergency’s Hub is going ahead, and in Leatherhead this will be at the former Book Potato shop, in the Swan Centre in September and October.   In a nutshell, this will be:

  • A drop-in information centre for passers-by and interested people to relax, chat and find out more about what is happening in our world.
  • Lasting for 9 weeks throughout September and October, 10-5 pm (or later, if evening meetings).   Potentially a longer term presence.
  • Each Thursday, Friday and Saturday
  • And it will have displays,  a workshop/talk area with coffee and biscuits etc.

Each week will have a theme with linked workshops, talks and activities such as plastic pollution, biodiversity, travel etc.    This is also an opportunity for you to enlarge the membership of your own group and to publicise your aims and campaigns.

And now for other news concerned with Leatherhead:

1. The application for a very tall mobile phone mast on “The Circus” roundabout off By-Pass Road, has been turned down.   We shall have to wait and see if an Appeal is submitted.

2. I am sure you will be pleased to know that the LRA made a donation to The North Leatherhead Community Hub.

3. We are organising a Litter Pick in Leatherhead on Sunday 25 July, starting at 2 p.m. and finishing in the Red House Gardens at 5.00 pm.   At the end, there will be refreshments and a chance to meet up with old friends and acquaintances.    Perhaps our regular Pickers could let me know which area they, personally, would intend to cover  and also offer a couple of suggestions as to other littered areas which new volunteers could deal with.   Our long-standing member, Dorothy Stapleton, has kindly agreed to organise the details of this, where to work and so on.

Finally, concerning the wooden planters in the High Street, some may be interested to know  that I have written to the relevant person in the District Council for some indication of their budget for the upkeep and re-planting of the planters..    So far, I have learned only that Surrey Council was responsible for the installation, but someone also needs to actually carry out their proper maintenance

Following up on my email requests to lapsed members to renew their membership, we have had some success, but there still remain many who have not renewed.   Could I, therefore, make another plea to those people to renew?   It is easily done via the LRA website by entering www.leatherheadresidents.org.uk/contact

Finally, a reminder that our next Open Meeting will be on Monday, 2nd August at 7.30 in the Methodist Church in Church Road.   Jenny Moore of B@titude and also of The Hub in North Leatherhead has kindly agreed to give us all an update on developments and hope in that area.    Should the meeting prove impossible , due to continued restrictions, I will let you know well beforehand.

With all best wishes,

Caroline Brown (Chairman) 30:6:21

Telephone:  01372 813013    email: info@leatherheadresidents.org.uk

Registered Office: Fewston, St Nicholas Hill Leatherhead

A company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales number 10248803

Leatherhead Tip Delays

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The Leatherhead Community Recycling Centre at Randalls Road in Leatherhead was closed from 9 January by Surrey County Council for improvement works. Following delays the work is now not expected to be complete until November. The nearest alternative tip is at Blenheim Road in Epsom.

More details..

http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/environment-housing-and-planning/waste-and-recycling/where-to-take-your-waste-and-recycling/community-recycling-centres/leatherhead-community-recycling-centre-and-transfer-station

Please Help Save Teazle Wood

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As many will know, contracts have been signed. Grateful thanks to all Friends of Teazle Wood who have generously donated or pledged.

Whilst the largest piece of land is secure, £90,000 is still needed for the smaller piece of the wood. (If most of the people of Leatherhead donated £9, this amount would be met!) We have until July 31st to secure this.


All donations welcome. Could you please pass this on to anyone who may be able to help.

Why save Teazle Wood?:
• Last sizable block of woodland in Leatherhead teaming with wildlife • It forms a wildlife corridor between Bookham and Ashtead • Is a well loved green space for people of Leatherhead • Is a proven educational resource for local people and schools
• Has therapeutic value for Combat Stress and Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation • it has historical and archaeological significance • it is the home of many rare and endangered species • After being neglected for years it deserves the gentle management that numerous
groups would love to give it

Please send cheques now payable to: “Friends of Teazle Wood” to Lucy Quinnell, Rowhurst Forge, Oxshott Rd, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0EN.
Please include name: address, telephone number, e- mail, & whether you would like to remain anonymous or whether you are happy to be named (amounts will not be disclosed unless you’d like. Receipts will be given) To follow on facebook: Friends of Teazle Wood

Teazle Wood

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Dear All

As you are aware, we recently achieved the major step of exchanging contracts on both parts of Teazle Wood (known at the recent Barnard Marcus auction as Lots 59A and 59B).

Successful completion on Lot 59A (containing the block of Ancient Woodland) is looking good, BUT we still need to raise funds for 59B (59B is where the newt ponds are, and it is the part of the woodland most used by adjacent schools and local people. It is next to Tesco, and it needs a great deal of work; some of you will know this as the area we focused on for the community “Big Tidy Up” litter pick in 2010).

WE NOW NEED TO URGENTLY CONVERT YOUR GENEROUS PLEDGES INTO DONATIONS.

Please see the attachment for details of how to donate.

If you can’t open the attachment, please make cheques payable to “Friends of Teazle Wood” and send them c/o Lucy Quinnell, Rowhurst Forge, Oxshott Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0EN.

Please include your name, address, telephone number, e-mail, and, importantly, whether you would like to remain anonymous or whether you are happy to be named (we will not disclose the amounts donated unless you want us to). A book of donations is being kept, and any anonymous donations are being allocated names of flora and fauna from the woodland – Badger, Nightingale, Fox, Owl, Woodpecker, Bluebell, Purple Emperor, Honeysuckle, Green Hound’s-tongue and Great Crested Newt are already taken, but Toad and Black Medick are up for grabs! (There are thousands, and it’s a nice way of increasing awareness of the incredible biodiversity of the site – get in touch if you want to choose).

SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE ASKED IF THEY CAN MAKE THEIR DONATIONS IN MEMORY OF LOVED ONES OR IN THE NAMES OF THEIR CHILDREN – OF COURSE YOU CAN (I AM). ALL THIS WILL BE BEAUTIFULLY RECORDED FOR POSTERITY.

I am also attaching a bit of a “wake up call”. I have sent a lot of images of stag beetles, bluebells, sunsets through oak trees, paintings by ex-servicemen, etc. Many people who don’t know this area have asked why I think the woods need help – this is my visual answer. This is Surrey. There are good bits, of course, but this is the disturbing reality and something that we all need to wake up to and take responsibility for. We need to act, and win the chance to care for this precious environment and put right the neglect.

We have a lot to do – let’s do it!

Please feel free to share this, and if you use facebook and have not already done so, please take time to join our group: Friends of Teazle Wood.

Thank you!

All the best

Lucy Quinnell
on behalf of the Friends of Teazle Wood



Please join our facebook group: Friends of Teazle Wood


Please ask around and share our appeal – we have amazing philanthropists / ecologists aboard already, and we need to reach more like-minded people who would like to be a part of this. THANK YOU! For more info, contact lucyquinnell@aol.com 01372 386453



Advanced notice of LRA Open Meeting on 28th May

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The Presentation on the Olympic Road Cycling Road Race at 8.00 pm follows the LRA’s AGM (17.30 – 8.00); both meetings are in the Abraham Dixon Hall of the Leatherhead Institute.

Agenda, reports etc for the AGM will be posted on the Blog on before the 21st May.

Please note that there are no meetings of the LRA scheduled for earlier in May and the next Open Committee Meeting will be on Monday June 11th (June 4th being a Bank Holiday).

Leatherhead & District ForumSpecial Meeting – All Welcome

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On 29th February at 5.30 in Park House (in the Red House grounds) there will be a special meeting of the Leatherhead & District Forum.

First, Tim Caffell and Colin Langley will tell us about the theatre and its plans for the future. They will also ask us what we might want the theatre to do and how we might help.

Then Chris Wade, Chief Executive of Action for Market Towns, will speak about the achievements of communities in market towns in the UK, and the theme of his talk is "Know Your Place"

All are welcome to this meeting. Parking is in the Randalls Road Car Park and Park House is situated at the top corner of the Car Park, fairly close to the Bull Hill pedestrian entrance.

All Aloud! – A Community Choir in Leatherhead Press Release – February 2012

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A new community choir has recently been set up in Leatherhead and is welcoming new members.
All Aloud! was set up as part of a county-wide community singing project called ‘Singing Surrey’ and currently meets weekly in north Leatherhead.
The aim of the choir is quite simply to give people who like to sing an opportunity to do so, whether they have a background of music or not.
People of all abilities get regular singing practice and the opportunity to learn different styles of music and gain new singing skills.   Sessions are informal and members rehearse and perform a wide variety of music ranging from African lullabies to modern pop songs.
It is not necessary to be able to read music to join and there are no auditions. All ages are welcome but children must be accompanied by an adult. 
The choir is led by a professional musician, who is enthusiastic about singing and committed to the aims of the choir. 
The choir meets at Kingscroft Chapel Hall in Kingscroft Road (on the corner of Kingscroft Road and Leatherhead Bypass Road), and there is parking either in Kingscroft Road or at the Hall. 
Funded initially by a grant and assistance from Arts Partnership Surrey (http://www.artspartnershipsurrey.org.uk), and a recent donation from the Police Property Fund (http://www.surrey.police.uk/media/news_item.asp?area=12&itemID=14826) the choir is now independent and run by and for its members.
The choir meets on Tuesdays between 6.30pm and 8.00pm, usually in school term time. Telephone the numbers, or write to the email addresses, below for more information or just come along.  You will be made very welcome.
Contacts for further information:
Ann Baldwin, Secretary, annbaldwin.algo@gmail.com 01372 374 404
Neil Walker, Chairman, neil@walker-trivett.co.uk 07771 861202

Surrey Reuse Network furniture reuse campaign

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Surrey County Council will be launching the Surrey Reuse Network furniture reuse campaign next week which aims to increase the amount of furniture and white goods that are reused, aiming to divert 2,000 tonnes going into landfill.

The Surrey Reuse Network offers a wide range of good quality items at affordable prices. Made up of a group of six charities, the network aims to find new homes for donated furniture and kitchen appliances, as well as offering training and employment opportunities and helping local families in need. Buying reusable furniture and kitchen appliances is great value, good for the environment and hidden treasures may be found.

Visit www.surreyreusenetwork.org.uk to see what sort of information Surrey Reuse Network are communicating.

Improvements to Leatherhead Community Recycling Centre and Waste Transfer Station

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I am writing to let you know that improvements to Leatherhead Community Recycling Centre and Waste Transfer Station are due to begin in January 2012. The site will close on 9 January and the work will take around eight months. The nearest alternative community recycling centres are at Blenheim Road, Epsom, KT19 9DL and Ranmore Road, Dorking, RH4 1TL. The nearest waste transfer station is also at Blenheim Road. Both sites are around seven miles away from the Leatherhead waste facility. The site is being redeveloped to provide Leatherhead residents with a modern, accessible and user-friendly facility. The improvements will include:

· Improved parking and road layout to help site users to move around the site more easily and help to reduce queuing;
· Separate entrances for the public and site service vehicles to help reduce congestion at the site entrance;
· Drop off area for garden waste carried in trailers.

Other alterations planned also include:

· Redevelopment of the waste transfer station to include a fully enclosed building for household waste from borough councils;
· Improved traffic management with the complete separation of neighbouring Grundon and Thames Water vehicle access, as currently they pass through the site.

Yours sincerely,

Beverly Sheridan,
Project Manager
SITA Surrey

THE LETHERHEAD INSTITUTE CELEBRATES 120 YEARS SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY IN 2012

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The Letherhead Institute at the top of the High Street was built in 1892 and given to the people of Leatherhead by local benefactor Abraham Dixon of Cherkley Court. Next year sees the commemoration of 120 years providing educational, social and recreational facilities within this beautiful Victorian building.

Amazingly the Institute had already been there for 5 years when Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee and it will be bedecked again next year to mark the Diamond Jubilee of our own Queen Elizabeth II.

The festivities on 19 May will include an invitation for all the Leatherhead Community to come and see what’s inside the building; a special feature will be an exhibition including pictures and artefacts from 1897 – Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Year.

Do you have any Victorian memorabilia or photographs which you would be prepared to lend for the exhibition? We’d be delighted to hear from you at LCA2 AT btconnect DOT com or please write to:

The Administrator
Leatherhead Community Association
The Institute 67 High Street
Leatherhead KT22 8AH