There is going to be plenty of excitement in Haslemere next month when the Sunday Fun Day comes to the Hammer Hill recreation ground on Sunday 19 July between 10.15 and 1 pm.

The idea is the brainchild of Lee Lees, a local Community Worker at 3 Counties Vineyard Church. Since Lee started her role back in 2018, she has always been very conscious of the lack of local activities for families during the school holidays. She is also extremely aware that those activities that do exist often cost money, and for many, are therefore simply unaffordable. The Sunday Fun Day is just one of the many ways she has looked to fill that need.

This will be the fourth year that the Sunday Fun Day has been up and running and Lee and the team are looking to make it bigger and better than ever. There is no entry fee and every single activity is free of charge. Even the food and drink is free of charge. In short, even if you wanted to spend money, you can’t basically!

There are a wealth of activities to enjoy on July 19th. Come and get your face painted, your hair wrapped, or your arm tattooed with henna. Or have a go at one of the many games on offer. There is plenty of traditional fairground fun waiting to be enjoyed, including Splat a Rat and Hook a Duck. And, when you have burned off plenty of energy on the Zorbing balls (again all free of charge), you can build your energy levels back up with a complimentary burger and a drink. Lee is extremely grateful to our wonderful local businesses for providing these – Lou at The Lion’s Den is providing the veggie burgers free of charge, whilst Oli at Oliver’s is providing the burgers for the meat eaters amongst us. And Jo Bouslimi at Tesco is looking to help the team with plenty of sweet treats to give out as prizes.

All this will be accompanied by music from local group the B3s. There will also be drama performances to enjoy, plenty of delicious free cake, and stalls where people can find out about the many other activities on offer through 3 Counties Vineyard. Some of these include financial support from 3 Counties Money Advice, mental health support via the Kinsugi Hope courses, practical skills via Cooking What’s in your Cupboard, parenting advice through their Parent Talk courses, and even employment and coaching support through their most recent initiative – the Job Club.

Whilst the Sunday Fun Day was Lee’s idea initially, she is at pains to stress that none of this would be possible without the army of volunteers that help both in the run up to the event and on the day itself. In total, the day is made possible thanks to the support of over 50 volunteers. Many of these are involved in baking in the days prior to the Fun Day. However, on the 19th, volunteers will also fill vital roles as stewards, chefs, stallholders, first aiders and more.

The July 19th Sunday Fun Day event will also mark the 60th anniversary of the first meeting of the Haslemere Evangelical Church. Back in 1966, a group of like-minded people met for the first time in Haslemere’s St John’s Ambulance hut, forming what has become in time an extremely active part of the local community. Since then, there have been a few name changes for the group. The Haslemere Evangelical Church morphed into 3 Counties Church and now sits under the banner of 3 Counties Vineyard. Over that same period, they have also moved their base of operations. But, despite the changes in name and location, one thing has remained constant. They have a strong faith and believe passionately in the positive impact that the church can bring to a community.

The Sunday Fun Day is just one of many events and activities that 3 Counties Vineyard are involved in this Summer to support local families that are struggling financially or who are perhaps in need of support.

Following on from the Sunday Fun Day on July 19th, there are also holiday clubs that primary school children can attend this Summer. Head to their website to find out more about their Kingdom Builders holiday club which will take place on the 4 days between Tuesday 25th and Friday 28th August. Suitable for children aged 5-11 years, tickets are currently at a special early bird price of £8 per day but will go up to £10 from 31 July. However, the church are keen that the club is open to all, so if you would like your child to attend but can not afford it, please do get in touch with them as there free places available, sponsored by the church. You can reach them on 01428 653011 or at hello@3countiesvineyard.church.

And Lee also always helps children of those families who attend the Haslemere food bank during the holidays too. For a number of years now, Lee and her team of helpers have put together some wonderful Summer activity packs for children whose families attend the food bank to enjoy. Each week, they receive a different activity. Previous ideas have included planting packs enabling children to grow their own sunflower, lolly making bags and, when we have a heat wave to enjoy, everything children need to ensure a good traditional water fight!

For local families with children, you may also want to take a look at the 3 Counties Vineyard website to find out about their regular Baby and Toddler playtime groups. They are a great way to meet other parents. And the volunteers that run them are incredibly supportive and helpful. With so much going on, the team want to ensure that no parent feels isolated during their child’s early years. And we can vouch for how genuinely welcoming and friendly everyone is here.

Whilst all these events and activities are made possible by a small army of volunteers, we wanted to say a big thank you to Lee for everything that she does to help people within our community. Haslemere is certainly a better place thanks to her hard work.

Back to the Sunday Fun Day on 19th July…. Please do turn up on the day and show Lee and all the volunteers your support. Remember, it won’t cost you a penny – everything is completely free of charge. Please note that in the case of bad weather, activities may be moved inside. Just keep an eye on the weather and for any announcements on the day. If coming by car, organisers suggest parking in Hammer and walking up to the recreation ground.