Happy Birthday!The Princes Hall celebrates40 years of entertainment

Taxing timesChanges to council tax benefitsand discounts could affect you

Seeds of successIt’s time to get planning andplanting for Rushmoor in BloomPL

US

Spring cleaning!Junior wardens help clean up the ‘grot

spots’ in their local neighbourhood

Arenawww.rushmoor.gov.uk Spring 2013

News: ‘People power’ schemecould cut energy bills 4Have your say on developmentplans for Aldershot 5Changes to council tax benefitscould affect you 6Work is well under way on £1m Queensmeadshopping centre facelift 7Community pages: Dig deep forthis year’s in Bloom; juniorwardens help to improve theirneighbourhood; volunteers makea real difference 8,9Life begins for The Princes Hall asit celebrates its 40th birthday 10Recycling: Eggs-cellent advice forrecycling your Easter packaging;plus collection calendar 11What’s on in Rushmoor – Springtime is fun timefor all; plus local events listings 12,13Olympic legacy: Sports clubs report increasingnumbers of people joining up 14Help is on hand for local jobseekers 15

Contents 3Springing forwardto a brighter future

By Cllr Peter Moyle, Leader ofRushmoor Borough Council

Welcome to the springedition of Arenamagazine, which takes

us through to June.If you’ve found it difficult to

keep your gas and electricitybills down over the coldermonths, help could be at handthanks to the new ‘collectiveenergy switching service’. By registering for thescheme, you can join forces with others to secure abetter price on your energy bills. Details on page 4.Following the grand opening of the Westgate Leisure

Development last year, there is still plenty moreplanned for Aldershot. You can have your say on thelatest plans for the transformation of the Aldershotmilitary town over the next 15 years to include newhomes, schools and community facilities. You haveuntil March 29 to give us your views.April brings major changes by government to

council tax benefit and discounts. If you are of workingage and you are receiving council tax benefit, you willfind that you are contributing more to your bill. Thereare also changes to the rules on the discounts forempty properties and second homes. To find out moreabout what the changes will mean for you, see page 6. There has been a hive of activity in Farnborough

town centre since January. We are working alongsideHampshire County Council on a £1 million renovationproject for the Queensmead shopping centre. Thewhole area is being given a lift with new paving, trees,seating and lighting. We will also be creating a townsquare area we hope can be used for markets andseasonal events. Full details are on page 7.Spring is when we start getting out in our gardens. If

you are a keen gardener, I do hope you take theopportunity to enter this year’s Rushmoor in Bloomcompetition. We are very proud of the competition,which has been running for more than 25 years. Thereare categories for everyone – so have a go!The Princes Hall in Aldershot is celebrating a big

birthday this year as it reaches its 40th year. The venuehas played host to many shows, musicians andcomedians since it was officially opened by the Dukeof Edinburgh in May 1973. Happy Birthday!If you are planning a day out with the family, don’t

forget to check our What’s on pages, which are packedfull of events. I’m particularly looking forward to theFarnborough Donkey Derby on 27 May and hope tosee you all there. I hope you enjoy reading Arena.

www.rushmoor.gov.uk

Did you know that Arena is available as atalking newspaper? Each edition is recorded asan mp3 file and is available free. It is alsoavailable in large print.And if you have any problems receiving

Arena please don’t hesitate to call. Tel: Gill Chisnall on 01252 398744 or email

gill.chisnall@rushmoor.gov.uk

Arena Issue 85 Spring 2013

Cover: Junior wardens from the Twilight after-school club at the Prospect Centre, Farnborough

Like us on Facebook orfollow us on Twitter@RushmoorCouncil Make us your favourite onyour browser or phone.

Inside

Produced by: Rushmoor Borough Council, Council Offices,Farnborough Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7JU

Tel: 01252 398399 Website: www.rushmoor.gov.uk Email: arena@rushmoor.gov.ukDesigned by: Deep South Media www.deepsouthmedia.co.ukAdvertising: Spot on Media Ltd (0845 004 0683)info@spotonmedia.co.uk

Printed by: PCP Ltd (01952 585585)Each magazine costs less than 20p to produce. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, Rushmoor Borough Councildoes not accept liability for any error or omission. Rushmoor Borough Councildoes not endorse products or services advertised in Arena.

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4 News www.rushmoor.gov.uk

Join our ‘people power’scheme and cut energy billsIf your most recentheating bills have madeyour heart sink, don’tworry – help could beat hand.We have joined forces

with councils acrossHampshire to help peoplelike you benefit from greatersavings on gas andelectricity bills.Together we have set up a

‘collective energy switchingservice’, which will allowgas and electricityconsumers to combine theirpurchasing power and get abetter deal on their bills.And to benefit from this,

all you have to do is registerfor the scheme, which willbe run by a specialistindependent company at nocost to taxpayers.By buying gas and

electricity as a collective,you are far more likely toget a cheaper deal than youare as an individual.

Here’s how it works:There are approximately760,000 households inHampshire. If just two percent sign up to switchenergy supplier through this

scheme, that would give usa combined purchasingpower of more than 15,000customers.This will allow us to

negotiate greater discountson behalf of everyonesigned up. And the more people who

sign up, the morenegotiating power we willhave – so we would urgeyou to consider joining. Accessing cheaper energy

will bring significant benefitsto those on low incomes,the elderly and families whostruggle with their fuel bills

– and this in turn will have ahuge impact on their healthand wellbeing. There willeven be an opportunity toopt for a ‘green tariff’ tosupport renewable energyschemes in the UK.Typically, you could save

between £60 and £200 onyour annual energy bills. More details about the

scheme and how people canregister will be announcedat the beginning of April.We’ll also update our

website when we knowmore, so keep posted towww.rushmoor.gov.uk

Make sureyou areregisteredto voteWith the countycouncil elections justaround the corner, weare reminding peopleto make sure they areentitled to vote.The elections take

place on Thursday 2May and to be entitledto vote you must makesure you are on theelectoral register by5pm on Wednesday 17April. It’s the samedeadline if you want toapply for a postal vote. And applications for

proxy votes – wheresomeone votes onyour behalf – is 5pmWednesday 24 April.You can print off

application forms fromour website,www.rushmoor.gov.uk/elections

To help us save valuable publicmoney, we have changed how weadvertise our notices and planningapplications.You will now find our public notice

advertising and planningapplications – which have to bepublished by law – in the HampshireIndependent newspaper. This free weekly newspaper is

available from shops throughoutAldershot and Farnborough. You can also ask for a copy to be

sent to your home or emailed toyou. And it’s also available online onthe Hampshire Independent websiteat www.hantsdirect.com

We are not alone in making thismove as part of our programme tosave money. A number of councils,including Hampshire CountyCouncil, also now publish theirpublic notice advertising in thisnewspaper.You can pick up a copy of the

Hampshire Independent at thefollowing places in Aldershot andFarnborough:Farnboroughl Rushmoor Borough Counciloffices

lMorrisons, Summit Avenue l Asda, Westmead l Sainsbury’s, Queensmead

l Jeev Convenience, 185 LynchfordRoad, North Camp

l Farnborough Library, Pinehurst l Co-operative, Woburn Avenue l Co-operative, Fernhill RoadAldershotl Boxalls Mini Market, 18 BoxallsLane

lWoodstock Stores, 1 WoodstockVillas

l Pinewood Stores, 68 GuildfordRoad, Ash

l Aldershot Library, 109 High Street l Old Town Hall, Grosvenor Road l Co-operative, Queens Road l Co-operative, North Lane l Co-operative, Ash Road.

Change to how we advertise planning notices will save money

Contact usFor moreinformation, call ourelections team on01252 398826/28.

News 5www.rushmoor.gov.uk

Young people from theNepali and Rushmoorcommunities have forgedstronger links, thanks tothe work of a local youthgroup.Naya Yuva, a local

Nepali youth group, hasbeen leading on a numberof projects to bring allyoung people in theRushmoor area together.Projects have included

community gardening andcultural performances inlocal events such as theMayor’s communityconcert and Victoria Day. Last year their efforts

were recognised whenthey won an award in theCommunity Impactawards organised by the

National HousingFederation. They won thecategory for Safer Streetswith their YouthPeacemakers project. Youth group members

are also devoting theirtime to going out andabout in the communityto give presentationsabout the Nepali culture. At the same time, the

group has also beenreaching out to their owncommunity to raiseawareness about firesafety at home, under theguidance of RushmoorFire Station. Naya Yuva – which

means ‘new youth’ – hasbeen able to signpostyoung people to the right

services. They hope tospend 2013 continuing toencourage young peopleto have a positive attitude

to each other. For more informationabout Naya Yuva go towww.nayayuva.org

Forging friendships between communities

Have your say on major plans for AldershotThere’s still time tohave your say onmajor plans that couldpave the way for thefirst major urbanextension seen inAldershot for decades.The scheme – if approved

– would transform parts ofthe Aldershot Garrison intoa new residential housingarea with two new primaryschools, around 110hectares of green spaceand new sports andcommunity facilities.In total, the outline

planning application – thebiggest ever received bythe council – is for up to3,850 new homes, of which1,347 will be social rentedor shared ownership.The developer, Grainger,

has been consultingresidents for their views onthe plans, which are set tocome before ourdevelopment controlcommittee in June.They are calling what will

effectively be a new suburb

for the town, Wellesley. Themain proposals are:l The 255 hectare formerAldershot Garrison sitewill be redeveloped intoa new housing area withtwo schools andcommunity facilities.This has been namedWellesley and is alsoknown as the AldershotUrban Extension (AUE).

l Up to 3,850 new homes –more than a third will besocial rented oraffordable homes to buy

through sharedownership schemes.

l It will include therefurbishment of sixlisted buildings,including the CambridgeMilitary Hospital andHeadquarters 4thDivision.

l The development will bespread over the next 15years, with the firstphase – the subject of adetailed planningapplication for 228 newhomes – due to in 2014.

The Council has recognisedthe need for thedevelopment of this site ascrucial to helpingregenerate Aldershot towncentre and providing morehomes where families cansettle.Now we are keen to hear

from as many people aspossible on the proposalsbeing put forward for thisvery important site.You can view the

planning application and allthe documents that comewith it and make yourcomments via our website,www.rushmoor.gov.uk/aueAlternatively, you can

pop into Aldershot Libraryor the council’s offices inFarnborough and readthrough paper copies of allthe documents.You can also email your

views to plan@rushmoor.gov.uk or writeto the Head of Planning atthe council offices. Comments must be in

writing and the closingdate for receiving them isFriday 29 March.

Working together: The Naya Yuva group has alreadywon one award for its Youth Peacemakers project

Artist’s impressions (clockwise from top left): CambridgeMilitary Hospital; Hope Grant Road; the NeighbourhoodCentre and Queens Avenue

6 News www.rushmoor.gov.uk

If you receive council taxbenefit, and you are of workingage, you will see importantchanges from 1 April.You should have received your

council tax bill and if you werereceiving benefit or discounts, youwill probably see changes to howmuch you are being asked to pay.This is because the Government has

abolished council tax benefit andreplaced it with a new supportscheme. Pensioners are protectedunder the new scheme, as theirsupport is calculated using rulessimilar to council tax benefit.At the same time, the rules around

discounts offered on empty homesand second homes have alsochanged. We have been consulting people on

these national changes over the lastfew months to make all those affectedwell aware of the changes and to givethem a chance to have a say.So how have things changed?Until now we could help working-

age people pay all, or some, of theircouncil tax if they were on a lowincome by providing council taxbenefit. Every council offered the same

national benefit scheme. But the Government has told all

councils to develop our own counciltax support scheme designed to suitlocal needs.And at the same time, the

government has reduced the amountit gives us to provide council taxsupport by around ten per cent. Thismeans we have around £600,000 lessto spend on support.

We have had no choice but to makesome difficult decisions about whowill get help to pay their council tax. This means if you are of working

age (whether you work, or not) andreceived council tax benefit, you arelikely to have been affected and willprobably be contributing more toyour bill. Please have a close look at your

bills and if you have any questions do

not hesitate to contact us for moreinformation. Call now on 01252398914.

Contact usFull details on these changes, andalso discounts to second home andempty properties, can be found atwww.rushmoor.gov.uk

As part of the Government’swelfare reforms, new rules forhousing benefits come into forceon 1 April.If you rent your home from a

housing association or registeredsocial landlord, and have one ormore spare bedrooms, you arelikely to receive reduced housingbenefit from next month.We have been talking to people

likely to be affected by thesechanges to advise them of thevarious options open to them.

Contact usIf you could be affected andwant help and advice, call usnow on 01252 398914 or go towww.rushmoor.gov.uk for moreinformation.

New rules for housing benefits

Children from Rushmoor’sFrench twin town Meudonare visiting a local schoolthis month to get a tasteof English education. The 11-year-olds will be

joining in classes, playinggames and sharing lunch

at their partner school,Manor Junior inFarnborough. The 35 youngsters from

Jules Ferry PrimarySchool will also be visitingthe sights in Londonduring their five-day visit,

as well as visiting StMichael’s Abbey and theFAST museum locally.This will be the third

year that a group fromJules Ferry PrimarySchool has visitedFarnborough.

The school has had linkswith Manor Junior Schoolsince 2009 as a result ofe-twinning workshopsorganised by the TwinningAssociation of Rushmoorto encourage primarylinks with the twin towns.

Entente cordiale continues with visit from French ‘twin town’ pupils

Important changes to counciltax benefit and discounts

News 7www.rushmoor.gov.uk

MARCH11 Standards and AuditCommittee12 Licensing Sub-Committee12 Cabinet 4.30pm18 Leisure and YouthPolicy and Review Panel21 Corporate ServicesPolicy and Review Panel25 Borough ServicesPolicy and Review Panel26 Environment Policy andReview Panel27 Development ControlCommittee28 Licensing Sub-Committee (Alcohol andEntertainments)28 Community Policy andReview PanelAPRIL2 Cabinet 4.30pm8 Licensing and GeneralPurposes Committee9 Licensing Sub-Committee18 Council23 Cabinet 4.30pm24 Development ControlCommittee25 Licensing Sub-Committee (Alcohol andEntertainments)30 Licensing Sub-CommitteeMAY16 Licensing Sub-Committee (Alcohol andEntertainments)21 Annual Meeting of theCouncil22 Development ControlCommittee23 Licensing and GeneralPurposes Committee28 Licensing Sub-Committee28 Cabinet 4.30pm30 Corporate ServicesPolicy and Review PanelJUNE3 Leisure and Youth Policyand Review Panel4 Environment Policy andReview Panel10 Borough ServicesPolicy and Review PanelPublic welcome at allmeetings. Most start 7pmand at the council offices inFarnborough Road. Formore information call KathyFlatt on 01252 398829.

Committee timetable £1m Queensmead makeoverwill bring a fresh new lookWork is well underway on the £1 millionfacelift ofFarnborough’sQueensmeadshopping centre.This pedestrianised

shopping area is beinggiven the right royaltreatment with a freshnew look.It will have new paving

and seating and a varietyof trees will be plantedalong its length to make itmore attractive and helpentice more shoppers – awelcome boost to the localeconomy. There will be a new focal

point and meeting place inthe centre of the shoppingarea. Improved lightingwill make Queensmeadmore attractive andinviting at night. And the refurbishment

will also see the creationof a new square formarkets and seasonalactivities at the southernend, where the taxi rank iscurrently located. We are working with

Hampshire County Counciland liaising with KPI,which owns and managesthe shops and flats.The first stage of the

works saw the clearance ofexisting planters, trees and

street furniture from thearea around CarphoneWarehouse and Poundlandto the Wimpy restaurant. Now the street has been

cleared, we are improvingthe drainage inQueensmead beforemoving on to puttingdown new paving andinstalling new streetfurniture and lighting.

The second phase of theproject will see thecreation of a new townsquare.

Contact usYou can follow theprogress of the new-look Queensmead atwww.rushmoor.gov.uk

Councillor Peter Moyle (front left), leader of RushmoorBorough Council, and colleagues mark the start ofrefurbishment work to Queensmead

You can keep abreast ofall your council news atthe touch of a smartphone, thanks to ourmobile-friendly website.We’ve been making

changes so that whenyou search forwww.rushmoor.gov.ukon your smart phone, it’sin an easy-to-read format.And that’s not the only

way to keep up-to-datewith us.

You can followus on Twitter forlatest updatesand also report

things to us. We are@RushmoorCouncil

And we alsohave our ownFacebook page.You can find us

at www.facebook.com/rushmoorboroughcouncilJust click ‘like’ for latestnews and information.You can also ask us anyquestions on this page.Don’t forget you canmake payments, reportthings and makeapplications for many ofour services online atwww.rushmoor.gov.uk

We’ve gone mobile so you can keep in touch

Dig deep for this year’s‘in Bloom’ competitionIt’s that time of yearagain when we urgethe Rushmoorcommunity to dig deepfor victory and ensurewe all have a bloominglovely summer.Entries are now open for

this year’s Rushmoor inBloom competition and wehope that you are inspired toget out in your garden andtake part.Green fingered enthusiasts

can enter gardens or plotsinto the competition and dotheir bit to inject someflower power into ourcommunities. There are 12categories to enter, and wehope everyone – no matterwhat size their garden – willgive the competition a go.Categories include Best

Front Garden, Best FloralDisplay, and Best WildlifePatch.

But what we’re reallyhoping for is morecommunities to enter theBest Street Residents’Association/CommunityGarden. Last year the Cheyne Way

residents took theprestigious honours byjoining up to give their streetthe winning look. So does your community

have what it takes tochallenge Cheyne Way in theflower stakes?There is also an allotment

competition and a schoolgardening competition.You don’t have to be a

gardening expert to enter –anyone who has a patch ofland to plant is eligible.And it’s free to enter.So while the bulbs are

blooming, why don’t youplant the possible seedsof success?The closing date for this

year’s in Bloom competitionis June 24. Judging takesplace between July 8 and 19.Winners will be announcedat a special awardsceremony at the Princes Hallon September 16.For more information on

how to enter, visitwww.rushmoor.gov.uk/rushmoorinbloom or pick upan entry form from thecouncil offices. You can alsocall Susan Jones on 01252398005 to ask for a form.

Going for goldWe will again be plantingthousands of bedding plantsin our parks and on ourroundabouts throughout theborough.Hanging baskets will also

be going up to make sureour area is bloomingbeautiful this summer. Aldershot town centre will

also be throwing its hat in

the ring for the regional‘in Bloom’ competition. Last year, the town

centre won a silver gilt inthe South and South Eastin Bloom awards andthis year we will begoing for gold.Winners will be

announced on 11September.

Plants for saleRushmoor in Bloom isholding its annual ‘plantbring and buy sale’ onSaturday May 4. At this event, people canbring their surplus plantsand sell them. It’s being heldat Rowhill Field Centre,Cranmore Lane, Aldershotfrom 10am-1pm.

Blooming beautifully: Rush moor resident Tony Cleghorn

www.rushmoor.gov.uk8 Community

Children on oneFarnborough housingestate are doing their bit toimprove the community foreveryone.Youngsters from the

Twilight after-school club,based at the ProspectCentre on the Prospectestate, have volunteered as‘junior wardens’ to patroltheir area and report any‘grot’ spots that needimproving.They are identifying

problems with litter, flytipping, graffiti and brokenfencing. Their ‘grot spot’ reports

are then passed on to thecouncil’s community patrolteam who go on to cleanthe area. The scheme isjust one of the ‘Improving

Neighbourhoods, ChangingLives’ projects taking placein the Cherrywood area.Jamie Beaton, the

council’s communitydevelopment worker, said:“They are a great group ofchildren who really careabout the area they live in.“The information they are

giving us is a reallyvaluable addition to thepatrols and work we do.”

lMeanwhile, anenvironmental project iswell under way inCherrywood to improvethe area for everyone wholives or visits there.New trees have been

planted and there will alsobe improvements to thejunction of Mayfield Roadand Prospect Road to makeit safer, including a newbus shelter and thetransformation of the localBP garage. The ‘junior wardens’

scheme and theenvironmental project areboth part of the council’sneighbourhoodregeneration work to helpmake the area a betterplace to live, work andrelax.

Contact usTo report your own grotspot, visitwww.rushmoor.gov.uk/keepingrushmoorcleanor call 01252 398399.

‘Junior wardens’ play their part in improving their neighbourhood

Doing their bit: Community patrol officer Adam Cordinawith the junior wardens

It’s that time of yearagain when we urgethe Rushmoorcommunity to dig deepfor victory and ensurewe all have a bloominglovely summer.Entries are now open for

this year’s Rushmoor inBloom competition and wehope that you are inspired toget out in your garden andtake part.Green fingered enthusiasts

can enter gardens or plotsinto the competition and dotheir bit to inject someflower power into ourcommunities. There are 12categories to enter, and wehope everyone – no matterwhat size their garden – willgive the competition a go.Categories include Best

Front Garden, Best FloralDisplay, and Best WildlifePatch.

But what we’re reallyhoping for is morecommunities to enter theBest Street Residents’Association/CommunityGarden. Last year the Cheyne Way

residents took theprestigious honours byjoining up to give their streetthe winning look. So does your community

have what it takes tochallenge Cheyne Way in theflower stakes?There is also an allotment

competition and a schoolgardening competition.You don’t have to be a

gardening expert to enter –anyone who has a patch ofland to plant is eligible.And it’s free to enter.So while the bulbs are

blooming, why don’t youplant the possible seedsof success?The closing date for this

year’s in Bloom competitionis June 24. Judging takesplace between July 8 and 19.Winners will be announcedat a special awardsceremony at the Princes Hallon September 16.For more information on

how to enter, visitwww.rushmoor.gov.uk/rushmoorinbloom or pick upan entry form from thecouncil offices. You can alsocall Susan Jones on 01252398005 to ask for a form.

Going for goldWe will again be plantingthousands of bedding plantsin our parks and on ourroundabouts throughout theborough.Hanging baskets will also

be going up to make sureour area is bloomingbeautiful this summer. Aldershot town centre will

also be throwing its hat in

the ring for the regional‘in Bloom’ competition. Last year, the town

centre won a silver gilt inthe South and South Eastin Bloom awards andthis year we will begoing for gold.Winners will be

announced on 11September.

Plants for saleRushmoor in Bloom isholding its annual ‘plantbring and buy sale’ onSaturday May 4. At this event, people canbring their surplus plantsand sell them. It’s being heldat Rowhill Field Centre,Cranmore Lane, Aldershotfrom 10am-1pm.

Blooming beautifully: Rush moor resident Tony Cleghorn

Community 9www.rushmoor.gov.uk

A call is being madeto green-fingeredenthusiasts to helppeople less able tomaintain theirgardens.Local housing

association First Wessexis looking to recruitvolunteers who canspare a few hours amonth to help maintainsome of their residents’gardens.You would be helping

people who are nolonger able to look aftertheir own gardens.Your work could

involve a general tidy-upand assisting with on-going maintenance tohelp people carry onenjoying their preciousgreen space. And it’s not only the

resident who will benefit– volunteers themselvesget a real sense ofreward and also gainvaluable workexperience.Here’s what some

people who alreadyvolunteer have to say:

Darryl said: “PreviouslyI have worked in shopsbut I wanted to beoutdoors. The Job Centresuggested I try doingsome voluntary work, toget experience.’ For Nigel it’s given him

the opportunity to enjoya garden again. He said:“I live in a flat and misshaving a garden.”And for Ann it’s as

simple as this: “I want toserve the people on theestate I live on.” So think you could

help?First Wessex needs

people who canvolunteer in Aldershot,Farnborough, Ash andFarnham and can spareat least two hours amonth.You will need to be a

keen gardener, active,friendly, and have a goodlevel of fitness.Gardening is a life skill

that you can use to helpothers and brighten uptheir lives – and it’s fun. If you think this could

be you call Nikki Bonnerat First Wessex on 02392

896744, or emailNikki.bonner@firstwessex.org

Veolia staff winaward for theirvolunteer workEmployees from therecycling and wastemanagement companyVeolia have also beendoing their bit to helpFirst Wessex residents.During the quieter

winter months,volunteers from thecompany have beenclearing overgrowngardens of some of themost vulnerableresidents in ourcommunities.Their efforts were

recently recognised witha community award.

Beating heart ofthe communityPeople living on theCherrywood Estate,Farnborough will benefitfrom the increasingreassuring presence oflocal beat officers.Hampshire Police now

has a satellite officebased on the estate forlocal beat andcommunity supportofficers to work from.The base, at Mayfield

Community Centre, hasbeen provided by FirstWessex to givereassurance to residentsof the police’s presencein the area.

Contact usFor more informationon all volunteeringopportunities withinFirst Wessex, go towww.firstwessex.org/volunteering‘Junior wardens’ play their part in improving their neighbourhood

Volunteers make a realdifference to people’s lives

Get gardening: anyone can volunteer to help First Wessexresidents with their gardens

Princes Hall celebrates the big

Lifebegins for

Aldershot’sPrinces Hallthis Maywhen thetheatrecelebrates 40years ofentertainingaudiences.And for a

theatre whose life is justabout to begin – as the oldsaying goes – it’s alreadypacked quite a bit in overthe last four decades.Originally designed as a

civic venue to be used bythe council for formalevents, The Princes Hallwas officially opened byits namesake – HRH PrincePhilip, the Duke ofEdinburgh – on ThursdayMay 22 1973.Prince Phillip heralded

the opening with thesememorable words: “I’msure this centre will be atremendous success”...“But I can’t help feelingthat you should all nowjump up and startdancing. In case there’sany doubt – the place isnow open.”And speaking at the

time, the Mayor,Farnborough CouncillorViolet Nevett, declared:“This is one of the mostexciting days of my life.” Its unusual design – with

the main auditorium onthe first floor andimpressive staircaseentrance – certainlyhelped the theatre makeits mark in the region. And it made quite an

entrance as anentertainment venuewhen Kenny Ball and hisJazzmen performed the

first concert at The PrincesHall – and the theatre hasbeen having a ball eversince.It’s built up quite a hall

of fame, welcoming a hostof actors, comedians andsingers to tread theboards down the years.Legendary entertainers

Clive Dunn, TommyTrinder and Harry HCorbett all appeared inpantomimes at the theatrein the seventies.Little and Large, The

Krankies, Val Doonican,Barbara Dickson, DannyLa Rue, Lenny Henry,Norman Wisdom, DesO’Connor and AlvinStardust are just some ofthe names who broughttheir shows to the venueduring the eighties and

nineties.Over the past ten years,

the venue has hosted bigname acts such as TheHollies, Jane MacDonald,Jools Holland, JoanArmatrading andKatherine Jenkins. It hasalso attracted numeroustop name comediansincluding Jimmy Carr,Frank Skinner, RhodGilbert, Sarah Milican, LeeMack, Al Murray, HarryHill and, of course, thelegendary Ken Dodd.With 100,000 people

flocking through its doorsevery year, The PrincesHall has never been morepopular.So happy birthday

Princes Hall – you havemore than passed theaudition.

10 The Princes Hall www.rushmoor.gov.uk

Factfilel It wasdesigned byBuilding DesignPartnership andnamed afterHRH PrincePhilip, whoofficially openedit in May 1973.

l The first concertwas Kenny Ball and theJazzmen.

l The Princes Hall standson the corner ofWellington Avenue andPrinces Way, originallythe site of WarburgBarracks, which gaveits name to therecently demolishedWarburg multi-storeycar park.

l The venue underwentan extensiverefurbishment between1989 and 1990 whichbrought the PrincesHall into the layout yousee today.

l There are 595 seats inthe main auditorium.

l Around 50 professionalshows are staged eachyear plus 40pantomimeperformances. In totalthe Princes Hall hostsmore than 800 events ayear, attended by over100,000 people.

l Famous faces that haveappeared at the PrincesHall include JoolsHolland, Jimmy Carr,Joan Armatrading,Jane Macdonald, JoeBrown, NormanWisdom, PatrickMoore, and TonyHadley.

40

As well as overdosingon chocolate this Easter,we will all be producingan extra bounty ofcardboard packaging.This can easily be recycled

through our fortnightlycollections.All you have to do is

squash the cardboardpackaging down and leave itin your blue bin for collection.But if you’re a family of

chocoholics and you fearyour Easter Egg packagingwon’t fit in your blue bin,never fear - you can order

free clear recycling sacksfrom us to take the extraweight. Just fill the sacks withthe cardboard from thoseEaster Egg packets and putthem out next to your bluebin for collection.

Recycling 11www.rushmoor.gov.uk

Spring into recycling mode in the gardenWith spring in the air, the urge totidy our gardens ready for thewarmer months is now upon us.But what do you do with all that

garden waste you clear away?Here in Rushmoor, we can offer

you a great value for money gardenwaste recycling service.We offer three different options to

help you recycle your garden waste: lWe can give you a 240-litre brownwheelie bin for your garden wasteand we’ll collect it every fortnightfor £38 a year.

l Or for £30 a year, we give you twohardwearing 90-litre bags to store

your garden waste and collect itevery fortnight (concessions areavailable on this option for peoplereceiving certain benefits).

l Alternatively, we can provide youwith a bundle of five, single-usesacks for just £8, which you canput out for collection when theyare full, on your garden wasterecycling week.We collect garden waste once a

fortnight on the opposite week toyour blue bin recycling. You cancheck your collections using the InMy Area feature on our website,www.rushmoor.gov.uk/inmyarea

There is a whole range of gardenwaste you can recycle, such asweeds, grass clippings, prunings,hedge cuttings, leaves, cut flowersand wind-fallen fruit. We take yourgarden waste to the compostingcentre at Little Bushy Warren Copsenear Basingstoke where it is turnedinto the soil conditioner, Pro-Grow.

Yes please:4 All rinsed cans and tins4 All rinsed plastic bottles

(no tops please)4 Cardboard4 Newspapers, magazines

and Yellow Pages4 Household paper and

envelopes (including thosewith cellophane windows)

4 Aerosols

No thanks:8 Black sacks, plastic bags

and plastic packaging8 Shredded paper

8Wrapping paper8 Cardboard juice cartons8Mixed plastics, such as

yoghurt pots, margarineand ice cream tubs, andcling film

8 Textiles and clothing (youcan recycle these at atextile bank or your localcharity shop)

8 Any household or gardenwaste

8 Glass 8 Polystyrene 8 Kitchen waste

Contact usFor more information onrecycling, go towww.rushmoor.gov.uk/recycling. You can also check yourcollection dates atwww.rushmoor.gov.uk/inmyarea

Contact us

What you can and can’t recycle in your blue binMarch / April 2013

We are working on Good Friday (29 March)

Normal collection day Revised collection daydue to bank holidays

May 2013For the early May bank holiday (May 6) and theSpring bank holiday (May 27) collections will bea day later than normal and our crews will beworking up until Saturday to catch up.

Monday 1 April

Tuesday 2 April

Wednesday 3 April

Thursday 4 April

Friday 5 April

Tuesday 2 April

Wednesday 3 April

Thursday 4 April

Friday 5 April

Saturday 6 April

Bank holiday rubbish andrecycling collections

Your cut out and keep guide to collection datesover Easter and May bank holiday

For more information on how tojoin the service, and who iseligible for concessions, go towww.rushmoor.gov.uk/gardenwaste

Eggs-tra recycling this Easter!

!

Saddle up for the annualFarnborough Donkey Derby.Runners and riders will get

together on Bank HolidayMonday (27 May) at the KingGeorge V Playing Fields inSycamore Road, Farnborough. In addition to the donkey

races, there’s also a wide rangeof entertainment, including stageshows, a climbing wall, a fun fairand walking entertainers. The event is organised by the

Rotary Clubs of Farnborough,

Rushmoor, and Ash &Blackwater Valley.For more information go towww.rushmoorrotary.hampshire.org.uk/dd/index.html

12 What’s on

Sunday March 17Senser. West End Centre. 8pm. £10.

Monday March 18Friends of Farnborough Reading Group, meetsevery third Monday. Farnborough Library. 7.30pm. Free.

Tuesday-Saturday March 19-23Sound of Music – Cody Farnborough AmateurOperatic Society. Princes Hall. 7.30pm (2.30pm Sat mat). £10-£15.

Wednesday March 20 Farnborough Daytime Reading Group, meetsevery third Wednesday. Farnborough Library.2.15pm. Free.

Wednesday March 20 Roddy Woomble. West End Centre. 8pm. £12-£14.

Thursday March 21Tony Law. West End Centre. 8pm. £8.50-£10.50

Saturday March 23Zoe Lyons. West End Centre. 8pm. £11-£13.

Saturday March 23Sugarcraft Spring Flower Spray Workshop. WestEnd Centre. 10.30am. £40. £30 (concs).

Monday March 25Great Expectations (cinema). Princes Hall. 2.30pmand 7.30pm. Tickets £6 (£5 screen pass).

Wednesday March 27Sam Carter. West End Centre. 8pm. £10-£12.

Thursday March 28Hip Yack Poetry Shack. West End Centre. 8pm. £8-£10.

Saturday March 30Lloyd Langford. West End Centre. 8pm. £10-£12.

Tuesday April 2Computer Club, every first Tuesday. AldershotLibrary and Learning Centre. 7pm-9pm. Free.

Wednesday April 3 Farnborough VIP Reading Group, meets every firstWednesday. Farnborough Library. 2.15pm. Free.

Friday April 5 Glam Rock Revival – Tap That. Princes Hall. 8pm.£13.

Sunday April 7Echoes of Elvis – The Dale Fontaine Show. PrincesHall. 7.30pm. £10.

Tuesday April 9Craft Workshop, Princes Hall. 10am-4pm. £15.

Wednesday April 10Play In A Day (drama workshop) - The School ThatWent To Sea. Princes Hall. 10am-4pm. £15.

Wednesday April 10Remember When. Princes Hall. 2.30pm. £10-£12.

Thursday April 11Shaolin Warriors. Princes Hall. 7.45pm. £18.50-£23.

Friday April 12 The Blockheads. West End Centre. 8pm. £17.50-£20.

Wednesday April 17Chas and Dave. Princes Hall. 7.45pm. £18-£24.

Friday April 19Hart Male Voice Choir. Princes Hall. 7.30pm. £6-£12.50.

Friday April 19What would Beyonce Do? West End Centre.9.30pm. £10-£12.

Monday April 22Life of Pi (cinema). Princes Hall. 2.30pm and7.30pm. Tickets £6 (£5/ screen pass).

Wednesday April 24Boothby Graffoe. West End Centre. 8pm. £10-£22.

Thursday April 25 Chris Wood. West End Centre. 8pm. £12-£15.

The listings

www.rushmoor.gov.uk

There’s a bumperload of eventstaking place inAldershot thisspring.From Friday 29

March to 7 April youcan ‘bunny hop’around Aldershottown centre forEaster. During the Easter

break children cantake part in theBunny HopCompetition. Simplypick up an entry form

from theWellington Centreand ‘hop’ aroundtown looking for

hidden pictures ofthe Easter Bunny inshop windows. When you find

one, go into the shopand ask a member ofstaff to mark yourform with their

special letter stamp.When you’ve foundall eight, work outthe riddle and enter adraw for top prizes.Children will also

have the chance tomeet some farmyardfriends in the town.On Saturday 25

May a Children’sFarm will be set upUnion Street from11am. The free eventwill bring shoppersface-to-face withgoats, sheep, pigs,chickens, ducks,

rabbits – and more.And to round off a

marvellousspringtime of events,the Vintage CarShow returns on 15June. More than 50 cars

dating back to 1913will line Union andWellington Streetsbetween 10am and4pm. Also keep an eye

out for the Italianmarket in the townover the comingmonths.

Some of the best lovedchildren’s TV and bookcharacters are coming to thePrinces Hall.On 7 and 8 May Tiddler and

other Terrific Tales comes tothe theatre, showcasingcharacters adapted from thebestselling books by Children'sLaureate, Julia Donaldson and

illustrated by Axel Scheffler(creators of The Gruffalo).Characters from Channel 5’s

Milkshake will be brought tolife on stage on 9 June. Andchildrens’ favourites Ben andHolly’s Little Kingdom will be inthe theatre on 30 and 31 July.For more details go to

www.princeshall.com

Kids’ favourites at Princes Hall

And they’re under starter’s orders ...

Springtime is fun time in Aldershot

Spring highlights:Vintage cars, achildren’s farm andan Italian market

What’s on 13The listings

BOX OFFICE & BOOKING: Farnborough Library and Learning Centre – 01252516458Lynda.Baines@hants.gov.ukAldershot Library & Learning Centre –01252 322560. Alison.Friend@hants.gov.ukPrinces Hall – 01252 329155www.princeshall.com West End Centre – 01252 330040www.westendcentre.co.uk

Friday April 26Snap Disco. Princes Hall. 7pm. £6-£7.

Saturday April 27Henning Wehn. West End Centre. 8pm. £10-£12.

Sunday April 28Walk the Path – 10 miles of Blackwater Valley Path,starting Sandhurst Memorial Park. Tickets from £6.Contact www.bvct.org.uk or 01252 331353.

Thursday May 2House Presents – The Girl with the Iron Claws.West End Centre. 8pm. £10-£12.

Friday May 3Lucy Porter. West End Centre. 8pm. £12-£14.

Sunday May 5Queen of the Dance. Princes Hall. 3pm. £20-£22.

Tuesday and Wednesday May 7-8Tiddler and other Terrific Tales. Princes Hall. 10amand 1pm. £10.

Wednesday May 8House Presents – The Trench (World War 1 drama).West End Centre. 8pm. £12 (£10 concs).

Friday May 10Comic Lee Nelson. Princes Hall. 7.30pm. £22.50.

Wednesday May 15Martin Simpson. West End Centre. 8pm. £12-£14.

Thursday May 16That’ll Be The Day. Princes Hall. 7.45pm. £22.

Thursday May 16Sean Hughes. West End Centre. 8pm. £16.

Friday May 17Bourgeois & Maurice. West End Centre. 8pm. £10-£12.

Sunday May 19Julian Clary - Position Vacant: Apply Within.Princes Hall. 7.45pm. £17-£20.

Monday May 20Les Misérables (cinema). Princes Hall, 2.30pm and7.30pm. Tickets £6 (£5 screen pass).

Thursday May 23Stephen Venables - The Everest Story (talk).Princes Hall. 7.45pm. £12.50-£14.50.

Friday May 24Snap Disco. Princes Hall. 7pm. £6-£7.

Tuesday May 28Craft Workshop. Princes Hall. 10am-4pm. £15.

Wednesday May 29Play In A Day (drama workshop) - Alice InWonderland. Princes Hall. 10am-4pm. £15.

Friday June 7Roy Orbison. Princes Hall. 7.30pm. £18-£19.

Friday June 7Noise Next Door, West End Centre. 8pm. £10-£12.

Sunday June 9Milkshake! Princes Hall. 1pm and 3.30pm. £19.50.

Wednesday June 12Jethro. Princes Hall. 7.30pm. £19.50.

Friday June 14Snap Disco. Princes Hall. 7pm. £6-£7.

Saturday June 15Farnborough Symphony Orchestra, Princes Hall,7.45pm. £6-£12.

www.rushmoor.gov.uk

Hog roast party tocelebrate charity’s21st anniversaryJoin in local charity Parity forDisability’s 21st anniversarycelebrations with an Auctionand Hog Roast on Saturday 23March at 7pm, Victoria Hall,Hartley Wintney. Enjoy a delicious hog roast

(with veggie option), a liveswing band and the chance tobid on luxury prizes including achauffeured classic car ride toand from lunch at Tylney Hall,Hook and a professional flightsimulator experience! Farnborough-based Parity for

Disability is celebrating 21years of day services forpeople with multipledisabilities living in Surrey,Hampshire and Berkshire. Tickets are £20 each. Contact

Kimberley on 01252 375581 oremail kimberley@parityfordisability.org.uk

Puppet circus iscoming to townAward-winning puppeteers,The Da Silva Marionettes, arebringing their circus puppetshow to the Aldershot Libraryand Learning Centre onSaturday 16 March.

The hour-long performancewill begin at 11am and is idealfor the whole family.Tickets are £1 and must be

booked in advance by calling01252 322560.

Aldershot MilitaryFestival – a datefor your diaryThe Aldershot Military Festivalreplaces this year’s AldershotGarrison Show.The festival takes place from

1 to 6 July, with the themes ofhistory and heritage,ceremonial, education, arts,culture and music,conservation, sport interactionand regimental roles.See our June edition for

more details.

Free bowls tastersessions in AprilGive bowling a try on Saturday27 and Sunday 28 April atCove Bowling Club in HornRoad, Farnborough.Tuition and equipment will

be provided at the free openday. Contact Terry Hart on 01252372 089 to register. For clubdetails visitwww.covebowlingclub.org

News in brief

There’s a bumperload of eventstaking place inAldershot thisspring.From Friday 29

March to 7 April youcan ‘bunny hop’around Aldershottown centre forEaster. During the Easter

break children cantake part in theBunny HopCompetition. Simplypick up an entry form

from theWellington Centreand ‘hop’ aroundtown looking for

hidden pictures ofthe Easter Bunny inshop windows. When you find

one, go into the shopand ask a member ofstaff to mark yourform with their

special letter stamp.When you’ve foundall eight, work outthe riddle and enter adraw for top prizes.Children will also

have the chance tomeet some farmyardfriends in the town.On Saturday 25

May a Children’sFarm will be set upUnion Street from11am. The free eventwill bring shoppersface-to-face withgoats, sheep, pigs,chickens, ducks,

rabbits – and more.And to round off a

marvellousspringtime of events,the Vintage CarShow returns on 15June. More than 50 cars

dating back to 1913will line Union andWellington Streetsbetween 10am and4pm. Also keep an eye

out for the Italianmarket in the townover the comingmonths.

Springtime is fun time in Aldershot

14 A lasting legacy www.rushmoor.gov.uk

Across Rushmoor,sports clubs arereporting an increasein memberships sincethose halcyon days ofAugust 2012. The Aldershot and

Farnham District AthleticsClub has seen atremendous increase inyoungsters under the ageof 13 wishing to take upathletics. As a result, they have

trained another 10 coachesto cope with demand. Anddue to its continuingsuccess with olderteenagers, the club is nowdrawing competitiveteenagers fromsurrounding clubs. Rushmoor Gymnastics

Academy has also

expanded its membershipfrom 700 to 830 since2012 – with the majority ofnewcomers being boysinspired by the GB men’steam at the Games. Morecoaches are also beingtrained up to cope with thedemand.

And Rushmoor Royalsswimming club is attractinggreater numbers than ever– both learners and morecompetitive swimmers.Thanks to its great

success, the club is nowranked in the top 10nationally and will be

competing in the nationalswimming finals nextmonth.Rushmoor is also home

to the UK’s most successfuljunior judo club. Headcoach sensei Adrian Dovenow leads an elite coachingsquad at the Maida Gym,with 19 national juniorsunder his remit.The Osaka Judo Club is

also expanding its outreachprogramme and is takingjudo to 17 Rushmoorschools. So with many top

sporting clubs right onyour doorstep, why nottake advantage of whatthey have to offer. A full listof clubs is available on thecouncil’s websitewww.rushmoor.gov.uk/sportsclubs

Rushmoor’s sports clubsscore a boost in membership

The great summer of 2012may be over but its lastinglegacy is continuing wellinto 2013.The Olympic spirit is

well and truly alive withsports clubs across thearea reporting significantincreases in the number ofpeople joining up.And the year has kicked

off to a great start with theopening of a state-of-the-art 2012-inspired ball courtcalled the AdiZone(above).With the London

Olympics logoemblazoned across itscourt, the AdiZone will bethe local base for a wholerange of ball and wheelsports. Based at the Municipal

Gardens in Aldershot, thecourt comes completewith basketball

backboards, goals forfootball, handball orhockey and cricket stumpmarkings. It replaces the old ball

court, which was analready well-used facility. But it is hoped even

more people will have aball and try their hands(and feet!) at a range ofdifferent sports at theAdiZone.

On your bikesIf the likes of Britain’sgreat knights Sir BradleyWiggins and Sir Chris Hoyinspired you to get backon the saddle, then youmight want to joinRushmoor’s very own bikeclub.The club has just got off

the starter’s blocks againfor the new season.It runs every Saturday

morning fromFarnborough FootballClub and is open toeveryone.Different rides are held

to suit different abilities –plus there are fun gamesand competitions on offer.For more details go to

www.rushmoor.gov.uk/cycling or contact our‘bike it officer’, BenKnowles at ben.knowles@sustrans.org.uk,telephone 07824812219.

Do More, Be MoreA new Hampshire-widescheme has beenlaunched to inspire morepeople to get active. Thisis the county’s legacyproject and throughoutthe rest of the year it willbe promoting as manyphysical activities aspossible.

There will also be prizesand incentives to enticepeople into trying newsports or becoming fitter.For more information andupdates throughout theyear go to www3.hants.gov.uk/shiow.htm

Now it’s time to put the Olympic legacy into practice

Making a splashMany of GB’ssynchronised swimmingsquad hailed from ourvery own local club.If you’d like to make a

splash in this sport andfollow the dream for2016, why not join theRushmoor SynchronisedSwimming Club?For more details, visitwww.rssc.org.uk oremail nicolajlangley@googlemail.com

Inspired: Youngsters are jumping at the chance to joinRushmoor Gymnastics Academy

News 15www.rushmoor.gov.uk

We’ve been hit withthe worst recession for80 years but help is athand for those findingit difficult to getemployment.The Rushmoor

Employment and SkillsZone (RESZ) is producinggreat results for the peopleit’s helping back into work.Bringing together the

expertise of more than 70local employment andtraining organisations,RESZ secures training andemployment opportunitiesfor local people.The scheme was first

piloted last year on the newWestgate development inAldershot, providing peoplewith work during theconstruction and atMorrisons, Harvester andCineworld.More than 40 people

completed training withRESZ and were given aguaranteed interview as aresult. From those, 12 weregiven jobs at Westgate anda further five foundemployment elsewhere.This year, RESZ will be

providing similaropportunities for peoplelooking for work with theCostco developmentplanned in Farnborough.The organisation has also

produced a new booklet toshowcase all the

employment and trainingsupport available inRushmoor – for moredetails, visitwww.firstwessex.org

Join the clubThere are a number of localjob clubs running in

Aldershot and Farnboroughto give support to peoplelooking for work.They offer advice about

local vacancies, CV andletter writing, interviewtechniques and more. For more information, goto www.firstwessex.org

Help for local jobseekers

The Source charity inAldershot is appealing forpeople to take part in itsFridudd – Friday Dress UpDress Down Day – eventon Friday 3 May.It’s inviting businesses,

schools, playgroups andcolleges to dress up ordress down for the day fora minimum donation of £1.To donate, text DUDD 25

(£amount) to 70070 or visitwww.justgiving.com/everypoundmattersIn the evening the

charity is holding a Ceilidhand hog roast at TheVillage in Farnborough.For more information,

call Sue Collen at TheSource on 07794 188700 oremail Sue.collen@thesourceforyou.co.uk

Dress up or dress down for charity

In briefVolunteeringrecruitmentservice opensA new service to helppeople interested involunteering hasstarted at AldershotLibrary.On the fourth

Thursday of everymonth, Marie Jarvis ofthe RushmoorVolunteer Centre willbe based at the libraryto help people find outabout volunteeringopportunities.From 9.30am to

midday, Marie canalso answer anyquestions you mayhave about becominga volunteer.You can contact Marieon 01252 540162 oremail rushmoorvolunteers@rvs.org.uk

Garden aidDo you need someextra help to tame anovergrown gardenthat has become toomuch for you?Rushmoor VoluntaryServices can offer ahelping hand.If age or a disability

holds you back, theBlooming MarvellousGarden Service canhelp.For more details visitwww.rvs.org or callJoan Giles on 01252540162.

Rushmoor Employment and Skills Zone getting great results

Back to work: Stuart Parsons, who now works in HR atMorrisons in Aldershot