romsey mill cambridge – New in Cambridge

Christmas in Cambridge: Car parking for good causes

Now stay with me here because I know parking isn’t the most absorbing topic for a blog post BUT if you are planning to bring your car into Cambridge over the coming weekends, you are probably already dreading the massive queues for municipal car parks, not to mention the whopping dent that parking charges will make in your wallet. This Christmas, there is another way …..

Rotary Club of Cambridge South Christmas car parking — Image credit: Rotary Club of Cambridge South

The Rotary Club of Cambridge South is opening three University sites for car parking. They ask for a cash donation of £7 or more per car and last year raised over £33,000 from parking donations. This year, your donations will go to support Headway, Romsey Mill, Projects in Africa, Rotary Foundation, CamPod, University of Cambridge Veterinary School Trust and Winter Comfort, with smaller donations to other charitable projects.

Read on for the parking locations, dates and opening times!

Downing Site, Tennis Court Road, CB2

Saturday 23 and 30 November. 7, 14, 21 and 28 December. Entry from 8.30am

Sunday 24 November. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 December. Entry from 10am

Friday 27 and Monday 30 December. Entry from 8.30am

Exit by 7pm

Department of Chemistry, Lensfield Road, CB2

Saturday 23 and 30 November. 7, 14, 21 and 28 December. Entry from 10am

Sunday 24 November. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 December. Entry from 11am

Friday 27 and Monday 30 December. Entry from 10am

Exit by 5pm

Cambridge Assessment, Harvey Road, CB1

Saturday 23 and 30 November. 7, 14, 21 and 28 December. Entry from 9.30am

Friday 27 and Monday 30 December. Entry from 9.30am

Exit by 5pm

PLEASE NOTE THIS SITE IS NOT OPEN ON SUNDAYS

For further details of this festive car parking and for more on the Rotary Club of Cambridge South, check out their website.

http://www.cambridge-southrotary.org.uk

Pay It Forward Vouchers Cambridge

Theresa Feetenby is a woman on a mission. In fact, I don’t know when she sleeps! Originally from Birmingham, this Cambridge mum of two works full time at Addenbrookes Hospital, is a Beaver Scout leader and volunteers with Cambridge 105 Radio. And now she’s masterminding a new scheme in Cambridge … Pay It Forward Vouchers.

Pay It Forward Vouchers Cambridge

Pay It Forward Vouchers Cambridge Theresa feels compelled to find a way to help the the city’s homeless and people in need. Like many, over the years she had given money to those begging on the streets before switching to buying food for them. She knew of the suspended coffee scheme where people can leave money for a person in need to get a hot drink but she wanted to go beyond that and contacted Cambridge cafes to see what might work. Theresa also particularly likes the concept of people paying forward kindness to others through this scheme.

It’s early days but at the time of writing, five cafes and two stalls in Cambridge Market have joined the project. Early adopters include Black Cat Cafe on Mill Road, La Latina Bustaurante and Kingwraps Foodstall. Theresa gives each business personalised vouchers and posters and publicises their involvement on social media.

Pay It Forward Vouchers Cambridge

You can then buy a voucher from the cafe or stall and either leave it there for distribution by a volunteer or take it to give directly to someone in need. There’s advice about getting off the street printed on the back of each voucher although these vouchers are not only for the homeless. As Theresa comments, there are many people in the city who are in need and/or vulnerably housed who can benefit from the scheme.

Several Cambridge organisations have already got behind Pay It Forward including Streetaid, who have sponsored voucher printing, Wintercomfort, Romsey Mill and Cambridge Homeless Outreach Project. Theresa is keen to get more cafes and volunteers on board and to grow the scheme so that vouchers can be exchanged for toiletries and sanitary products. She’s making a website, would like to create an App and hopes to sell vouchers online.

Pay It Forward Vouchers Cambridge

Things are moving quickly for Pay It Forward Vouchers so if you’d like to get involved and spread some kindness around this city of ours, keep an eye on their social media for the latest news and developments.

Facebook: @PIFgiftvouchers

Instagram: @pifgiftvouchers

Twitter: @PIFgiftvouchers

Coming up in Cambridge …..

The River Cam will echo to the rhythmic beating of drums and splashing of oars on 8 September as the annual Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival returns, with more than forty teams battling it out along a 200 metre course, raising money for Addenbrookes Charitable Trust. Dragon boat racing is a terrific spectator sport so head down to Fen Ditton Meadow from where you can see all the action on the water and enjoy entertainment, food trucks and a bar on the river bank. Read more here

www.cambridgebid.co.uk/events/dragon-boat-festival

Dragon boats on the Cam — Image credit: Vanessa Barton Photography

Bridge the Gap on 9 September is a circular walk through the beautiful grounds of six Cambridge colleges, several of which are not normally open to the public. Starting and finishing at Parker’s Piece, this annual event is wheelchair and pushchair friendly. There’ll be music and refreshments along the way, Blue Badge guides in each college to answer your questions plus entertainment, competitions and a tea tent on Parker’s Piece. Your entry fee goes to Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Romsey Mill to support their invaluable work in the city. Read more here

www.arhc.org.uk/bridgethegap

Bridge the Gap Cambridge — Image credit: Sir Cam

Open Cambridge on 14 and 15 September sees the University and partner organisations across the city open their doors, offering special access to places often hidden from public view. There’s an extensive programme of tours, talks, exhibitions and events offering captivating glimpses into Cambridge history and heritage. Most events are free, some require pre-booking.

www.opencambridge.cam.ac.uk

Trinity College Cambridge

This post is part of September’s “New in Cambridge” column in Velvet magazine. See more on http://www.velvetmag.co.uk

Bridge the Gap Cambridge

Bridge the Gap is a circular walk through the beautiful gardens of six Cambridge colleges. Now in its 17th year and happening on Sunday 9 September, this event is a great day out for families, friends and groups of work colleagues, allowing entry to the grounds of these historic colleges, some of which are not normally open to the public, whilst raising money to support the valuable work of two local charities, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Romsey Mill.

I met with Georgina Forbes, Fundraiser for Romsey Mill, to find out more. The action starts and finishes on Parker’s Piece where you can register from 8.30am, have a coffee and some breakfast from one of the food trucks as well as collect a backpack filled with water, fruit and goodies provided by the event’s sponsors. You’ll also be given a brochure with a route map and information before heading out (there are three different waves of departures through the morning).

The route is approximately 5 miles long and takes in Emmanuel, Christ’s, Sidney Sussex and Trinity colleges before heading along the Backs to St Catherine’s and Pembroke colleges and then on to the Museum of Zoology which is celebrating its reopening.

There will be marshals to show you the way, Blue Badge guides in the colleges to answer your questions and the route is wheelchair and pushchair enabled. You’ll find music along the way (think brass, folk and jazz bands) and refreshments at St Catherine’s College. Back on Parker’s Piece, Cambridge 105 will be broadcasting from a 50 foot stage, there’ll be music courtesy of Cambridge City Brass and you might even want to join in the dancing with Cambridge Lindyhop. You’ll also find a soft play area for kids and various competitions happening plus that all important tea tent offering home made cake.

This year’s fundraising goal is £50,000. Thanks to the generosity of the event’s sponsors, all overheads are covered so 100% of your entry fee is shared equally between the two Cambridgeshire charities. Arthur Rank Hospice supports people who are living with a life-limiting illness and those who need end-of-life care. Romsey Mill is a Christian charity creating opportunities with young people, children and families, many of whom are facing significant challenges in their lives.

Around 130 volunteers make this event happen with many different roles available. If you’d like to join them, contact Tasha.Hills@arhc.org.uk for route volunteering and georgina.forbes@romseymill.org for volunteering on Parker’s Piece.

To take part in Bridge the Gap, you simply pre-register on the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity website (see the link below) or you can turn up at Parker’s Piece and pay on the morning. Group tickets are available at discounted rates and children go free when accompanied by a paying adult.

http://www.arhc.org.uk/bridge-the-gap.asp

http://www.romseymill.org

Parker’s Piece, Cambridge CB1 1NA