volunteer – New in Cambridge

Firewalk for Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre

Firewalking sounds a little bit hazardous ….. but this act of walking across a bed of hot embers has been practised by many people and cultures all over the world since about 1200BC, mainly as a rite of passage, a test of religious faith or of an individual’s courage and strength. Now Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre is holding a Firewalk on Saturday 28 October – this is their biggest fundraising event of the year and money raised will go to support their vital work.

Fire being raked — Image credit: B.L.A.Z.E

Claire Gardner of Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre tells me that participants find the Firewalk an uplifting experience, feeling elated, even invincible, having walked on hot embers. Friends, family and spectators are all welcome to join in with the celebrations and enjoy the music, entertainment, refreshments and glitter stand while cheering on the brave firewalkers. To take part in the Firewalk, you must be aged over sixteen and you need to register in advance on http://tinyurl.com/crccfirewalk, donate £25 at registration and undertake to raise a minimum of £125 sponsorship.

The Firewalk is run by B.L.A.Z.E, the leading charity firewalking experts who have been running these events in the UK since 1984 so you can be sure that they have the health and safety sorted. B.L.A.Z.E will work with participants in a training session before the event so that everyone is fully prepped for that twenty foot walk across hot embers.

Person firewalking — Image credit: B.L.A.Z.E

Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre offers support to women and girls who have experienced rape, childhood sexual abuse or any other form of sexual violence. It operates a confidential telephone helpline and email support alongside a face-to-face counselling service and an Independent Sexual Violence Advocacy Service to help women navigate the criminal justice system.

CRCC banner — Image credit: Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre

In a week during which a certain Hollywood mogul has barely been out of the news and the #MeToo campaign has gone viral on social media, we have all become more aware of just how widespread sexual harassment and violence are. Please sponsor a firewalker, donate what you can or volunteer your time to keep the work of this amazing organisation going as it offers support to the girls and women of our city.

http://www.cambridgerapecrisis.org.uk

http://www.facebook.com/CambridgeRapeCrisis

This event is being held at Cambridge Women’s Resource Centre, The Wharf, Hooper Street, Cambridge CB1 2NZ

Feed the 1000 at the Pumpkin Festival

Now I love to cook. Pottering around my kitchen makes me really happy. But catering for more than about ten people makes me feel a little bit panicky, so I take my hat off to Cambridge Sustainable Food who are teaming up with Cambridge Foodcycle to feed a thousand, yes A THOUSAND, people from surplus food that might otherwise have been thrown away. This amazing event is happening on Friday 20 October outside Sainsbury’s in Brooks Road and is part of the Sainsbury’s backed “Waste Less, Save More” campaign which aims to raise awareness of food waste issues. All are welcome to join in, meet the incredible team of cooks and enjoy the free food.

Image credit: Cambridge Sustainable Food

Feed the 1000 launches the third Cambridge Pumpkin Festival, a city wide celebration of food and autumn. Events include a Vegan Pumpkin Feast at Arjuna on Mill Road, a children’s cake decorating workshop at lifestyle cafe Co. in Cherry Hinton, a pumpkin picnic, cookery workshops and Dinner in the Dark, a charity feast with extra puddings for the best fancy dress! Restaurants and cafes across the city will be offering seasonal pumpkin based dishes.

Disco soup pic — Image credit: Cambridge Sustainable Food

Children will love the Kids’ Disco Soup event, to be held at St Andrew’s Church Hall on 23 October. Here’s a chance for them to chop vegetables which would otherwise have been wasted, cook them into a delicious soup and eat the fruits of their labours together while a DJ takes care of the music so that everyone can throw some shapes on the dance floor! Sam Dyer, Food Partnership Co-ordinator at Cambridge Sustainable Food, tells me that Disco Soup is now an international phenomenon, part of a worldwide movement to inspire action against food waste.

Many of the Pumpkin Festival events are free. If you’d like to get involved as a volunteer, there’s more information on the website.

Farmers Market pic — Image credit: Cambridge Sustainable Food

The Pumpkin Festival will draw to a close on 28 October with a Farmers’ Market (held in conjunction with Thirsty) at the Museum of Technology. Here you will meet local producers and suppliers, sample their wares and enjoy plenty of free activities including apple pressing and bike powered smoothie making. It’ll be a fitting end to a week which will leave us a bit more thoughtful about the ways we can minimise our food waste, enjoy a healthy and sustainable diet and support our wonderful city’s sustainable food economy. And we’ll also have had a lot of fun celebrating all things pumpkiny!!

http://www.cambridgesustainablefood.org

http://www.cambridgepumpkinfestival.org.uk

http://www.foodcycle.org.uk/location/cambridge

Cambridge Film Festival

With more than a hundred screenings over eight days, the 37th Cambridge Film Festival truly offers something to interest everyone. Programmers have sourced fresh material at international film festivals and have sifted through a wealth of submissions to bring a varied and full line-up of films and events to the city from 19 – 26 October.

The schedule includes UK premieres, retrospectives, documentaries, discovery titles from across the world, family favourites and late night screenings of cult movies.

Image by Cambridge Film Festival

The Festival’s main venue is the Arts Picturehouse Cinema in St Andrew’s Street with screenings also being held at Emmanuel College, just opposite. The Heong Gallery at Downing College in Regent Street will host a free Microcinema programme, organised around the theme of “Archive and Memory” and encompassing both contemporary and historical work. Cinemobile, the Picturehouse travelling cinema lorry which tranforms into a hundred seater, air conditioned venue, will be stationed on Parker’s Piece and will showcase the work of local film makers.

Cambridge Film Trust, a charity founded to promote film culture in the East of England, runs this event under the leadership of Festival Director, Tony Jones. His team is supported by a band of volunteers who work four hour shifts in a variety of roles and who are rewarded with complimentary tickets to screenings. For more information and to apply to be a volunteer, check out the “Get Involved” page of the Festival website.

The full film programme will be announced in late September with details of screenings and events updated on the Festival website. You can book through Arts Picturehouse online, by telephone or in person when tickets go on sale in early October.

http://www.cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk

http://www.picturehouses.com/cinema/Arts_Picturehouse_Cambridge

38 – 39 St Andrew’s Street, Cambridge CB2 3AR