Auchenblae Village Hall will be transformed into a festive Christmas Market on Friday 28th November. The market will be open from 6.30pm until 9.30pm and is being hosted by Auchenblae Pre-School Group.
The group is organising a relaxed and welcoming seasonal market to make Christmas shopping easier for locals and help boost group finances. Around 30 stalls will offer a great range of Christmas gifts and treats, including treatments and beauty products from PamperZone, winter clothing courtesy of Thistle Kids as well as chocolates and Christmas wreaths, vintage and handmade jewellery, books, toys, cards and much more. There will be a raffle of items generously donated by local businesses, villagers and stall holders. Mulled wine, hot chocolate and mince pies will be included in the £3.50 entry fee.
Chairman, Amy Whittet, said “We’re looking forward to a great night, supporting local businesses and charities including Auchenblae Pre-School Group and giving locals a chance to do a bit of stress-free Christmas shopping. It’s exciting to be able to put on an event that offers a great service to the community, helping small businesses and allowing us to invest in resources for our pre-school group. It’s also lovely to be able to welcome visitors to see our newly refurbished playroom, so do join us for a mug of mulled wine.”
The group has recently received a £10,000 lottery grant to refurbish the ‘playroom’ (mutual hall) in Auchenblae Village Hall. The ringfenced grant has provided new fixtures and fittings, toys and educational resources, storage as well as a brand new fitted kitchen (a real one, there’s a new toy one too). The refurbishment was for the benefit of the children attending the group and also of benefit to all users of Auchenblae Village Hall as it means the mutual hall can be more easily used by other groups outside pre-school hours. The kitchen alone represents a significant investment in Auchenblae Village Hall and the current committee are rightly proud of this achievement.
As with any project, there have been a few oversights and APSG are fundraising to purchases items which were not included in the original budget. These include items such as a safety guard for the new oven and additional shelving and decorating costs.
Registered charity APSG operate a parent and toddler group, a 2s group and offer funded pre-school education for children up to the age of 5. Regular and ‘drop in sessions’ are available. For more information about APSG sessions and times, please contact Amy Whittet amywhittet@hotmail.co.uk or via Auchenblae Pre-School Group on Facebook.
