Maidstone News and Views News and Views from Your Local Friendship Group
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Spring 2021 www.oddfellows.co.uk Maidstone News and Views News and views from your local friendship group Dear Oddfellows Can you name Sport Family these logos? Wordsearch Page 3 Page 6 Page 11 Big Thank You SoNationalcial dist Onlineancing Events can still be social Your guide to online events you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home April - June 2021 Social restrictions have meant that our usual face-to-face events had to be suspended, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get together! Our network of 121 Branches are running a huge variety of nationwide online events, and everybody is welcome to join – no matter where in the Activities during country you are. This guide lists the current regular and featured events available for you to attend. Not attended an online event yet - you don’t even need to be on the lockdown internet? Need help? Check out our ‘How to’ overleaf… Money raised for goodwww.oddfell ows.co.uk Pages 12-13 OddfellowsUK causes in 2020 Maidstone News and Views welcomeMaidstone District Welcome to the latest Contact Details edition of the Maidstone News and Views For more details about any of the events, membership and the This is your newsletter, so if you wide range of benefits available, have any ideas for items please send please call: them in. Maybe you have a favourite recipe, joke or a celebration that Secretary: Rose Mills you would like to share with other members? Why not write about a Address: 139 Robin Hood Lane, social event you’ve attended or send Walderslade, in photos? Chatham, All items will be gratefully received. Kent ME5 9Nl Any member wishing to contribute T: 01634 868308 an article should please send them to E: [email protected] me (details on the right). We look forward to hearing from you. Social Organiser: Lisa-Rae Brough T: 07939 323937 Rose Mills and Lisa-Rae Brough E: [email protected] 2 Spring 2021 Dear Oddfellows Family What a challenging year we’ve following government guidelines. Our all had to endure during the intentions are to have one or two short Covid-19 pandemic. walks a week thereafter, enabling members to get together for a walk and natter, all But, think we would all agree, we’ve built good for our mental and physical health, a stronger value for the simplest things weather permitting. We want to thank we tended to take for granted, freedom to Neil Hardman for offering his time to see and go where we choose. Throughout help support with this, in showing us this time, we managed to keep in touch some interesting local walks we can enjoy. with a lot of our members, offering Please let us know if you are interested personal calls, emails, social media groups as numbers have to be within the six and Zoom Activity and social groups. person group rule. We have even made some new members and potential new members through our As soon as we have been given the go contact support. This is open to everyone, ahead from the Government to re-open we wouldn’t want anyone to feel totally our centres at Maidstone and Marden, we isolated so if you haven’t received any will be excited to do so. We are looking contact, but would like to have some to start our Events Diary from July. support, please make contact with us, and However, if things change either way, we can set up some support for you. we will adjust the Activities and Events program accordingly. We have been sent by some of our members photos of their wonderful We look forward to some great places to hobbies or works they’ve been kept busy visit, interesting things to do, when we doing during lockdown. Including some are socially able to enjoy time together, lovely walks and so on, some of which we and the better weather. For now, we’ve included in this newsletter, thank you to included some fun quizzes and word everyone who sent them in. games for you, some great links to Zoom Activities in this Newsletter, and we are Thankfully the vaccine program had been always here for you, if you want or need a working really well, and we continue chat or support. to hear members having received their first and even second vaccine. As of 29th Take Care and look after yourselves. March we are able to socially distance meet in small groups of six outside, Lisa-Rae and Rose 3 Maidstone News and Views Big Thank You We would like to send a big thank you established to Barrington Dubois, who has kept entertainer some our members entertained on a and resident Monday night live performance, via in Spain, his his Facebook page during lockdown. father-in-law Oddfellows has had a few mentions is one of our and with his wonderful voice and members, John. amazing smile, he has lifted the He sings Soul, Motown and Reggae, spirits of many. Barrington is an give him a comment if you see him. Samaritans During lockdown, I have also had an insight via work, into the amazing support that the Samaritans do for people who need that little bit of emotional support. So, during March I will be walking 310,000 steps to raise money and awareness for this amazing charity. Lisa-Rae (Activity Coordinator) From one of our Trustees I joined the Oddfellows in the mid I have three daughters, two are staying 80s, have been through the chair with me during this lockdown period. and I am a Past Provincial Grand Since last March, when all this started I Master (Past District Chairman), I have been, amongst other things building am a Trustee of Fernleigh Branch, myself a small model railway, here are Maidstone and also serve on the some photos but there is still lots to do. Management Committee. Richard Baker 4 Oddfellows Members: Do you need help? None of us know what is around the corner… Local Care and Welfare Support To request contact from a Welfare Visitor and for local help and information about Branch benefits and benevolence contact Rose on 01634 868308 or email [email protected] Oddfellows Citizens Advice Line Call 0800 0149 821* (free to callers from any landline or mobile number) Monday - Friday, 9.30am - 4.30pm Email: [email protected] Run by Citizens Advice for Oddfellows members, you can access free, confidential, independent advice on welfare benefits, money and debt issues, consumer problems, housing, fuel bills, employment issues and many other issues. *The Oddfellows cannot provide legal advice and accepts no liability whatsoever for advice provided by Citizens Advice, which is an independent advice agency. If you have any queries about the advice you have received or wish to make a complaint then you should contact Citizens Advice directly. Citizens Advice operate a formal complaints process. Care and Welfare Helpline Call 0800 0149 822 (free to callers from any landline or mobile number) Monday to Thursday, 9.30am - 4.30pm, Friday, 9.30am - 4pm Email: [email protected] Run by the Oddfellows Care and Welfare Department, you can access information and guidance on issues such as accessing health and care services, supported housing, support for carers, and planning for later life. The helpline will try and identify any Oddfellows benefits or services in the community which may be of help to you. Visit our website page at www.oddfellows.co.uk/benefits/care for care and welfare information Maidstone News and Views Can you name these logos? Answers on page 22. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 6 Spring 2021 Riddle Time Answers on page 22. 1. It’s shorter than the rest, but 12. What is as big as an elephant, when you’re happy, you raise it but weighs nothing at all? up like it’s the best. What is it? 13. Name a 7 letter word, from which 2. You can carry it everywhere you if you take out 4 letters, you will go, and it does not get heavy. have 1 left? What is it? 14. When you need me, you throw 3. The more you take, the more you me away. When you don’t leave behind. What am I? need me, you bring me back. What am I? 4. A word I know, six letters it contains, remove one letter, and 15. What can you hold in your left twelve remains. What am I? hand but not your right? 5. You see a boat filled with people. 16. Trevor pointed to a girl in the You look again, but this time you street and said, “She is the don’t see a single person on the daughter of my grandmother’s boat. Why? only child.” What is the girl’s relationship to Trevor? 6. What word of five letters has only one left when two letters 17. A man is driving along and sees are removed? three doors: a diamond door, a ruby door, and an emerald door. 7. A bus driver goes the wrong Which does he open first? way on a one-way street. He passes the cops but they don’t 18. What is at the beginning of stop him. Why? eternity and at the end of time, is in every race, but is always 8. What is at the end of a rainbow? last in line? 9.