August 2015 | Issue 94 | £1.50 where bought
In HOUSE CHAT
Accompanied viewings
VOLUNTEERING Charity reigns in Lee on the Solent
© Michael Branicki
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THIS MONTH..
, ealth h , y t u ni omm nd more c , s a pe Reci operties r p
HOUSE AND GARDENS
COMMUNITY
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Dahlias
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St Faiths’ Church
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In House Chat
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GNHW
Add a splash of colour to your summer garden as autumn starts to lick at our heels.
Our award winning local agent Mark Rowe imparts more house knowledge and tips on accompanied viewings.
CHILDREN, PETS & EDUCATION 8
Kids Page
It’s time for swimming lessons in this months kids page!
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A closer look at one of our local charities, The Rowans Hospice and their hard work in our community.
Gosport Neighbourhood watch give us some top protection tips for your property this summer. If you’ve got a local Good News story we’d love to hear about it! Whether it’s kindly friends or neighbours going out of their way to help each other, children doing fab activities that make them smile, winning awards or just doing a good turn we’d love to know! Email your stories to us at editor@bigvoicedirectories.co.uk
august issue 2015
Pearl Publications 01329 630630
Joint Editors Coralie Todd & Sean Middleton editor@bigvoicedirectories.co.uk
Advertising Sales sales@bigvoicedirectories.co.uk
Distribution This Big Voice Bigazine is delivered to residents and businesses in Lee on the Solent and Cherque Farm For distribution enquiries please give us a call and speak to Sean. Six other editions are also published in Alverstoke, Whiteley, Titchfield Park and Burridge, Gosport, Locks Heath, Warsash & Sarisbury Green, Stubbington & Hill Head Whilst Big Voice Directories aim to provide a quality publication for local reference, it cannot be held responsible for the services, reputation or cost of any of the advertisers, and content of adverts or editorial herein. Readers must make their own enquiries to establish the credentials of each entry. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without prior written permission from the Publishers. The magazines are produced on paper sourced from FSC approved paper mills and printed using vegetable based inks. They love being recycled but please pass to a friend first! Magazine, adverts, design, layout and content © Copyright Pearl Publications Ltd
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“M
Smalalltalk Sm ltalk
otivation is what gets you started… Habit is what keeps you going” said Jim
Ryun, an American Athlete. It got me thinking that many of us who have set our goals and wishes at the beginning of the year may be finding that now the summer is upon us, and willpower is lowering as we think of slipping into Autumn, that those things we fervently set out to achieve in January may be sliding from our grasp. And perhaps the reason is that we either weren’t committed to doing what we decided all those months ago, or we didn’t get into the HABIT of making that thing happen. Indeed a decision we made last year as a couple was to incorporate a fresh juice into our diet, at least once daily. We enjoyed blending fresh kale from the garden, including thick broccoli stems which would ordinarily end up on the compost, various fruit and other vegetables and chucking in copious amounts of ginger which sent Sean's hayfever packing (an unexpected, but very welcome result!). With the cleaning of the blenders and juicers, and the extra bit of organisation needed to make these each day it would have been easy to stop eventually. But once it became a habit it’s tough to break. So even when we have days out we make sure that we get our juice and do you know, if you look out for them there are juice bars popping up everywhere. So we grabbed one recently in Hyde Park at a festival, in a little street in Ibiza on a holiday and even the kids join in now, despite what can seem a very dubious mix sometimes! If there’s something you want to do, or your resolve has slipped, get started again and we’ll hear no more excuses! Much love until next month Coralie and Sean x
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Visit our website www.bigvoicedirectories.co.uk 5
St Fait hs’ Communit y
The Rowans Hospice The Rowans Hospice at Purbrook recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. The Hospice has helped over 7,000 patients and families across Portsmouth and South East Hampshire. Its services include end of life, respite, home and bereavement care for people affected by life-limiting illnesses and their carers and families.
Before becoming ill she, too, had worked in the Lee Rowans shop before it was relocated to its present site. During and after her illness we’d received considerable support from one of the hospice’s home-care team so I had a personal interest in the work at the shop.
On arrival I was immediately offered coffee and made to feel more than It costs more than 5 million every welcome by the manager, Anne year funded mainly through Wressell (shown wearing a red voluntary donations, community cardigan in the photo) and her amazing team of volunteers. Anne is fundraising, Support Groups and charity shops. married with one daughter, Cassandra. She moved with her husband from Liverpool to Gosport Eager to find out more about its work I decided to visit our local in 1983 when she was 20. After working as a teaching assistant at Rowans Hospice shop at Lee. After arranging a time to visit I went to the Leesland, Siskin and Bedenham shop on the day which, by coschools she became a volunteer at incidence, was exactly three years to the Gosport shop. Since then she has the day since my partner died. worked as assistant manager in
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Emsworth and Wickham and also holiday relief manager before moving to Lee as manager in 2013. In total there are 28 volunteers working at the Lee shop and, on the day of my visit, 5 helpers were present all of whom have been working for a varying number of years: Jan Rogers (nearly 4 years, a paid assistant) with volunteers, John Shepherd (4 years) Cora Terry (9 months), Roni Lee (who has also been a Gosport support group worker for 15 years) and, last but not least, Barbara Harris who wears the coveted gold badge awarded for 20 years of service. The area support groups raise extra money by organising various activities including wine tasting, car boot sales and running stalls at various community events, etc.
Another helper, Jean Craig, also runs coffee mornings at the Methodist Church to raise funds on the first Wednesday of the month from 10 am – 12 noon. The shop volunteers, as well as serving, also spend a great deal of their time in the back room sorting and pricing the different donations – books and clothes etc.
Gosport, for example, will be opening a new furniture shop and are currently looking for volunteers. Anne has all the details at the Lee shop and will be happy to pass them on. The Hospice does invaluable work which any of us might need in the future or have needed in the past.
If you donate items to the hospice, the gift aid scheme raises and extra 25% and gift-aid cards are available at all of the shops. Or, if you think you might enjoy working with a wonderfully friendly team for a Throughout the area there are hundreds of volunteers all working in worthy cause and meeting members different capacities and from all age of the public, then why not become a ranges. They become volunteers for volunteer yourself? I’m sure you’d be more than welcomed and, if the Lee various reasons, some for work experience, some because they’ve shop is anything to go by, I can’t received hospice support themselves think of a nicer group of people to and others, often retired, who simply work with. want to meet others and become Alan involved in community work. All of Our wonderful St Faiths contributor, Alan Millard can be contacted via St Faith’s the shop volunteers and support Church, Lee on the Solent. workers receive support from the Parish Office Matron of the Hospice, the Chief Executive, Board of Trustees and Mondays - Fridays 10:30am - 12:30pm 023 9255 6445 Rowans Trading group. Anne was keen to stress that she looks on every one of her volunteers as ‘pieces of gold’ and regards them all as her extended family.
alan.millard@talktalk.net
More helpers are always needed.
Dates for your diary Thursday, 10th September 2 pm. St Faith’s Church. Service of Remembrance for Rear Admiral Charles Williams Saturday, 7th November 10.30 am – 5.30 pm. St. Faith’s Church. Haven Artists, Exhibition and Sale of paintings, crafts, Christmas cards etc in aid of the Rainbow Charity. Refreshments available. Thursday, 13th August. 11 am, St Faith’s Church. Mothers’ Union Archdeaconry – Day at the Seaside. Coffee in Bulson Hall followed by a church service and free afternoon to explore the area.
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Important Phone Numbers COMMUNITY Community Association 023 9255 2841 Crofton Secondary School 01329 664251 Family & Friends Lesbians & Gays 0845 6520311 Lee on Solent Parish Office 023 9255 6445 Lee on Solent Infant School 023 9255 1767 Lee on Solent Junior School 023 9255 0551 Local Councillor 023 9255 2177 Local Council Offices 023 9258 4242 Neighbourhood Watch 023 9258 3637 Police 101 or emergency 999 RSPCA 01329 667541 Tourist Information 023 9252 2944 Victim Support 0845 3899528 HEALTH Alcoholics Anonymous 0845 7697555 Dental Helpline 0845 0508345 Gosport War Memorial Hospital 023 9252 4611 Lee on Solent Health Centre 023 9255 0220 NHS Direct 111 NHS Smoking Helpline 0800 0224332 TRAVEL Coastguard 023 8032 9486 Dial a Ride Gosport 01329 223151 First Bus Service 023 9286 2412 Hampshire Highways 0845 8504422 IcanGo 07787 292666 National Rail Enquiries 08457 484950
Love where you live!
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Dahlia
August can often be dire for gardens, with dry soil and a natural lull between the summer and autumn flowering plants. But there are a few little garden life savers, such as the Dahlia which are relatively drought-tolerant that will give your senses the splash of colour needed as you move through to the next season. You’ll need to regularly dead-head to maintain the best blooms but it’ll be worth the time taken to maintain them. Make sure you don’t overfeed with high nitrogen fertilisers and do try to put them in a good sunny spot for direct light.
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171 - 173 High Street Lee-on-the-Solent PO13 9BX
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In house chat THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCOMPANIED VIEWINGS
Mark Rowe, MD & Owner of RPS Estate and Letting Agents This month I’ve highlighted the importance of accompanied viewings. It’s an essential part of your property marketing mix, here’s why:
Negotiations
Another really important factor when showing a potential buyer around a property is the negotiations that can take place Security literally in your living room! This is more common than you think and The number one reason for unfortunately I’ve heard of many accompanied viewings is that you homeowners made to feel quite are inviting someone, whom awkward when a buyer negotiates you’ve never met, into your home. hard and they are pushed into a 99.9% of the time there’s no tight corner, not knowing whether problem with this, after all, they to say yes or no. Referring back are a buyer so they need to see to the point made above about inside! However, not that this has qualifying the potential buyer, an ever happened here at RPS, agent is best placed to negotiate there’s that very small percentage with a buyer to achieve the of people who like to waste time highest possible figure without or perhaps have other, not so losing them completely. nice, intentions. The estate agent not only places that vital barrier between you and the buyer but can also weed out those unscrupulous people that you perhaps wouldn’t want to deal with face to face.
feedback immediately. In the main buyers are very genuine, but they don’t like to say negative comments in front of a homeowner as it can be offensive. Honest feedback is easily given to agents as, once again, we are a middle party and won’t be offended. With the age of online agents coming into the marketplace homeowners are lulled into the sense of feeling ok about showing buyers around their home, the above points clarify why it’s vital that you demand your agent accompanies these viewings, after all this is probably your biggest asset and shouldn’t be left to chance.
Feedback Our policy is that feedback is provided by the very next morning after the viewing (at the latest), but there are occasions when a brief chat outside the property is beneficial and provides vital
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P uzzle Answe Answersrs August 2015
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