Charity/voluntary

A NUMBER of seasonal events being hosted across the borough in the run up to Christmas.
On Wednesday December 23, the Grim's Dyke Opera Chorus and the Cassiobury Choir will join to sing carols at Grim's Dyke Hotel in Old Redding, Harrow Weald, before an audience of over 100 people, with all the proceeds going to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Centenary Christmas Coffee Morning on Saturday 28th November from 10.30am - 12.30pm at Pinner Free Church (Baptist), Paines Lane, Pinner.

A Bazaar is being held at Pinner Village Hall, Chapel Lane Pinner on Saturday 21st November from 10am - 2pm. Entrance 50p. Gifts, Charity cards and raffles.

"Chantecler, the French Circle of Harrow, presents a talk - in French - on Sarah Bernhardt, Queen of the French stage, by David King, whose talks are already lively.
On Saturday 14th November, from 7pm in the Parish Hall of St. Anselms Church, Westfield Park, Hatch End, HA5 4JL.

Come and join our international friendly society for it's second event for the resident's of Harrow. To be held on Tuesday 10th November from 2pm - 4pm at Harrow Arts Centre.

Are you a fan of traditional ballroom dancing, would you like to spend your afternoon dancing the waltz, tango, quickstep plus the cha cha cha.

Then look no further. Harrow Arts Centre is holding an afternoon tea dance hosted by Philip Wylie on Friday 20th November at 2pm.

For ticket information call 020 8416 8989 or email harrowartscentre@harrow.gov.uk

Harrow Arts Centre are looking for all budding young artists aged between 4 and 19 to create an art piece with the theme 'Your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them'.

A GRANDFATHER is in his eighth week of walking about 900 miles from one end of the country to the other to raise funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI).

Derek Parsons, of East Towers, Pinner, started his trek from Poole, in Dorset, to the Shetland Islands on August 1 and plans to complete his journey in the second week of October.

FIFTEEN volunteers are needed to pick up a paddle and take part in dragon boat race to raise cash for the UK's only specialist hospital for colorectal disease.
St Mark's Hospital Foundation, which supports St Mark's Hospital in Watford Road, Harrow, has entered a team into the 12th Rotary Dragon Boat Festival on Sunday May 17 but the original scheduled participants have had to pull out.
Dragon boat racing involves a crew of around 20 sitting two abreast in a long canoe-like boat and paddling in synchronism to the sound of a drum beat.
The races will take place on the River Thames at the Docklands Sailing Centre located at the Millwall Outer Dock in south-east London between 10am and 3pm.
An entry fee of £10 per person is required along with a minimum guaranteed sponsorship of £100, and all participants get a T-shirt.
n For more information and to register, call Maxine McNeil, the foundation's fundraising manager, on 020 8869 2371 or email maxine.mcneil@nwlh.nhs.uk

A GROUP of supermarket employees are taking part in a sponsored skydive to raise money for their chosen charity of the year.

The team of 14 from Tesco, in Ash Hill Drive, Pinner Green, have decided to test their nerves by taking the plunge to raise funds for Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.

Checkout team manager, Anna Mozdzynski, 20, who organised the skydive, said: "I did a skydive last year in Australia and I was just sitting in the canteen one day at work thinking about it and I asked someone if they wanted to do a skydive.

"Our store doesn't do a lot for charity compared to other Tesco stores so I thought it would be nice to do it for the store.

"I wanted to do a skydive because I think it will be a better incentive for people to sponsor us than if we were just doing a sponsored walk or something similar.

"Apart from me, everyone who is taking part hasn't done a skydive before.

"Originally it wasn't going to be so many people doing it. One of the people taking part is over 50.

"We are going to hold different events in store to raise money like a fancy dress competition and we're going to hold a car boot sale."

The skydive is being held in Norfolk on June 7.

Go to www.justgiving.com/tescoskydive to sponsor the team.