This is a FREE event, and those who wish to come along will be treated to a Great British Fish & Chip meal.

There’ll also be music, fun and games and activities for all the family, including face painting and a bouncy castle.

In order to help us provide the correct number of meals, you MUST pre-register your interest. There are 3 ways of doing this:

1. Contact us using the ‘Leave A Reply’ box below, stating your name, address, email address and how many in your family would like a meal.

2. Email us at admin@arrowfieldhoughend.org.uk with your name, address, how many in your family would like a meal, as well as your email address.

3. Telephone Tina Murphy on 0161 448 4228.

It is important you let us know by Friday 25th May.

(Your details won’t be published on this website, will be kept safe and not passed on to third parties.)

You will be provided with a token on the day to exchange for the number of free meals you have ordered. Only fish & chips, chips only, or fish only are being provided.

There will be other refreshments available on the day, and even if you don’t pre-order a main meal, you’re still welcome at the event, to join in the fun and celebrate with your neighbours.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Buckthorn House was packed to the rafters as usual, with youngsters making the most of the craft activities provided, and earning themselves prizes for the most creative Easter card and Easter bonnet. There was a raffle which featured some fantastic prizes including luxury chocolates from Thorntons and £10 gift vouchers for Argos and Tesco.

And nobody minded a drop of the wet stuff as the youngsters piled outside in search of further treats in the Easter egg hunt. There were free refreshments and each child went home with at least one Easter egg.

Another cracking success. Thanks to everyone who came. Here’s some pictures of the day…

Snapshots from the Lord Mayor's Garden Party

Did you see the coverage of the Queen’s visit to Manchester last week? And did you know that members of the Group and local community were there to join in at one of the biggest receptions to celebrate the event?

Richard Miller, who has chaired and been the secretary for the group for the last couple of years received the special invitation to represent the Group at the Lord Mayor of Manchester’s Garden Party, arranged for HM The Queen’s visit to the city as part of her Diamond Jubilee tour.

The event was saw a thousand community volunteers like Richard treated to an afternoon’s hospitality and entertainment in Manchester Central (formerly Gmex) which had been converted into a massive indoor garden, with ‘lawns’, moving statues, flowerpot-men and a bandstand featuring a range of orchestras, bands and choirs.

Guests of honour, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh walked about and chatted before settling down to a display of dance, cheerleading, sea-cadet drill and tai-kwondo provided by schools and community groups.

Accompanying Richard as his guest was Maria Morrison. Maria has live on the Arrowfield Road estate for the last 20 years, was badly attacked as she waited for a bus near her home at Christmas. She is thankfully making a fast and full recovery. The incident provoked shock in the local area, but has served as a catalyst for a lot of good will and neighbourliness. Maria’s attitude to her ordeal symbolises the positive spirit to be found in our neighbourhood, so the community group felt she was particularly deserving of the invitation.

Although we were’t supposed to, we managed to take some snaps of the day and there are more details about the event and the Queen’s visit on the M.E.N. website.

It was a great celebration of the communities of Manchester, and we were very proud to go along and represent our part of Chorlton and the Arrowfield and Hough End Community Action Group.

The Group is planning an event specifically to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in the summer. We’ll be making an announcement at our Easter Sunday event, or stay tuned for more information here.

Once again, this Easter Sunday you ware welcome to our third annual Easter Extravaganza.

We have a range of fun activities planned, aimed at children and young people, which included an Easter egg hunt, bonnet-decorating and card-making competitions, along with a FREE Easter egg for all the youngsters who come along.*

There’ll be free tea, coffee and easter goodies for all to enjoy too.

It all takes place at Buckthorn House on Nell Lane, between 11 am and 1pm on Easter Sunday, 8th April.

Words and pictures showing how much fun our previous Easter events have been can be found here for 2010 and here for 2011.

See you there. We’re egg-specting you!

*Under 14s must be accompanied by an adult to take part in activities and receive free egg.

If you would like to come along and help out on the day, please email admin@arrowfieldhoughend.org.uk

Following the success of last year’s sessions at Buckthorn House, the Arrowfield & Hough End Community Action Group is pleased to announce another two fantastic cooking courses brought to you by Cracking Good Food in conjunction with Manchester City Council and Southway Housing.

Over each 5-session course, you’ll learn how to make fabulous food on a sensible budget, including pasta dishes, spicy Thai dishes, one-pot wonders, fishcakes, burgers potato wedges and much, much more and each course culminates in a celebration event* so you can bring along your family and friends and show them what you can do.

Even better than that, at each session there’ll be child care for the under 12s with a kids’ cinema club… and it’s all for FREE!

Each course runs for 5 weeks and takes place at Buckthorn House on Tuesday evenings between 6 and 8pm.

Course 1 dates : February 21st / 28th / March 13th / 20th / 27th*

Course 2 dates : April 17th / 24th / May 8th / 15th / 22nd*

Places are limited to 12 per course, and only those who have pre-booked will be able to take part. To book your place on course 1 or course 2 and to arrange childcare if necessary, or for more information, text Sarah on 07930 898935, email her at sarahsish@yahoo.co.uk or visit the Cracking Good Food website www.crackinggoodfood.org

Dawn would like to make contact with a cross-section of Chorlton residents, present, past and those looking to move into the area.

It only takes an hour of your time. Dawn interviews you in a very relaxed, conversational style to find out what your views are of the local area and records it for her study. No pressure. No right or wrong answers. Just your story, circumstances and opinions.

If you are interested in helping out, please contact Dawn at dawn.cole@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

The perpetrator has been caught and has pleaded guilty to the attack, so that’s a relief for our friend and the community in general.

At the weekend, members of the group went round to visit the victim and presented her with a bunch of flowers and the best wishes of the Group and the neighbourhood. We are pleased to report that, despite her ordeal and injuries, she is in fantastic spirits and is well on the road to recovery.

We wish her all the best for a full and speedy recovery, and hope to see her at one of our forthcoming events.

The Group brought another successful year to a close with its annual Christmas Coffee morning. Those who came were treated to free mince pies and refreshments and there was a fantastic raffle with prizes donated by a range of local Chorlton businesses including Unicorn Whole Foods, Barbakan Deli, Monkey Puzzle Toys, Siemens as well as contributions from Bramhalls, Waites and the Group itself.

Action for Sustainable Living was there promoting their Energy Champions scheme, and information about environmental improvements to the area was presented by Urban Vision.

Thanks to all those who came along, contributed and helped out.

If you want to get involved, come along to our committee meetings. The first one of 2012 is on Tuesday 10th January, 7.15pm at Buckthorn House.

All that remains for 2011 is for the Group to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and we hope to see you at our events in 2012.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

This year’s Christmas Coffee Morning is taking place on Saturday 10th December at Buckthorn House, between 10.30 am and 12.30 pm at Buckthorn House on Nell Lane.

Expect plenty of festive fun and fayre with free mince pies, Christmas goodies and drinks and a raffle which will help raise funds for the Groups forthcoming activities.

So come along and get involved. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!