January 2025 - January 2025

Coeliac

LOCAL GROUP UPDATE JANUARY 2025

A belated Happy New Year to all our members!

In this update we look back at our events at the end of 2024 - our Christmas meal at BCOT and the children’s Christmas party - and look forward to what is coming up. We hope you will be able to join us at some of the events we have planned over the next few months.

COMING UP

Coffee and chat at Waitrose Café in Basingstoke

Saturday 22nd February 10.30 – 12

Wednesday 26th March 10.30 – 12

Saturday 26th April AGM 2 – 3.30. More details nearer the time.

Wednesday 21st May 10.30 - 12

Saturday 28th June Mill House Walk and Lunch.  See below

 

Keith is hoping to organise a guided tour of Longdog Brewery in Basingstoke. They do a variety of gluten free beers. See below.

 

As you know, we like to hear from members, old and new, so please do get in touch via email northhampshire@coeliac.org.uk or our Facebook group Coeliac UK North Hampshire Local Group.

Lesley, Gemma, Margaret, Sue, Faye, Kate, Carole and Keith

CHRISTMAS MEAL AT BCOT

There were 24 guests who attended this years North Hants Christmas Dinner at the Basingstoke College of Technology Restaurant on 5th December. On this occasion, we were also pleased to welcome along Miriam Blazey who is the Volunteer Coordinator at Coeliac UK.  The college took care to ensure that the entire menu was gluten free for all guests that were dining in the restaurant that evening thereby avoiding the risk of cross contamination. We were served a choice of starter and dessert together with a  traditional roast turkey dinner accompanied by all of the trimmings, including stuffing and pigs in blankets! Tea/coffee and gluten free mince pies were served after the meal. The food was amazing and beautifully presented. The students were very attentive throughout and efficiently dealt with all of our queries. Everyone agreed it was a very enjoyable evening and we hope to arrange a return visit this year.
BCOT Christmas party
The BCOT Restaurant is open for lunches and dinners throughout term time and is able to adapt their menus to cater for all special dietary requirements.

CHILDREN'S CHRSTMAS PARTY

We are delighted that our Children's Christmas party was enjoyed by 28 families with 44 children taking part in party games with DJ NikNak, Christmas crafts, gluten free buffet, gluten free pick'n'mix and a fabulous raffle!

 
The pick'n'mix was a big hit with children queuing up to fill up their sweet cone. The craft area gave children a quieter space to do some colouring or make some Christmas crafts.  The raffle looked amazing and we're delighted to announce it made £132, which helped covered our costs, with surplus to go towards future family events. 

 
We would like to say a huge THANK YOU for all the generous donations we received from the following businesses who enabled us to make the party extra special!  With their support, our budget was able to go further than planned, allowing us to treat the children to a pick'n'mix and a more substantial party bag than last year.
 
Lastly, we could not have gone ahead without all our incredible parent and committee volunteers, so we'd like to give a final THANK YOU to all those who helped us set up, prepare the buffet food, kept the
christmas party
Christmas Party
hot drinks flowing, sold raffle tickets, filled up the sweet cones and packed it all away at the end!

Mill House - Walk and Lunch

We are proposing to organise a lunch at the Mill House in North Warnborough, Hook on Saturday 28th June. This pub has an extensive gluten free menu and belongs to the Brunning and Price chain which holds an accreditation with Coeliac UK.   https://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/millhouse/
For those of you who are feeling energetic, we will also be planning an optional circular walk prior to the lunch.
If you would like to join us for the lunch/walk or just the lunch, please contact us on northhampshire@coeliac.org.uk and we will send further details at a later date.

Longdog Brewery

Longdog Brewery in Basingstoke happens to make a number of beers which are gluten free.  We are hoping to arrange a guided tour of the brewery on a Saturday morning in the spring, but need to know if at least twenty members are interested in participating.  Please let us know your interest via email: northhampshire@coeliac.org.uk