Community Groups, Clubs & Societies

There are over 50 voluntary groups in Garstang, all thriving and widely supported, listed below are just a few.

BOWLAND PENNINE MOUNTAIN RESCUE

Bowland Pennine MRT is based in Garstang and provides 365-day Mountain Search and Rescue service in both the rural and urban districts of Lancashire, and beyond when assisting other teams. Lancashire Police or the Ambulance Authority will call out the team when our services are required. Another part of the team’s activities is that of education. We regularly give talks on first aid and mountain safety to Schools, Rotary and Round Table groups, Universities, Women’s Institutes, Scout groups, Rambling Groups - in fact any organisation or group of individuals that request our advice or a talk. The Team only has one intake of potential operational members each year, and this normally takes place in autumn. For more information or to learn about volunteering opportunities please visit www.bowlandpenninemrt.org.uk

BOWLING

Garstang Subscription Bowling Club is situated at the bottom of the main High Street car park. The green and clubhouse are always popular and visitors and new members are always welcome. Club opening hours are everyday from 9am until dusk. Members can bowl for pleasure (mornings) or play in various leagues (usually afternoons and evenings). Contact the Club 01995 606921 for more details.

BRITISH LEGION

The British Legion is in the Old Town Hall on the High Street. For more details please contact 01995 603039.

COUNTRY MARKET

This is held every Thursday from 10-11.30am at St Thomas’ Parish Hall. An excellent selection of home produced cakes, pies, jams and pickles, also plants, fruit and vegetables and high quality crafts. Refreshments and parking is available. Tel: 01995 602346 for further details.

CRICKET

Garstang has a very popular cricket club, which caters for all ages. The ground is by the river Wyre next to the football pitch and at the bottom of the main car park. For more information on the local cricket see garstangcc.intheteam.com or call 01995 601586.

CYCLING

The Garstang Cycling Club was formed in July 2003 and now has over 70 members, about a third of them female. Ages range from 15 to over 70. The aim of the club is to encourage cyclists of all ages and abilities to dust down their bikes and come and explore the local countryside in the company of like minded others. For more information on joining as a guest, routes, events etc please call 01995 640300 or log onto www.garstangcyclingclub.net

FIRST RESPONDERS

We are volunteers who are trained to respond to life threatening emergencies whilst an ambulance is on its way. For more information or to learn more about becoming a volunteer please contact Mark Lewis on 01772 903989.

FOOTBALL

Garstang Football Club are a local team who play in the local Lancashire leagues and welcome anyone interested in playing football to contact them. The Club usually play competitive games once or twice a week, and have a training night once a week. Home matches are played at the Garstang Sports and Social Club fields by the main car park and river.

GANKLA

This is the Garstang and New Koforidua Linking Association. NK in Ghana is the twin town of Garstang. The aim of this partnership is to create lasting links and friendships between the two towns. The group meet monthly in the Crown Pub. If you would like further information please call Bruce Crowther on 01995 602637.

GARSTANG & DISTRICT ARTS SOCIETY

The GDAS run the Arts Centre, which is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The Centre is open to the public and has on display various exhibitions and events. Why not pay a visit and enjoy the tasty homemade cakes and beverages! Please contact 01995 606648 for more details of exhibitions etc.

GARSTANG & DISTRICT LIONS CLUB

A typical Lions Club usually consists of between 20 and 40 members, from all walks of life and backgrounds, united in a common aim to help those less fortunate than themselves. In Garstang, we meet every month to discuss community service, fundraising and social activities. New members are always welcome. For more information please call David Lewis on 01995 605146.

GARSTANG CANOE CLUB

The Canoe Club caters for all ages and abilities and new members are always welcome. We are able to supply canoes and paddles and run various courses. For more information please contact Michael Graham on 01524 63118.

GARSTANG FAIRTRADE STEERING GROUP

The GFSG is responsible for maintaining fairtrade status in the town and encourages local people and business to stock and use fairtrade produce. We orgainse events to promote fairtrade and the fairtrade mark, especially during fairtrade fortnight which is held around March each year. New members of all ages are always very welcome! Please contact Bruce Crowther for more information 01995 602637 or visit www.garstangfairtrade.org.uk

GARSTANG UNPLUGGED

Garstang Unplugged supports, promotes and encourages all acoustic music and the club encourages all levels of ability. We welcome performers, singers, songwriters, and most definitely those who just want to come and listen. Club nights are the last Wednesday in each month, for eleven months a year and start at 8.30pm at the Kenlis Arms call 01995 602795 or go to www.garstangunplugged.com

GYMNASTICS CLUB

The Garstang Gymnastics Club is on Longmoor Lane in Nateby and has over 200 members. To get involved in the sport or to find out more information contact Mandy Thompson on 01995 600800.

HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The society meets every month to hear a talk on a variety of subjects. Everyone is welcome. For more information please contact Marion Fish on 01995 604913.

LADIES HOCKEY

Garstang Ladies Hockey play in the Lancashire Central Women’s Hockey League and caters for all ages with a thriving junior set-up. New members (beginners, re-starters, experienced etc) are always welcome at any time of year. For more information call 07812 898032 or www.garstangladieshockeyclub.4t.com

MILLENNIUM GREEN

For information on membership, volunteering opportunities, events and coffee mornings please contact 01995 600778 or 606384.

RAMBLERS

The Garstang group has been around since 1981 and offers a wide range of graded walks throughout the year. All walks start at the Discovery Centre in Garstang. New members are always welcome. For further information and to request a programme please contact Carol Stenning on 01995 601478.

ROTARY CLUB of GARSTANG & OVER WYRES

The Rotary Club meets weekly at Pickering’s Hotel. Rotary International is a global network of service volunteers. Rotarians - men and women alike - volunteer their efforts to improve the quality of life in their own communities and beyond their communities' borders. Prospective members must actively hold -or be retired from -a professional, proprietary, executive or managerial position. Membership in Rotary is by invitation but if you would like to indicate an interest in joining or find out more about the work we do please get in touch with Keith Trickett on 01995 606239.

RUGBY CLUB

Garstang Rugby Football Club play at Hudson Park, just off Lancaster Road. We are on the look out for players and welcome all ages. Come and join us at training, which takes place each Tuesday and Thursday evening at 18:30 on the rugby pitch. Email us on joinus@garstangrugby.com Why not come down to a game at Hudson Park on a Saturday afternoon? For more information contact Frank Purvis, secretary on 01995 601664

RUNNING CLUB

The Garstang Running Club caters for all standards and abilities. Beginners are always welcome along with more experienced runners, why not join us for training? There is a good mix of roadrunners, cross-country, rough stuff & fells. GRC organises 3 road races a year - Gallop 10k, Half Marathon & Guy's 10 mile. The club runs on Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 7.00pm, Sundays @ 8.00am and we meet in the Sports & Social Club car park, Garstang. Various social runs regularly arranged, for light evenings and Sundays. Please visit www.garstangrc.co.uk

SCOTTISH DANCE GROUP

Stretch your mind and your muscles! Scottish country dancing is an ideal way to exercise and socialise. We meet every Monday at 7.30pm at the Garstang United Reformed Church, Croston Weind. Beginners are welcome. For more information contact Roger Brooks 01995 601995.

SCOUTS & GUIDES

The scouts and guides, cubs and brownies meet at the Scout Headquarters on Kepple Lane, Garstang.

SOROPTOMISTS

Soroptimist International is a worldwide organisation for women in management and the professions, working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. For more information on Garstang Soroptomists please contact 01995 606604.

SWIMMING CLUB

Garstang Amateur Swimming Club is a competitive swimming club based in Garstang, Lancashire, UK with a growing number of swimming members of all ages. Swimmers of all abilities are catered for from skills development through to Regional competitions. If you are interested in joining the Garstang Gators you can contact Garstang Swimming Centre, located on Birch Road, Garstang, on 01995 604340. Please ask for a representative of the Swimming Club.

TENNIS

Garstang Tennis Club is situated on the edge of the town centre next to the football field. The tennis club welcomes new members and also runs various classes for young people. For more information please contact Colin Taylor on 01995 606832.

THEATRE GROUP

Garstang Theatre Group was formed in 1978. The group currently has about 80 members, with around 50 appearing on stage and the remaining 30 working behind the scenes. Two shows are produced and performed by the group each year, a Musical in the spring and a Pantomime in late November. We meet from September to June, two nights a week in the Garstang Room of the Community Centre, Garstang from 7:30 until about 10pm. All are welcome to come and join us. For more details please contact 01995 603551.

TOWN TRUST

The Garstang Town Trust is a charity, which looks after a number of prominent buildings in the town and runs the Thursday market. The Town Trust also awards grants to local deserving organisations. For more information on the Town Trust please contact Bill Chippendale on 01253 790078 or click more info.

WOMEN'S INSTITUTE

The WI plays a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, to take part in a wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities. For more local information on the Garstang branch please call 01995 605982.

WRVS

WRVS lunch clubs give older people the opportunity to leave the house, and to meet old friends and make new ones in a warm and friendly setting. Lunch clubs give them the chance to socialise while enjoying a hot meal. The service is often supported by community transport, so that people can be picked up from home and taken back at the end of the session. The Garstang lunch club runs on Thursday mornings in the Community Centre.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Garstang has its own monthly magazine the Focus Magazine. All members of the community regularly contribute stories, articles and information to this publication and it is posted to every home in the area. It is an excellent resource for information ranging from events, group news, recipes and details of local tradesmen.

Minutes of the latest Town Council meetings are also available to the community through this community website and also in the local library.

The community, including the Town Council, Area Partnership and Chamber of Trade also regularly submits articles to the local press: the Lancashire Evening Post, Blackpool Gazette and the Garstang Courier.