Community Groups in Garstang

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.

BRIDGE CLUB

We meet at 7.00p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday in the Garstang Sports and Social Club. On Thursday we have a host so everyone is guaranteed a partner. Visitors and New Members are welcome. Contact Eddie Zielinski 01524 791581 or e-Mail edmund.zielinski@virgin.net.

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.

Garstang Football Club

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. For more information visit www.garstangfc.com.

Garstang Lakeland Club

Come and join us for family-friendly led walks in the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. We are a friendly group who meet on the third Sunday of every month to share walks in the beautiful countryside around Garstang. This is our 20th year of walking together. For details contact - Michael Collins (01995 604358) Gwnfor Williams (01995 604538) Robert Hogg (01995 603206)

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.

Gardening Club

Garstang and District Gardening Club meets for lectures and gardening advice sessions from September to April. Its current venue is St Thomas's parish hall. Meetings (Monday nights, once a month) begin at 7.30pm. Summer events include evening and day visits and coach trips to gardens of interest. There's a summer show with flowers, fruit and vegetables (early September) and a spring show aimed to coincide with the annual meeting. The club occasionally features on radio and television. It was formed in 1987 by retired Myerscough College lecturer Ben Andrews and fellow gardening enthusiasts. For more details contact Hilary Hine on 01995 606191 or Ray Pearson on 01772 782798. Or for further information visit www.garstangcourier.co.uk.

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.

Affiliated to the GDAS are a number of arts based groups:

Garstang Musical Productions

Garstang Musical Productions is friendly and lively amateur musical theatre group who perform a vast array of shows and concerts. We have been delighting our local community audiences for over 25 years and past productions have included Guys & Dolls, South Pacific, Me & My Girl and The King & I to name a few.

We meet on a Thursday evening at 7.30pm at The Arts Centre and we warmly welcome new members - performers and helpers alike! For more information please contact 01995 601050 or email garstangmusicalproductions@hotmail.co.uk.

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 see our newsletter, call David Lewis on 01995 605146 or click here to visit our website

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 Mrs Ruth Bruce on 01995 602784 for more information 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. For further information visit www.garstangschoolofgymnastics.co.uk.

HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The society meets every month to hear a talk on a variety of subjects. Everyone is welcome.

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, volunteering opportunities and overall organisation please contact Ron Freeland on 01995 606384. To become a member of Friends of the Green or for details of events such as lectures and coffee mornings please contact Joan Williams on 01995 605202.

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 in Garstang and Over Wyre

Rotary is the world's largest service organisation. We give time and effort to help the young, the elderly, the disadvantaged and displaced people at home and overseas. Local activities include the provision of job interview skills for school children and courses on youth leadership. For our senior citizens we arrange an annual brass band concert, we also provide turkeys for a Christmas lunch in association with the WRVS.

Fund raising activities include an annual Duck Race on the River Wyre, a Burger stall at the Victorian Festival and a Santa Sleigh in Cherestanc Square. The Sleigh then tours of the greater Garstang area.

Rotary members are active volunteers who give up their time to help others. We are dedicated men and women from all walks of life. At the same time we enjoy a common friendship and an active social life within the Club.

The Rotary Club of Garstang and Over Wyre meet each week on Wednesday evening at the Pickerings Country House Hotel Catterall. If you could join us for a least one meeting a month for friendship, and to assist us in the implementation of action plans to help others, we would be pleased to hear from you.

For further information please contact Don Goodier donald.goodier@btinternet.com or telephone 01995 603720. Alternatively please visit our web site www.rotary-ribi.org. Our download our summer calendar of events here.

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

We are a friendly group of people, with an interest in live theatre, who present a panto and full scale musical each year whilst still finding time for theatre trips, social outings and events.

We meet from September to June, two nights a week in the Garstang Room of the Community Centre, Garstang from 7.30pm until about 10.00pm
New members are always welcome whether you fancy appearing on stage or to help out with the important back stage / front of house tasks. For more details please contact 01995 600649 or view our website www.garstangtheatregroup.co.uk

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.

Wine Circle

The Garstang Wine Circle was established in 1970. The total membership has varied between 50 and 70 persons. We would normally expect a monthly attendance between 45/50 people.

Our membership is best described as having a mixed interest in wine. A small proportion is seriously interested in learning all about wine and viticulture; for a few, meetings are largely regarded as a social event and not a specific learning experience. The great majority of members fall between the two extremes. The Wine Circle meets at 07-30 pm on the 3rd Monday of each month, with the exception of July and August. Meetings are held in the Garstang Arts Centre.

We also have additional visits to local Vintners and the occasional overseas trip. The annual subscription for Garstang Wine Circle year 2010-11 (September/August) is £15.00 per member. The meeting fees per member is £6.00, for a tasting evening including a light supper. Visitors are welcome for a maximum of two visits a fee of £8.00 per occasion. A condition of membership of Wine Circle is that Members must join the Garstang Arts Centre, if they are not already a member. The annual subscription fee is currently £18.00 per head and is payable in January each year.

For further information and diary of events click here to visit the Wine Circle website or contact Don Goodier, Chairman donald.goodier@btinternet.com Tel 01995 603720.

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.