Keep up to date with the latest news from Ammerdown

1. Summer Newsletter2019
In this Issue
-Updates from the Director
-Ammerdown Interfaith
-The Easter Retreat
-Ammerdown Memorial Tree
-Dates for your Diary
-Ammerdown Recipe
Updates from the Director
My focus this newsletter is on volunteering and the
added value it brings. Many organisations and initiatives
could not exist without the work of volunteers and
Ammerdown is no exception. Yetthevalueofvolunteering
lies not only in meeting organisational needs, but in
helping individuals to thrive, to develop their own
skills, to broaden their horizons and to root them more
firmly in their community or chosen charity. We
already have some wonderful volunteers helping with a
wide range of tasks. They are a valuable asset and form
part of the fabric of everyday life here at the Centre
and we couldn’t do without them!
In April we welcomed Stephanie, a residential
volunteer from Germany who chose to spend some of
her sabbatical at Ammerdown, developing her English
skills and contributing to our community. She had a
passion for working outdoors and gardening which
made her perfect for overseeing the completion of
Ammerdown’s Peace Garden. Friends of Ammerdown
had generously donated funds for this project and
Stephanie, alongside Jan and Graeme from our Estates
Team, worked through sun, rain and wind to redesign
and construct the New Peace Garden. I am sure you
will agree it looks fabulous.
We would like to thank all our volunteers for their time
and skills so generously donated over the past few
years. With a busy centre and beautiful grounds to
keep there are always extra tasks that need attention,
so if you have a few spare hours and would like to find
out about volunteering, we would love to hear from you.
Please do get in touch, contact director@ammerdown.org
or call Emma on 01761 433709.
The Royal Bath and West Show – May 29th –June 1st
For the first time ever The Ammerdown Centre had a
stand at the Bath & West Show, one of the oldest surviving
agricultural shows in England. We invested in new
marketing materials, including banners and flags, and
spent four enjoyable days raising Ammerdown’s profile
and sharing its charitable work with hundreds of visitors
to the Show. We had two competitions to encourage
people to visit our stand, ‘win a night B&B for two’ and
our ‘share a selfie’ to win a bear for the younger audience.
Congratulations to both our lucky winners. The event
was a great PR exercise to help raise the profile of
Ammerdown, both within our local community and
with those who travelled from further afield.
The Ammerdown Stall at the Bath and West
Yolanda the winner of the Bath and West Selfie CompetitionGraeme, Stephanie and Emma
- Emma Rawlings, Director at Ammerdown

2. Contact us...
Giveusacallformoreinformationabout
ourprogrammeandvenuehire.
TheAmmerdown Centre
ammerdowncentre
theammerdowncentre
TheAmmerdown Centre,
Ammerdown Park, Radstock,
Somerset, BA3 5SW
01761 433709
centre@ammerdown.org
www.ammerdown.org
Winners
March-MsHJones
April-MrsDTutchell
May-MsSHarbert
100Club
The 100 club is a monthly draw where you pay a minimum donation of £12 for
the year,to be assigned a number.Each month a number is drawn and the
winner recieves £50.The rest is donated to the Ammerdown charity.
Please contact the centre for infomation on joining the club.
The Ammerdown Christmas Houseparty
is very special. It providides a warm
and friendly atmosphere for all who
come. Gentle activities; Christmas
Chapel; delicious, home-cooked food;
and great company. We are looking for
two more individuals to join our team
for the Christmas Houseparty this year,
from Sunday 22nd to Friday 27th
December. These are paid posts. If you
are interested in applying or would
like to recommend someone, please
contact Emma or Christine at the
Centre on 01761 433709
Could You Be a Host?
In Friendship and Love
The Enneagram and Relationships
Led by KarenWebb
Residential
£410
Non Residential
£275
5th - 9th
August
To book
01761 433709
centre@ammerdown.org
www.ammerdown.org
F i n d i n g
F u l f i l m e n tLed by Jill Benet, Antonio Benet
and Jacqueline Evans
29th September - 4th October
R e s i d e n t i a l - £ 5 5 0
‘Except for the point, the still point, there would be
no dance, and there is only the dance’ ( T.S.Eliot)
How can we reach the Unknowable?
What are the obstacles within us?
To book
01761 433709
centre@ammerdown.org
www.ammerdown.org
Quiet Day
Transitions of Life
LedbyRevNarinderTegally,LeadChaplainatBathRUH,and
DrJanMojsa,anordainedBuddhistChaplainandpsychotherapist
£50
Saturday 10th August
Come and be still...
Tobook
01761433709
centre@ammerdown.org
www.ammerdown.org
9.30amfor10amuntil4pm.

3. Pea Shoot, Asparagus and Butter Bean Tart
IMAGE
Method
Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
Roll the puff pastry onto a large baking sheet. Score a rectangle onto the pastry,
leaving a 2-3cm border. Brush the border with beaten egg, then bake for 20-22
minutes until golden and cooked.
Bring a medium pan of water to the boil and cook the asparagus and leeks for 3-4
minutes. Cook the peas for 2-3 minutes and then drain them all and cool under
cold running water, then dry with kitchen roll.
For the filling, heat some oil in a saucepan and cook the onion over a medium heat
for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Remove from the
heat.
Put the onion, garlic, beans, sumac, lemon zest and juice, tahini, and the olive oil in
a food processor and blitz to a puree.
Char the Leeks, Asparagus and peas in a smoking hot grill pan until the have sear
marks all over and are cooked through.
Use your hands to push the middle rectangle of the pastry down, leaving 2cm raised
border. Spoon the purée into the centre and spread over the base. Top with the veg,
peas, mozzarella and the pea shoots and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Dates for your Diary...
Cream Teas
10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th, 25th, 26th, 31st August and 1st September
Christmas Meals
16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st December
Also look out for our Sunday Lunches!
320g Butter Puff Pastry
1 Free Range Egg, beaten
200g Peas
200g Leeks, trimmed
300g Asparagus, trimmed
250g Mozzarella, drained
50g Pea Shoots
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Garlic Clove,finely
chopped
400g butter beans,
drained
1 tsp Dried Sumac
1 Lemon, Juice and Zest
1 tbsp Tahini
Ammerdown Memorial Tree
Our Estates Team has recently designed a wooden
memorial wall tree as a key feature of our Peace
Garden where we are inviting guests to spend time in
remembrance, or just to sit in quiet contemplation.
A plaque inscribed in memory of a loved one can be
bought for £60 and will remain on the tree for three
years, after which time there will be a small cost for
its annual upkeep.
Please contact the Centre on 01761 433709
or centre@ammerdown.org to purchase
your plaque or for more infomation.
We will be visiting the Christian Resources
Exhibition in October at Sandown, Surrey. If you are
thinking of booking tickets, please support Ammerdown
and book your tickets by going to
www.creonline.co.uk/tickets and use the code AMMERDOWN.

4. Ammerdown Interfaith
DONATIONS NEEDED TOWARDS BEDROOM UPGRADES!
The Easter Retreat
As an Ammerdown Trustee, I would like to share with you the Centre’s soul enriching Easter Retreat that I feel
privileged to have experienced. Through its spiritually enriching leadership and wise listening, aspirations were
challenged and met while still embracing the whole.
Scripture readings, symbolic washing of guests’ feet, Taize chanting, the Agape breaking of bread and sharing
of wine followed by the stripping of the chapel and meditative walking of the labyrinth were the essence of
Maundy Thursday evening.
Good Friday heralded the stations of the cross, to abundant birdsong in Ammerdown’s garden, and in the
chapel the wooden cross was laid on a white cloth while stones (hard dimensions of life) were placed around its
base and roses and their petals were strewn around before it was shrouded to mark Christ’s passion.
When the cross was uncovered and lifted on Easter Sunday it left behind the imprint of Christ’s ascent to glory,
Hallelujah was proclaimed and candles lit while all present shared their personal hopes and concerns, and each
was given a sunflower seed to plant and grow as a living memento.
Throughout the retreat (often in silence) guests were met wherever their
souls were searching and their times of reflection gave a rich resource for
others to ponder, while the writing of their own thoughts on the Christian
creed gave them scope to tell out what they had probably never
expressed before.
Much gratitude must go to Christine Clinch, Ammerdown’s Education
and Spiritual Manager, for her spiritual inspiration gleaned from
having lived in varying parts of the world. Blessed with record sunshine,
it was an Easter retreat that will long be embedded in memories.
Sue Meadows - Ammerdown Trustee
Last month heralded the start of improvements to our bedrooms when we were
generously given a large quantity of curtain fabric with which a small team of
volunteers has started to make new bedroom curtains.
However, more help is needed. The Centre has a sewing machine so, if you have
sewing experience and time to spare, we would be delighted to hear
from you.
We also need to upgrade other aspects of the bedrooms and any
monetary gift you can give towards this would be gratefully received
and very much appreciated.
As always we are very thankful to all of our cherished guests for
your support!
Cars were parked all the way along the drive and people
kept streaming in as we welcomed Abdulazez Dukhan
to Ammerdown to share his story. Born in Syria, the war
forced him to flee his home to safety via Turkey and
Greece. Spending four years in refugee camps, he was
eventually granted asylum in Belgium. Abdulazez had
us laughing about learning languages and on the verge
of tears as he told of the heartache of leaving and trying
to make a new life. Now a skilled graphic designer, he
has depicted the journey he made through his art and
stays connected to refugees, returning to the camps
where he once lived. A truly inspirational story!
On a lovely Sunday afternoon, we welcomed our Baha’i
Neighbours to share something of what they believe.
There was an informative conversation with a reflection
on peace with soulful music from Sinnober. Our thanks
to the Baha’i Community for the beautiful peace rose
now found in our Peace Garden. A few weeks later, we
welcomed our Muslim Neighbours to the Iftar meal,
breaking the fast and praying the Magrib prayer,
followed by a meal and conversation shared by all.
Our Christian Neighbours joined us from all the local
church denominations to learn about and reflect on
Pentecost. The Meet our Neighbours series provides us
with an opportunity to meet ‘the other’, to share food
and drink and conversation and discover our common
humanity.
By Christine Clinch Education and Spiritual Manager
Abdulazez and Christine Abdulazez during his talk