The January meeting of the Surrey Border Movie Makers commenced with the showing of films entered into the Club Challenge set up by competitions officer John Hawthorne.

The choice of criteria was to add sound to a silent movie of your choice, or make a film using green screen, either as a filming group or an individual.

Five films were submitted. Car Pooling saw Marcus Henning use green screen to film a car share journey, with Marcus playing the parts of the driver and the passenger.

This was followed by Behind the Christmas Green Screen, a comedy adventure story using green screen by the Pathfinders filming group, and John Hawthorne’s Christmas Family journey to see Father Christmas.

The Pioneers filming group created another green screen movie called Night at the Gallery, in which a girl played by Sofia Bagheri came to life when an attempt was made to steal the painting in which she featured.

The Odd Bods group also produced a green screen entry, called The Variety Performance, which featured an old time music hall theme. This was followed by The Making of Variety Challenge by the Odd Bods.

The final entry was by Jonathan Hill, who submitted a silent black and white film made in 1903 called The End of the Line, which featured a train robbery. He edited it, and added a soundtrack and sound effects.

Because of the many entries for the December Film Competition, not all of the films could be shown, so the remaining entries were shown after the coffee break.

The Owl and the Pussy Cat by Jonathan Hill featured a friend’s special wedding day. Off the Rails was a short travelogue from Peter Stratford of a derelict railway he visited in Tres Cruces via Boliva,

Borovets with Pauline and David featured a picturesque skiing holiday, while Murder in U Paesolu by John Hawthorne was a tongue-in-cheek humorous holiday film.

Free Tickets on the Vale of Weedol Tramway by Dave Skertchly featured a model garden railway built by Dave.

Ride to Bellagio by Peter Goodman, a camper van trip in Italy, was followed by Ug the Pottery Caveman, an early days animation on how it all began by Dave Skertchly.

Hinton Ampner by Marcus Henning took a look around this wonderful National Trust property, and Holiday Memories by Dave Skertchly was a look at a memorable beer festival and skiing holiday in Austria.

The final film by Brian O’Connell, called Guildford Reform Video, We are not Alone, was a political-themed film set to music and song.

The next meeting will be on February 6, when the club’s annual general meeting will briefly take place and be followed by an evening with Jim Reed discussing interesting issues on artificial intelligence.

Anyone interested in any aspect of film-making, including using artificial intelligence, is welcome to join. For more information visit www.surreyborder.org.uk, email [email protected] or find the club on Facebook.

The club meets on the first Friday of each month at St Joan's Centre, 19 Tilford Road, Farnham. There is plenty of parking and the first visit is free.

Farnham Maltings Book Club is a friendly, welcoming local book club which meets in the Southwest Kiln Room at Farnham Maltings on the third Tuesday of the month at 7.45pm.

Each member has an opportunity to suggest future reads. At the meetings a short presentation is given regarding the current book's author prior to a lively discussion about the read.

Forthcoming reads are James by Percival Everett, Dead Simple by Peter James and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte.

Potential new members are most welcome to turn up and join in, but more information is available by emailing Gerald at [email protected]

Alton Lions Club is inviting applications for a share of the funds raised during the Alton Santa Sleigh collections in December.

A total of £10,562 was raised, and after costs were deducted there was £8,000 left to be donated to individuals, families and local groups in need across Alton and Holybourne.

Details of who can apply for a grant can be found on the Alton Lions Club website. The deadline is 10pm on February 27. To apply visit www.altonsanta.org.uk/funding-application

A small group of Alton Lions will review all applications to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of the available funds. All grant decisions will be made by April 1.

An annual fair in Ditcham which shares its proceeds between charities at home and abroad has raised more than £19,000.

Wet and windy weather did not stop people flocking to the Watoto Christmas Fair at the Tithe Barn in Ditcham, where they shopped at more than 50 stalls and refreshed themselves with coffee, cake and home-made soup.

The fair raised £19,222, which will be donated to the Watoto Trust, which educates children, especially girls in Kenya; The Rosemary Foundation, a local charity providing hospice care at home; and the Cocking Church restoration fund.

This was the 19th fair organised by the trustees of the Watoto Trust and a loyal group of volunteers who willingly give their time to help, including making soup, baking cakes, washing dishes and directing cars in the car park.

Sarah Green, who started raising money for the Watoto Trust after living in Kenya, said: “It is a real community effort and lovely to think that people in Hampshire have come together to raise money for a community in Kenya.

“During this time the Watoto Trust has provided funds for secondary education for over 200 children who would not otherwise have been able to go to school.

“In more recent years we have mostly funded girls, as they face greater challenges and many fall pregnant at a young age.

“Giving them an opportunity for a secondary education is life-changing, and they provide valuable role models to younger girls.

“We have also recently started to fund tertiary education for children showing exceptional promise. We have three nurses, two teachers, an agriculture student and a doctor currently studying at university.”

The Rosemary Foundation is based in Petersfield but offers care across Hampshire. The 11th-century Cocking Church is currently having its family area restored.

Charity Friends of the Elderly held a free community dementia talk to offer advice, support and guidance at Haslewey Community Centre in Haslemere on February 3.

Yvette Carr, the charity’s head of dementia care, explained how to support older people living with dementia.

She shared expert insights, talked about her own experiences of caring for a relative living with dementia and answered questions.

Yvette said: “Dementia care is not about doing more things to people. It is about understanding who they are, it is about what they value and how we can support them to live well in a thoughtful and respectful way.”

Friends of the Elderly aims to looks beyond the dementia diagnosis to the individual, their relationships and what matters to them.

Yvette added: “At Friends of the Elderly, we recognise that people are now living longer, and with this comes a range of age-related conditions including dementia.

“I share a variety of techniques, signposts and suggestions which can help anyone who is caring for an older person who is living with dementia.”

Yvette talked about and explained her regular Relative Bitesize Dementia Information Sessions, which aim to enable relatives to feel supported and included in the care for their loved one.

She said: “The Bitesize Information Sessions can be hugely helpful as they provide a safe space for individuals to share experiences and feelings with others who truly understand their unique challenges.

“The groups nurture and provide a sense of belonging and reduce isolation, which is especially important for those dealing with the complexities of supporting a loved one through the journey of their dementia.”

By growing relationships with others who have similar experiences and face comparable circumstances, participants at the Bitesize Information Sessions will gain practical advice, emotional support and coping strategies that are tailored to their specific situations.

Yvette added: “In addition, the sessions help to inspire and encourage participants through creating a community where they can openly and honestly discuss their struggles, celebrate successes, learn from each other and foster resilience in a safe and understanding environment.”

The community dementia support and care session at Haslewey was an insightful and useful event which helped those supporting or caring for a loved one or relative living with dementia.

Yvette concluded: “It was good to meet members of the Haslemere community and welcome them to the session, which gave everyone the opportunity to connect, share their stories, ask questions and find answers in a warm and friendly space.”

Friends of the Elderly has a long history of supporting people living with dementia and their families. All its care homes and day care services are constantly available to offer assistance, advise and help those who care for older people living with dementia.