News & Press Releases
Stevenage Pancake Race
Stevenage schools were flippin’ cool last week and not just because of the freezing temperatures!! Pupils from St Vincent de Paul, Camps Hill and Marriotts whipped up a mixture of madness and mayhem when they took part in Stevenage town centre’s annual pancake race. Pancakes and fry pans went flying as teams raced the lengthen of Queensway in a bid to batter the opposition and scoop the trophy.
Year 3 pupils from St Vincent de Paul were narrowly pipped at the winning post by the Camps Hill cheerleaders in a closely fought and highly competitive final race. However, a team of boys and girls from years 7 and 8 at Marriotts made short work of their opposition, leaving the ladies of Curves, a Stevenage fitness club especially for women, trailing in their wake.
This event was the first in the annual calendar of activities planned for the town centre by the Stevenage Town Centre Management Company and kick-started the fundraising for the Initiative’s chosen charity for 2010, TRACKS.
TRACKS is an independent local charity, based at Lodge Farm School, providing care and support for pre-school children diagnosed with complex communication disorders. Stevenage Town Centre Manager, Tracey Parry, said “We have chosen to support TRACKS throughout 2010 because it is a small, Stevenage-based charity that is making a huge difference to the lives of both the children it cares for and their parents”.
For information on entertainment and
activities for Easter, visit the Events
page; to see a list of town centre shops, visit the
shops
page or contact us on 01438 740884.
Gok Wan
Christmas Cheer for Winners!
The Comet 10 Dec 2009
Lynn Larkin collected a luxurious Christmas hamper, kindly
donated by Marks & Spencer, as second prize and Brenda Morris of
St Albans picked up a family ticket to see the Stevenage
pantomime Aladdin.
Stevenage town centre manager, Tracey Parry, said “All of these
prizes were donated in support of the Stevenage town centre
Christmas campaign and featured as a competition in the Comet
and the Christmas magazine”.
On the night of Stevenage’s Christmas lights switch-on event,
shoppers were full of festive generosity and over 200 people
took part in a competition to support the Stevenage town
centre’s chosen charity, Macmillan. Three lucky winners picked
up some tasty Christmas treats and over £400 was raised
throughout the evening for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Christmas in Stevenage is now in full swing, with carol singing
performances by local schools and the Hertfordshire Youth Choir,
funfair rides and a synthetic ice rink between 19-24 December.
Vicky to Light Up Stevenage!
The Comet 19 Nov 2009
Christmas is a magical time for children, especially if Christmas Day is also your Birthday! And not only does 8 year-old Vicky Tiffin of Stevenage celebrate her ninth birthday on Christmas Day but she is also the lucky winner of our competition to turn on Stevenage’s Christmas lights this year!
Vicky will join John Altman (Nasty Nick from Eastenders), The
Mayor of Stevenage, Cllr Sue Myson, Sharon Taylor, Leader of the
Council, and Heart Breakfast presenters Gaz and Babs this
Thursday, 26 November, to turn on the lights at 6.30pm and watch
a spectacular firework display through a flurry of snow!
The fun starts on stage in the town square at 4pm and will be
non-stop right through to 6.30pm. Live music, games and the cast
of Aladdin performing guarantees a great night out for the whole
family! Santa’s Sleigh will travel through the town centre with
free sweets and there’s a whole host of prizes and balloons up
for grabs too! Face painting is on offer in Wilkinson and The
Entertainer Toy Shop from 4-8pm and if you visit the Comet
marquee outside the Baker’s Oven, you could be in with a chance
of winning a fabulous hamper full of Christmas goodies, some
luxury Christmas fudge and £50 worth of Body Shop products too!
The shops and St Georges Indoor Market are open until 8pm and
car parking is FREE from 5pm, giving shoppers a little more
money in their pockets for Christmas presents.
The Stevenage Christmas Lights Switch-on, this Thursday. Don’t
miss it! For more information, visit the
Events page or call 01438 74084.
Stevenage's Parking Gift for Christmas Shoppers!
The Comet 5 Nov 2009
STEVENAGE Borough Council is spreading a little Christmas
cheer this year by offering shoppers FREE car parking from 5pm
during Thursday late night shopping evenings in the town centre.
The Stevenage Christmas Lights Switch-On takes place on
Thursday, November 26 and traditionally marks the start of
Thursday late night shopping in the town centre, with most
stores and the Westgate Centre open until 8pm.
"Free car parking is usually offered on the night of the
switch-on," said town centre manager Tracey Parry, "so we
thought we would approach the council to see if they would
extend this offer for the remaining Thursday late nights on 3rd,
10th and 17th December."
The council was happy to oblige in a bid to lift the spirits of
Stevenage people and help town centre businesses at the end of
what has been a difficult and challenging year.
Sharon Taylor, leader of the council, said: "The council is
pleased to support this move as it makes it easier for families
to come along to Stevenage and do their Christmas shopping. This
initiative will benefit both retailers and shoppers and will
help to create a real festive feeling in Stevenage in the run up
to Christmas."
Plentiful parking and good public transport makes Stevenage town
centre easily accessible and with a wide range of high street
names, plus the opening of family favourite Wilkinson on
November 25, Stevenage town centre is an ideal choice for
Christmas gifts this year.
The Comet's Buy Local campaign is a great incentive to support
your local shopping centre, with discount vouchers and special
offers available in many stores.
Stevenage's Stirring Success!
26 September 2009
Stevenage town centre’s coffee morning last Friday in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support was a resounding success. The glorious sunshine brought the people of Stevenage out in their hundreds to enjoy a Fairtrade cup of coffee and some delicious cakes.
Costa Coffee and Nosh kindly donated flasks of coffee, teabags,
cups and cakes, which were then sold to members of the public in
town square by the Stevenage Town Centre Management team, staff
and volunteers from Macmillan Cancer Support.
“It was a great day”, said Town Centre Manager Tracey Parry, “I
lost count of the number of times we ran back and forth to
refill the coffee flasks”. The fabulous weather meant that
people were able to sit in the sunshine and enjoy a drink and
some home-made cakes”.
A staggering £716 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Support. “A
number of people who we spoke to had been affected in some way
by cancer, and were very keen to show their support for this
worthy cause” said Tracey. “We are absolutely delighted with how
much money the coffee morning generated and would like to thank
everyone who supported it, especially Nosh and Costa Coffee”.
Macmillan Fundraiser Linsey Taylor said “We would like to thank
everyone who attended the coffee morning. It was a huge success
and enjoyed by all. Every penny raised will fund more of our
vital services and help to develop new ways to change lives. And
for that, we think you should feel good!’
The Stevenage Town Centre Management Company will be raising
money for Macmillan Cancer Support again in October during their
Halloween event on Wednesday 28 October.
