The 1st Fernhurst Scouts will be making many first-class deliveries of Christmas cards for good causes as part of an annual village charity project.

They also turned out on to help launch the Fernhurst Centre’s Christmas cards and 2018 calendar at the village autumn gift fair.

Local artists have created cards using newly commissioned paintings of nearby winter scenes and the new appointments calendar features colourful views of the village and surrounding countryside. Scarves, jewellery, Christmas decorations and gifts were also snapped up at the fair by shoppers keen to get in early.

The Scouts take up their annual role as “junior posties” on Sunday, December 17, when cards posted in the special red post box in the Fernhurst Centre are sorted for hand delivery to addresses in the Fernhurst and Liphook areas.

Brightly coloured ‘Santa stamps’ are on sale at the centre for 25p and the Scouts are keen to deliver even more cards than last year, when more than 2,500 cards were delivered, raising money for the scouts and local causes.

The Fernhurst Centre café and internet hub has been busy all year offering a variety of new courses and mounting events.

Centre trustee Antonia Plant said: “The bean to cup coffee machine, Costa style, and delicious locally-made cakes are proving a big draw and there is an exciting expansion to the IT and language classes to encompass health, fitness and nutrition.

“A series of free community talks and events is lined up for autumn and winter, which includes ‘Controlling pain and improving health through nutrition’, free one-to-one wellbeing MoT appointments, and ‘Exercise as a route to good health’.

“The centre on Crossfield Green by the the village crossroads, is open Monday to Saturday and is bursting with information on local events and facilities.

There is a recycling scheme for IT equipment and superfast broadband and wifi to go with the coffee and cake.”

For more information call (01428) 641931 or www.fernhurstcentre.org.uk