Tuesday 27th January

What a joy it was to have free reign around one of Henley’s finest riverside properties – Remenham Court.

We all know it as the big white house on the hillside that has eluded the general public for years. It is a real treasure and a fabulous venue for any party.

This supper was a little different and included some chit chat about the Centre’s next major fundraising project next year to support a brand new facility.

Guests once again enjoyed a couple of canapes in the form of rare roast beef Yorkshire puddings and handmade chorizo scotch eggs. Followed by a tremendous 3 courses including salmon tartar, roast rack of lamb and an exquisite salted caramel chocolate tart. Once again provided by Stephanie Emma Catering.

Of course such a dinner would not be complete without the wonderful Woods Wines who took time to carefully hand pick the wines to perfection, to beautifully match each course, even the dessert!

The evening finished in the drawing room with coffee and the Chiltern Centre’s own chocolate from Gorvett & Stone – the orange and passionfruit caramel known as Callie’s choice.

Although this event update is entitled “The Last Supper” fear not as they will be returning, but not until 2025. So supper club is a wrap for this year.

Thank you to everyone who has supported, both by attending and to our suppliers. Without all of your generosity supper isn’t possible.

With particular thanks to Remenham Court for giving us access to their historic home for the evening. And to Vince who hosted a tour of the house and kept us all entertained.

See you all in 2025 – for now – over and out!

This year The Henley Choral Society have chosen The Chiltern Centre as their charity partner for their performance of Frideric Handel’s Messiah.

What is Messiah about?

Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.

He created the piece based on three concepts: the story of the nativity and its prophecy; that of the crucifixion and redemption of mankind; and a commentary on the Christian soul and its victory over death. In each of these three parts, the chorus is absolutely at the heart of the work, complemented by four vocal soloists and an orchestra.

Those forces deliver some of Handel’s most heart-stopping music – gobsmackingly dramatic and effective, profoundly touching and spiritual. He used all his old tricks and learned some new (pretty good) ones too.

The Henley Choral Society

Henley Choral Society is a friendly, lively, non-auditioned choir of all ages. They aim to sing together to the highest standard, work with young professional talent, deliver an exciting and varied programme of concerts to the local community and encourage the next generation of singers.

This performance takes place at Saturday 30th November at St Mary’s Church in the heart of Henley-on-Thames at 7pm. With a 100-strong chorus, superb soloists and professional ensemble under direction of Hilary Campbell, it promises to be a spectacular evening not to be missed.

We are delighted that The Henley Choral Society have chosen to support us this year.

You can purchase your tickets HERE

You can get more information on The Henley Choral Society HERE

The Henley playing cards are hosting their first-ever Card Club in support of the Chiltern Centre. This new monthly event welcomes all adults in the community to come together through the joy of card games. The inaugural event will take place on Wednesday, 2nd October at 7:00 PM at Magoos, Hart St, Henley.

This event offers an opportunity for attendees to enjoy a relaxed and fun-filled evening playing a variety of card games. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a complete beginner, Card Club welcomes everyone to participate, learn new games, and revisit old favourites. In addition to playing cards, guests will be able to order a delicious pizza served by Magoos, creating a perfect setting for socialising and enjoying a drink or two.

Entry to the event is just £2 per person, with all proceeds going directly to The Chiltern Centre, a local charity that supports young people with disabilities and their families. It’s a wonderful way to make a difference while enjoying a great evening out.

Call for Card Game Experts

To make the evening even more interactive and inclusive, Card Club is inviting local card game enthusiasts who know a variety of games to come along and share their expertise. If you enjoy teaching others how to play card games and want to contribute to a lively and welcoming community event, this is a great opportunity to get involved!

Future Events

This is the first of monthly Card Club events, with future nights planned at different venues around Henley who appear in the Henley Playing Cards.

Henley was the first place to get its own Ace Places Playing Cards, a new and unique idea from marketing entrepreneur Emma Sweet who lives in Knowl Hill. Each pack features 54 unique playing cards card with a different business, event, or attraction, showcasing the rich culture and heritage of each place. The Henley Playing Cards launched in March last year with Marlow pack following suit in November.

Join us from 7pm on the 2nd of October for an evening of games, pizza, and fun, all for a great cause!

The first of our intimate suppers took place on 7th September 2024 at the majestic Britwell House near Watlington.

This totally exclusive private family home opened it’s doors to 20 people for a champagne reception and delectable 3 course supper complete with wine pairing, and my word it was simply decadent.

From the opulent surroundings to the delicious food and the moreish wines everyone had a night to remember.

The food was supplied by Stephanie Emma Catering who provided canapes of Asparagus wrapped in filo with homemade hollandaise and a sun dried tomato bruschetta. The starter was a monkfish scampi, followed by beautifully cooked beef tenderloin and finished with a fig and frangipani tart. Our guests enjoyed plentiful amounts of fine wine including a crémant to start and reds such as a St Emilion which were hand selected to match the dishes by the wonderful Woods Wines.

We are planning to host a supper bi monthly in exclusive venues across the locality, with our next supper being hosted at Remnham Court.

For tickets and more information please see out ticket link https://buytickets.at/thechilterncentre/1391138

Organiser Tom Potter along with 23 friends and locals set off from Henley town on a 325km ride to the French capital, all in aid of a good cause or 3.

Tom had planned to do the cycle in 2020 and had to abort due to Covid. It has taken 4 years to finalise new plans, and Tom has found some new riders along the way.

Tom, as a parent at Trinity School, decided to raise funding for Trinity and Gillott’s as well as The Chiltern Centre. In an interview with the Henley Herald he touched on how he feels small charities are largely overlooked when it comes to fundraising and in his opinion the Chiltern Centre do some wonderful work.

We asked Tom privately why he chose us and this is what he said “I chose the Chiltern Centre because I wanted to support a smaller local charity that does great things, but struggles for funding and awareness vs other mainstream charities. It was concerning, but satisfying to hear that the 2017 ride I organised provided critical funding to the Chiltern Centre at that time and I could only imagine the events of the years since would not have been easy for the Chiltern Centre either”

All of the 24 riders made it to Eiffel Tower without incident, a little wet, a little cold, but relieved and proud. Tom’s son has said that one day he will ride to Paris so that his children can be proud too.

If you would like to organise your own fundraiser and need our help, please email cheryl@chilterncentre.org.uk