We have joined up with Eagle Radio again this year to support their Christmas Toy Appeal, which aims to collect as many toys as possible for children in Surrey and Hampshire who might not otherwise receive a present on Christmas Day.

We are appealing for donations of new and unwrapped toys, books and puzzles for babies and children right up to the age of 15. Our toy drop off point is at our headquarters on North Moors, Westfield Road, Slyfield, Guildford, GU1 1SE, and the deadline is Wednesday 19^th December. We would love to welcome you and your gifts!

This is one of our busiest times of the year for domestic skip hire, as people get their homes and gardens’ spick and span in time for Christmas and the New Year.

You can dispose of just about any item into our skips, be it a box of old toys, furniture, building waste, or leaves and overgrowth from the garden. Better still we recycle 98% of the materials recovered.

For domestic projects we recommend one of our small or medium skips, which are 4 and 6 cubic yards respectively. If your project involves removing plasterboard, you need to hire a dedicated container such as one of our one-tonne Dumpy bags.

You can book a skip on our website, Facebook page or by giving us a call on 01483 504 595. We will deliver it at a time and place of your choice, with same day and next day delivery if required. We will pick it back up when it suits.

We were delighted to donate materials for the new Remembrance Garden at Farnham Heath End School in Farnham, which will be used as focal point for the school’s annual Remembrance Day activities.

This year students and staff used the garden as a place for silent contemplation during the week running up to Remembrance Day, and placed wooden crosses in the ground. Lessons were also held in the garden, helping students learn about issues relating to remembrance. Members of the Royal British legion, local cadets and members of the Armed Forces even visited the new facility.

Our involvement at the school continues, as we are supplying aggregates and muck away services for a new classroom block that will include a sports hall, Learning Resources Centre and eight English classrooms. It is due to open to students in September 2019.

Congratulations to Chambers-sponsored racing driver Andrew Jordan on finishing fifth in this year’s 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Andy enjoyed some real highs during the championship in his Surrey Racing-run BMW 125i M Sport, including six podium finishes, with a win at Knockhill.

His team, BMW Pirtek Racing, also achieved second best placed single car team in the Teams Championship as well as the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ title.

Speaking at the final at Brands Hatch, Andrew said: “I’ve really enjoyed the championship this year, and feel I have driven well in my second year with BMW.  I’m also very proud of the part I have played in helping BMW to secure the Manufacturers’ championship for a second straight year.

“It’s a shame that we couldn’t take the championship fight right through to Finals Day, but it only makes me more determined to challenge for the title next year.”

Chambers has sponsored Andrew in the BTCC since 2016.

We helped treat Guildford families to a trip to Whipsnade Zoo, complete with a steam train ride, and face painting!

The trip was organised by the Guildford Action for Families (GAF) charity – which helps low income families in Guilford and parts of Waverley through support and advice as well as providing fun outings.

As well as donating money towards the day out, Chambers also lent a minibus complete with one of our drivers Mark Feaver.

Joanne Tester, Chief Executive of Guildford Action, said: “Our families had an amazing day at the zoo. The giraffes, lions, bears, elephants, hippos, cheetahs, meerkats and rhinos were a highlight, as was the ride on the train. For some of the families, it was their first ever visit to a zoo so it was extra special. Huge thanks to Chambers for helping make this trip possible. As a charity we rely on funding, so such support is invaluable.”

For more information on the important work that The GAF does, email gaf@guildfordaction.org.uk, call 01483 560003 or visit www.surreycommunity.info/guildfordaction

As our longest serving member of staff, Clive has some great memories of the early days at Chambers.  In 1968, at the tender age of 16, he started work as a drivers mate for our 20 year-old MD Peter Chambers. Driving a Thames Trader, the pair would deliver manure to customers in the winter and hay and straw in the summer. And from there the company grew.

Clive recalls that Chambers next landed big contracts to transport mushroom compost and also transport materials for the construction of the M3, by which time Peter was driving a Bedford Boughton tipper truck and Clive was driving the Trader. The number of staff and vehicles constantly increased, and it was in the early 1970s that Chambers diversified into skip hire and building aggregates, as the number of small builders grew. And then the recycling side of the business was launched in the 1990s. Fast forward to today and we are one of the South East’s largest privately-owned recycling and quarrying companies servicing commercial and domestic customers from specialist plants in Guildford, Aldershot and Farnham, and we celebrate our 55^thbirthday next year.

It’s been a very busy few years and we would like to thank Clive for the huge contribution he has made to Chambers along the way. Over the years he has held posts including Transport Manager, Transfer Station Manager and Quarry Manager. He is reliable, takes good care of the vehicles and is good fun to work with!

Our PA, Lynn Theobald, has raised nearly £300 for Diabetes UK by completing a 10 mile sponsored walk  – and she did it while recovering from a broken foot!

Lynn took part in the annual London Bridges Challenge with a couple of old school friends. The course took them over 12 of the city’s iconic bridges, starting with the Albert Bridge and finishing at Tower Bridge.

Lynn said: “It was only a 10 mile-walk but I found it quite a challenge as I was still recovering after breaking my foot while on holiday in Croatia.

“Despite the pain it was a great day, with plenty of laughs along the way and the weather was kind to us! Thanks to everyone who sponsored me, especially Chambers who donated £150.”

Diabetes UK uses the money raised at the London Bridges Challenge to fund research and provide care, support and know-how to people affected by diabetes. www.diabetes.org.uk

The bridges Lynn crossed from west to east were:

Albert

Chelsea

Vauxhall

Lambeth

Westminster

Golden Jubilee

Waterloo

Blackfriars

Millennium

Southwark

London

Tower

More than 50 members of the Chambers team braved the pouring rain in an effort to emulate Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton on the go karting track at Daytona Sandown Park in Esher.

Staff from our Guildford, Aldershot and Farnham bases took part in time trials around the circuit before the fastest 30 put their feet down in the final.

The challenging weather conditions heightened the day’s drama with our competitors skidding off the track and losing wheels – a couple were even shown the black flag and ordered to return to the pits!

After a hard fought contest, Sean Horley came in with the winning lap time of 01:07:589.  In second place was Mike Preece in 01:11:254, with Karl Bolton a close third at 01:11:971.

Unfortunately, this time, we didn’t manage to overtake some of the big names on the park’s Top Gear style superstar leaderboard – who include Formula 1 superstar Fernando Alonso at 45.627  and Hollywood actor Brad Pitt in 48.385 – but there’s always next time!

Anthony Joshua stunned at Wembley Stadium last month with his devastating knock out in the seventh round to defeat Russian Alexander Povetkin, defending his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO crowns.

And here at Chambers we are proud to have another impressive British boxer in our midst. Despite never boxing before, Darren ‘The Mouse’ Manning won his maiden match within just 1 min 10 seconds with a technical knock-out.

Darren, who is a Chambers client, was taking part in an Ultra White Collar Boxing (UWCB) challenge at Westcroft Leisure Centre in Carshalton. The UWCB initiative gives people with no boxing background the chance to train for eight weeks with professionals and compete in a match while raising money for Cancer Research.

Darren, who was in the blue corner, won his match in the first round and raised nearly £10,000. We were one of his sponsors, and our logo was on the back of his vest.

Darren said: “There was 35 fights during the event and mine was at 11pm. There was more than a thousand people watching including my friends and family and the atmosphere was amazing.  My entrance music was Barbie Girl which my colleagues chose.

“Despite my opponent being younger and taller than me I won in very quick time and the buzz was incredible. I struggled to sleep that night because of the excitement.”

Watch Darren box his way to triumph here

Darren is continuing to raise money for Cancer Research, and also has taken part in Rough Runner in aid of Down’s Syndrome Association (when he managed to crack two ribs and fracture his chest bone!) Anyone wishing to donate can do via the following link uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/manningsmentalist. His next fundraising venture is a Christmas toy appeal, with all donated toys given out to children’s hospital wards and hospices across south London). For more details please contact Darren at darren.manning@bellway.co.uk

Congratulations to the 1,200 people who took part in Saturday’s Dash of Colour race in aid of Phyllis Tuckwell – the only hospice care service for adult patients, and their families, across the whole of West Surrey and part of North East Hampshire. Organisers are still counting the sponsorship money but predict that they have smashed the £50,000 barrier!

The fifth annual 5k event at Frimley Lodge Park saw runners, joggers and walkers showered with multi-coloured, gold and silver powder paint, leaving them shimmering in the colours of the rainbow.

Participants may have also seen a Chambers 10 cubic yard skip at the race, which was used to get rid of the waste from the paint barrels as well as other general waste. We lent this skip free of charge as we were delighted to support the important work the hospice does. We also took away the skip and sorted through the contents ready for recycling at our Slyfield Plant – meaning none was sent to landfill.

Gemma Craig, Events Fundraising Manager at Phyllis Tuckwell, said: “We provide vital supportive and end of life care for local patients and families who are living with an advanced or terminal illness, such as cancer. As the NHS/Government only covers 20% of our costs, we have to raise over £20,000 a day to be able to do this, and Dash of Colour is a brilliant way to help us hit this target whilst having fun with family and friends. Big thanks to Chambers for providing the skip, as it allowed us to completely tidy the site and dispose of all the waste in one place. It’s fantastic to have the support of a generous local business.”

Chambers has a range of skips available for hire, and we recycle up to 98% of the materials recovered so it is a sustainable way of removing waste. For more information see our website or call 01483 504 595. @ChambersRecycle