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What a gorgeous weekend we had here in Molesey. The sun was shining, cricket season kicked off in East Molesey, and we officially became those parents… up at the crack of dawn, watching our slightly uncoordinated child roaming around a perfectly manicured green while we sipped lattes in the sunshine.

We’ll obviously be flipping a coin when it’s a wet, grey Sunday in a few weeks’ time… but for now, we’re fully committed.

It was also the perfect day for the launch of Bara Café at St Mary’s church, who put on a lovely opening for the community. Another great excuse for more coffee and a catch-up in the sun

A few people have asked if there’s a way to support The Nugget on more of a regular basis — so I’ve now set up a simple monthly option, where by you’ll be helping towards the running costs and the time that goes into putting it together each week. The free option will always remain, for those who want to stick with that.

There’s no extra content, no VIP section, no flashy t shirts, just the same Nugget landing in your inbox every Wednesday. This is purely for anyone who enjoys it and fancies helping keep it going and growing locally.

If you fancy a bit more background first or just a bit of a nosy at who’s behind it all and where your hard earned cash goes, you can read more about me and The Nugget by clicking the button

The “buy me a coffee” option is still there too if you just want to make a quick one-off contribution. You’ll find the link at the top of the newsletter.

There’s something lovely brewing at the Refresh Centre — and it’s not just the coffee.

Local teacher and mum, Rhiannon Cooper, is launching a brand new Preschool Reading Club, designed to make early reading feel fun, relaxed, and completely pressure-free.

Using games, stories and simple phonics techniques, the sessions help little ones build confidence with sounds and letters, all without it feeling like “learning” (which, let’s be honest, is half the battle).

Even better, the sessions will sit right alongside Refresh’s new weekly Community Café, making it an easy, welcoming space to pop into before or after.

💛NUGGET GIVEAWAY
To celebrate the launch, of “my phonics universe” Rhiannon is giving away:
• 4 club session tickets (one per child)

To enter, simply email [email protected] with the subject Molesey Nugget Giveaway.
Entries close 6pm on Sunday 26th April, and the winner will be chosen at random.

Follow on Instagram @myphonicsuniverse

A quick shoutout to Rhea, who organises so many of the great activities we are seeing at Refresh, as the community outreach pioneer, she is working really hard to collaborate with lots of fantastic people, so that she can offer a vast array of activities for everyone in Molesey!

☕ Community Café (Every Wednesday)
9–11am & 2–4pm
• Drop in for a drink, a chat, or a change of scenery
• Work, read, or just take five
• Friendly faces guaranteed

🎨 Little bonus for parents:
From 3–4pm, there’s an arts & crafts table for kids — ideal if you fancy a peaceful coffee while they get stuck into something creative.

So whether you’re heading along for phonics, popping in for a chat, or just testing out a new midweek coffee spot, it’s one to have on your radar.

Last week we looked at what’s changing. This week, the next obvious question:

Who are all these people on the ballot paper?

Across Molesey, there are 22 local candidates standing in total — split across the two wards:

👉 You’ll get TWO votes — as each ward will elect two councillors. ❎❎

Conservative Party: Charlotte Keywood & Redmond Walsh • More info
Green Party: James Price & Leah Thomas • More info
Labour Party: Richard Quentin Lewis & Harry McKay • More info
Liberal Democrats: Sue Fergy & Vicky Zadeh • More info
Reform UK: Colin Greff & Paul Simmons • More info
Thames Ditton Residents' Association: Sam Brierley • More info
Molesey Residents' Association: Kevin Whincup • More info

Conservative Party: Steve Bax • More info & Sunny Cadman • More info
Green Party: Andrew Dillon & Joel Ashley Prujean-Skupski • More info
Labour Party: Susan Dennis • More info
Liberal Democrats: James Kemp More info & Philip Smith-Stevenson • More info
Reform UK: Stephen Bown & Larisa Marcu • More info
Molesey Residents' Association: Ernest Mallett • More info

What I’ve noticed, by putting this together, is that it’s not always that easy to find information about local candidates online.

📮 A lot of it still comes the old-fashioned way — through your letterbox… and often straight into the recycling not long after.

So it’s worth keeping hold of anything that comes through the door over the next couple of weeks, and using that alongside the links above to get a fuller picture.

🌐 Some of the online pages (particularly local party ones) haven’t been updated for a while, so it’s worth bearing that in mind when you’re deciding who to vote for and how much effort is being made to communicate with local residents.

🗳️ It’s also worth knowing that whoever you vote for won’t just be in place for a short stint.

The councillors elected this May will first spend about a year helping set up the new East Surrey council, before it officially takes over in 2027. After that, they’ll continue on as your local representatives for the full council term — likely around four years.

So while this might feel like a bit of a “transition” election, these are the people who could be representing the area for the next few years.

👋 And don’t be surprised if a few candidates knock on your door between now and election day — it’s one of the best chances to ask questions if you get the opportunity.

If you have missed any part of my guide, you can now read everything published so far here - The Nugget guide to the local elections

As we head into the weekend, a big good luck to everyone taking on the London Marathon this Sunday 🏃‍♂️ Apr 26th

I’ve “done” the marathon myself… not the running part, obviously — more the standing on the side-lines, clapping, eating snacks, and getting oddly emotional watching complete strangers do something incredible. It really is one of those brilliant, heart warming days.

As for actually running 26.2 miles… I occasionally run for the bus if I’m desperate, and even that feels like a big ask.

However you’re spending the weekend, hope it’s a good one 💛

Jules

Founder & Editor (all the mistakes are mine!)