Our Soft Toy Tombola at Ashtead Village Day was an Absolute Hit!

Saturday 13th June 2026 was one for the diary at Emma’s Bubble Trust – Ashtead Village Day was back, and honestly, it might have been the best one yet!

If you’ve never been, Ashtead Village Day is THE event of the summer round here. Run by the brilliant Ashtead Rotary Club, it takes over the QEII Playing Fields for a full day of music, dancing, stalls, and family fun. This year’s theme was “Let’s Sing & Dance,” and the village well and truly delivered – think a top UK ABBA tribute band, the jaw-dropping Black Eagles acrobatic dance troupe, a classic car parade cruising in from the City of London Freemen’s School, and DJ Neil Munday keeping the good vibes going all day long. It’s easily one of the biggest charity fundraisers in Surrey, and we were so proud to be part of it once again.

Our Soft Toy Tombola: A Village Day Tradition

We’ve been bringing our Soft Toy Tombola to Ashtead Village Day for years now, and every single time it’s a highlight of our calendar (not to mention a highlight for hundreds of very excited little faces). This year was no exception!

From the moment our stall opened, we had a steady stream of families queuing up, tickets in hand, hoping for a lucky number. And the joy on those kids’ faces when they won a cuddly new friend? Honestly, that’s what makes it all worth it. Whether it was a fluffy bear, a floppy-eared bunny, or a slightly wonky-looking dinosaur, every single toy went home with a beaming new owner.

Watching a sea of children clutching their prizes and dashing off to show mum, dad, grandparents, or whoever they could find first – that’s the kind of scene that reminds us exactly why we do what we do. It’s simple, it’s silly, it’s fun, and it puts a smile on faces across the whole village.

Why It Matters

Every ticket bought for the tombola goes straight back into supporting Emma’s Bubble Trust and the families we help. So while the kids are busy hugging their new soft toy friends, they’re also (unknowingly!) helping us continue our work. It really is a win-win – cuddles for the children, support for our cause.

A Huge Thank You

We couldn’t run the Soft Toy Tombola without the generosity of everyone who donates soft toys throughout the year, the volunteers who give up their Saturday to run the stall, and of course every family who came along and took a chance on a ticket. Ashtead Rotary Club, as ever, put on a brilliant, warm, community-spirited event, and we’re so grateful to be a part of it.

Got a soft toy at home that’s ready for a new adventure? We’re always collecting donations ahead of next year’s tombola – drop us a line at lynn.brandon@emmasbubbletrust.org and we’ll make sure it finds a loving new home at Village Day 2027.

See you there next year – same fields, same fun, same very happy kids clutching very lucky toys! 🐻✨

A Big thank you to Judy, Bill and the landlady Wendy who organised a Christmas raffle on 18^th December at The Royal Oak Pub in Hampton.

The lovely people of Hampton raised  a fantastic amount of £1170.

Our ball this year was another magical event held at The Woodlands Park Hotel.

We hosted 95 guests who made the evening a huge success. The grand total raised on the night was £10,103!

Our thanks go to all those that attended for their generosity and to many local businesses and individuals (all below) who provided raffle and auction lots.

• Regency Grove
• Silent Pool Gin
• Hanbury Manor Golf Club
• John Pritchard
• Lottie at 2 Circles
• Tony James
• Legends Tour Golf
• Handpicked Hotels
• Ward & Cross (Bookham)
• The Street Thai (Ashtead)
• Studio Glide Pilates (Banstead)
• Waitrose
• Lisa at Formula 1
• Kirsty at Arsenal
• Asda
• Champneys
• The Xbox team at Microsoft
• Neom
• Sarah De Bunsen
• Squires Garden Centre
• Nova Osteopath
• Dean Homewood Woodcote Golf Club
• Garson Garden Centre
• Ann Summers

Our friends over at Regency Grove took part in this years JLL Triathlon on Friday 27th June.

The annual JLL Property Triathlon is in its 18th edition for 2025, with a variety of events from a sprint triathlon, duathlon, 2.2K swim, and even a fancy-dress prize, there’s something for everyone. It took place at the incredible Dorney Lake on what can only be described as a perfect day.

A huge congratulations to

• Individual Triathlon – Jamie Alnaimi, Jack Gibson & Will Sandford
• Relay Triathlon – Matt Clift, Molly O’Regan, Ben Major, Richard Warren, Ricky West and Joe Bennett
• Duathlon – Jack Gearing
• 2.2km Swim – Ricky West

The team not only supported us for the event by spreading our story, but they have to date raised £1,920 too! You can still sponsor them by visiting their GoFundMe page. We couldn’t be more thankful to the whole team.

Thank you to everyone that came along and supported us on our soft toy tombola and to Ashtead Rotary Club for organising another successful day last Saturday 14th June.

Ashtead Village Day is always a great day to connect with the local community and to raise funds for our charity.

If you’re already excited for 2026’s event then check it out at the Ashtead Village Fair 2026 event page.