Festive Community Gatherings

This December, we are inviting local residents to join our charity at two festive events. 

The two events are being held at: 

• Winton Recreation Ground on Thursday 7 December, between 4-7pm, alongside our flagship community café in the centre of the park.  
• Redhill Park on Thursday 14 December, between 4-7pm, alongside one of our new community cafés which opened in May this year. 

There will be a singalong to live music from the student steelpan band from nearby Glenmoor and Winton Academies, raffle prizes kindly donated by businesses surrounding the parks, including vouchers for local eateries, shops, and beauty treatments, and the charity’s community cafés will be open and offering a selection of festive-themed food and drinks. Everyone is welcome to these free-to-attend festive events. 

John Hanson, Chief Executive Officer of The Parks Foundation, said “In these colder, darker months some may struggle to get outdoors, especially in the evenings.  We want to encourage local people to join us for our Festive Gatherings which offer an opportunity to visit their nearby park, spend some time in nature, and pop into one of our welcoming volunteer-run cafés for a hot drink and a chat.  

“The events will be a celebration of community spirit, an opportunity for people to come together and experience their park at a time they may not usually do so, and to find out about the fun, free, nature-based activities we have coming up for local residents in the new year.”  

During the run-up to the festive events, our team of Parks Activators are hosting free activities in parks across the conurbation for everyone to enjoy. These will include bird feeder making, stargazing for beginners, and natural tree decoration craft sessions. As well as creations to take home, attendees will have the opportunity to make extra decorations to be displayed in the charity’s cafés during the events and over the festive period.  

Our community cafés are run almost entirely by dedicated volunteers, and any profit is re-invested into the charity’s work enhancing parks across Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole for people and nature. The community space within the cafés is used for their own activities and welcomes other local charities and groups such as carers, school groups, and over 65s. 

Published November 2023