Winter Warmer events in December

Tower House are working with Age UK WSBH to host 2 ‘Winter Warmer’ events this December on Fridays 22nd and 29th from 10.30-12.30.

These events are FREE and are an opportunity for anyone over the age of 50 that feels lonely/isolated or wants to connect with others and get out of the house to come together and have a bit of Christmas cheer, some company, light refreshments and chatter!

A warm welcome awaits them – booking is essential via phone or email at towerhouse@svp.org.uk.  People can self-refer or book via their support networks.

Please note this is a volunteer staffed event in a shared building environment and therefore it is not suited to anyone with specific support needs (unless these can be appropriately met by a family/friend carer who is also welcome to attend).

Donations needed at Community Base

Posted on behalf of Community Base

DONATIONS NEEDED! 

2,000 children are at risk of going hungry in Brighton and Hove this Christmas. Drop off a food tin to our collection point at Community Base and help us reach our target of collecting 1,000 tins for local families.

YOU CAN HELP BY: 

➡️ Dropping off a tin at our donation point in the reception lobby at Community Base (113 Queen’s Road, Brighton, BN1 3XG) Mon – Fri 8:30 – 4:30pm 

➡️ Donating to the online fundraiser: https://buff.ly/41fpeih

➡️ Forwarding this to your networks. 

A very Christmassy weekend

For many the annual Friends of Preston Park’s wreath making event is the start of the festive season. Held over two days at The Rockery it proved to be extremely popular, and in spite of the adverse weather conditions the mood was festive and joyful.

There was an abundance of material gathered locally to choose from and a wide range of seasonal, vibrant and colourful wreaths were made in traditional or contemporary styles, according to one’s creativity.

We are pleased to see this event is growing in demand year after year due to its modest cost and the freshness of the foliage. We advise early booking next year!

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and many compliments on your home made wreaths.

News from the Rose Garden

December 2023

In January 2023 we launched our Rose Garden appeal to purchase roses to replenish the empty beds and replace old and diseased shrubs. The generous funds given by the public were kindly matched by the rose grower David Austin, thus enabling us to acquire 350 shrub roses, in a variety of colours and forms, all chosen for their fragrance and resistance to drought. Two new species were introduced, Dannahue, a compact and shapely apricot flower, and Penelope Lively, a classic and elegant mid pink rose.

A plaque with a new design is being made and will be positioned at both entrances of the garden to help identify the different varieties.

We would like to thank CityParks groundsmen for giving us a helping hand in planting the roses and Preston Park ranger Marie Ingledew in bringing her team of volunteers to plant and prune.

Our dedicated Tuesday volunteers have been very busy all year long weeding, pruning, planting  and keeping a vigilant eye on the health of the roses. They ask members of the public to keep their dogs on a lead as the roses have young stems that bruise or snap easily when dogs go through the beds and considerable damage has been noticed over the years.

In spring 2024 we will be mulching the Rose Garden once the pruning is done and we aim at purchasing enough fertiliser to hoe in. We welcome any donations to go towards the purchase of the fertiliser so if you would like to donate please use the donate button on this page.

Thank you to all our generous donors who are contributing to making the Rose Garden the most cherished garden in Brighton for today’s and tomorrow’s generations.

FoPP Wreathmaking 2nd and 3rd December

A reminder that FoPP will be running wreathmaking sessions this weekend at The Rockery. The FoPP team has sourced the necessary materials needed to make a beautiful, seasonal wreath. If you want to come along and make your own wreath or to buy a bundle to take home, please come and join us. We will provide foliage, a wire base and additional wire to keep everything in place. We suggest coming early to get the best foliage, although we will do this over two days so that everyone gets a chance to make one. We apologise that the venue is not wheelchair accessible.

Book your tickets at the below Eventbrite pages:

Saturday 2nd December, 10am to 1pm

Sunday 3rd December, 10am to 1pm

FoPP Annual General Meeting

Once again, the Friends of Preston Park (FoPP) held their annual AGM at St Peter’s Cricket Clubhouse. Following on from usual business, the Chair, Kerry Pickett gave a run down on events held within the park over the past year and provided an impression of what might be expected for 2024. Members were given the opportunity to ask questions and to offer advice regarding possible future events. Treasurer, Janet Laing also presented an update on FoPP’s current financial position.

We took the opportunity to announce this year’s winners of the photographic competition which was based around the subject of trees. We had some amazing submissions, and it took quite an effort to choose. However, the general public voted on what they appreciated and so first place went to Neil Jakeman, second to Jimmy Guest and third place to, Victoria Jenkins. Copies of the winners’ photos are below and will be displayed outside the Chalet Café in Preston Park.   

Finally, we had Dr Danahar, a local biodiversity educationalist, to give us a presentation on butterfly conservation. Dan has led a number of local initiatives within the city of Brighton & Hove, including persuading the public to count butterflies, which in turn inspired the national charity Butterfly Conservation to develop the Big Butterfly Count.

He has also introduced Butterfly Havens as a habitat restoration approach for chalk grassland butterflies, giving the public access to nature on their doorsteps. Local examples include the bank between Varndean College and Dorothy Stringer, as well the land to the north of Varndean college. However, Dan’s work is also international in nature. He is Executive Trustee of the charitable company Big Nature – www.bignature.co.uk, which aims to revitalise the relationship between people and their local wildlife by creating natural habitats within the UNESCO designated Brighton & Lewes Downs Biosphere region (The Living Coast).

Dan was able to outline the beginnings of his work and how he envisages it expanding should the current political climate and will, allow it. For more information on Dan’s work please visit: http://the scientific23.com/interview or look him up on YouTube. We thank Dan for taking time to visit us and explain the hugely important work that he is doing.

The committee will meet early in 2024 to discuss possible events for the year. A new poster will be created and displayed on the website and on the boards in Preston Park. Anyone interested in volunteer gardening or donating to our community cause can do so on the FoPP website: friendsofprestonpark.org

ReNature grants are launched

Grants of up to £25,000 can be applied for as part of a new funding initiative to help kickstart habitat creation for wildlife.

ReNature Grants will help projects that showcase positive management for nature in the community. Projects could creating wildflower meadows, heathland, hedgerow, areas managed as chalk grassland, more natural rivers or dewponds. The grants can also be used to improve existing habitat, such as improving rivers and streams.

Funding of between £2,000 and £25,000 can be applied for from the South Downs Trust, the official independent charity for the National Park. Sites must be within the National Park boundary and not managed for nature, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Local Authorities, parish councils, community-interest companies, charities, and constituted voluntary groups are invited to apply.

The scheme is part of the National Park’s ReNature campaign, which is seeking to create 13,000 hectares of new habitat – an area over three times the size of Portsmouth – by 2030 to help tackle biodiversity loss in the UK. Victoria Crespi, Grants Officer for the National Park, said: “We’re really excited to be launching this new grants initiative to bring a boost for wildlife conservation. There are lots of organisations out there that might be interested in getting involved in the ReNature campaign and have land that could become a haven for nature. A grant could be the stepping stone to putting those ideas into action and making a real difference. Applications will be judged on their proposed outcomes for biodiversity, value for money and ongoing management of the site, as well as community outcomes. A grant panel will decide on applications over £5,000.”

Applications close at midnight on Friday, 15 December 2023. Find out more and apply here.

FoPP Halloween Parade

A very wet and windy FoPP Halloween was attended by some brave children this year. Despite the weather, those who came along had a lovely time and were entertained by Holly and Georgia who teach at Stagecoach Haywards Heath. There were lots of games and competitions and the kids were taught some great dance routines to impress their friends with! The parade, lit with pumpkin lights was a delightful spectacle.

FoPP would like to thank the Chalet Cafe for remaining open during the event and BHCC for keeping the toilets open for everyone.

With the arrival of lightning, we had a rush to clear the area but we hope that our young residents had a happy, albeit a soaking wet, Halloween!