June 2021

Come rain or shine it's Hardie time

Thank you so much for continuing to support Hardie Park, whether that be visiting with your children to play, stopping for a coffee, snack or ice cream in the cafe, using the community Pop-Up or having a puncture repaired at Hardie Cycle Hub.

If you would like to spend even more time at the park and become part of our valued team, maybe for an hour a week or a day or two, please get in touch. We would love to have you on board. Volunteering is such a rewarding activity, it keeps you busy, you meet some great people and gets you out of the house whilst giving something back to the community.
Fancy joining us? We have volunteers across all generations. Please complete the short application form here via the link

www.friendsofhardiepark.co.uk/volunteer/  someone will be in touch with you as soon as able...

OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE AT THE HEART OF HARDIE PARK!

Here's A BIG THANK YOU to each and every one!

Sending love Jim's way...

Jim, one of our lovely Hardie Park Volunteers was involved in an horrific motor bike accident and has endured a long journey of recovery since last year. The pandemic has been a rough time for many and dear Jim had the added pain and isolation recovering from serious injury. One of our trustees, Chris bumped into him this month for a chat.

A message for Jim (pictured on the left):

We'd all like to say how wonderful it is to see your smile and to hear that you are recovering well.  We've missed you and are looking forward to seeing you back in the cafe for a coffee. it's amazing to hear you are on the mend.

Ready Steady Go-usto offer community food

Hardie Park community food pop-up was identified by the Thurrock Food Network Co-ordinator at Thurrock CVS as a local project supporting the distribution/ provision of food to local people.

The popular food delivery company ‘Gousto’ are opening a new centre in West Thurrock this month have been testing their production run, we were ready to receive a large delivery of food for the community to try on 24th June however due to a problem at Gousto the date has been changed. WATCH THIS SPACE. When rescheduled we will invite our community to come along and pick up a box of fresh chilled food with recipe included.  Maybe pick up a box for a neighbour too!

The food will be free to try, however any donations made to the Hardie Park project would be gratefully received. Our pop-up service runs daily to provide community food to people in our local area.

You can check out the Gousto concept here >> https://www.gousto.co.uk

The Refill Cabin visits the park

We had a couple of visits this month from Katie and her quirky little shop on wheels. The Refill Cabin is your go to refill pop-up shop. Offering a range of plastic free, organic, sustainable options from unpacked foods and cleaning products in the local community of Thurrock. 

It's a simple concept encouraging the community to reduce their waste. Bring your containers, choose your products, fill them up and pay Katie. She visits a few sites around Thurrock including Thurrock Garden Centre and locations in Chafford Hundred. Give Katie a follow on instagram, it would be great if we could all take this idea on board and each do a little to save our planet. 

WATCH OUR PAGE @lovehardiepark AND KATIE'S @Refillcabin FOR THE NEXT SCHEDULED VISIT!

Choose your service and book with the Hub

Our fully trained Cytech 2 bike technician Ross can offer a Bronze, Silver or top of the range rock star Gold service with prices starting from just £35. Spring is the perfect time to service your bike. Whether you are a commuter or leisure cyclist, a regularly serviced, well-maintained bike, kept grime free will help to ensure a safe and comfortable ride. Drop by during our opening times for a chat or contact us on 07935 868835 or via our facebook page. One of the team will happily discuss your servicing or repair needs and get you booked in.

The Hardie Cycle Hub is open 12pm to 3pm, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday. (CLOSED Tuesday and Thursday) The project also offers the community bike spares, bike sales, re-furbs, accessories and cycling advice. The Hardie Park Cafe is just next door and can offer a lunch menu, coffees, snacks, and ice-cream at reasonable prices if you are visiting.

Vegan flavours in the chiller

Just ask at the counter!

Rossi's vegan strawberry and chocolate ice cream are back in stock.

Soya milk in the cafe for your coffee stop too!

Essex Mums support group nomination

Great news, Basildon & Thurrock BRAS have been nominated in TWO CATEGORIES in the Essex Mums Awards 2021. They have met as a group (pre-covid)  for many years at Hardie Park Cafe supporting breastfeeding mums locally. They have continued to help their breastfeeding community with weekly online zooms, one to one chats and video calls throughout the pandemic, a valuable lifeline for many. 

You can vote for Best Support Group OR Best service for Parents and Families via this link 

 https://www.essexmums.com/awards/voting/

Wishing BRAS the best of luck from all at Hardie Park!

Amazon smiles at Hardie

Thank you for purchasing your Amazon goods through the >> smile.amazon.co.uk << link and choosing Friends of Hardie Park as your chosen cause. We have to date received a whopping total of £612.67

£110.69 received this quarter

Happy days. The funds received help us to continue to help others. The money is donated by Amazon at no cost to yourself. A great way to support the park.