Our community champion hands over the reins!

September 2020

'After the park being such a big part of my life for 11 years, I am sad to be leaving, especially with the amazing team we have on board. I am super confident that they are going to carry on doing incredible stuff within the community. We have achieved so much and made such a difference to so many people’s lives.

This is the next chapter. I’m excited to see where it goes.

Thank you to everyone who is, or has been, part of Team Hardie over the years.
You really are AWESOME!

There's nothing like a community working together to realise a dream'  - Rob Groves CEO 

New beginnings...

A few words from our Trustees

Firstly, on behalf of the Trustees and everyone else involved with the Park, we want to say a fond farewell to Rob. With Rob's vision and drive he has helped the park transform from a dilapidated playground to what is now a thriving community space that is used by people of all ages from across SS17. It’s a remarkable achievement, and we are very proud to have worked with him on this journey. With new challenges already on the horizon we wish him all the best on his travels and for his future endeavours. You will be missed.

Life at the park continues, summer’s over and with Autumn rolling in quicker than you can say Lion-el Rossi, there’s plenty happening at Hardie Park and lots to update you on!

IN THE BACKGROUND

With big boots to fill, from an operational point of view, we are very fortunate to be able to announce that Trustee, Fabiana Goodall,  will be working closely with us in a voluntary capacity over the next couple of months to manage some of the aspects of Rob’s role, giving us time to plan our next steps.

CYCLE HUB APPOINTMENT

You may have heard, we have recently added a new member of staff to the Hardie team, local cycle enthusiast and campaigner, Matt Hill! Matt has joined us as our Cycle Hub Manager and will be working with Ross and Cody to help us take that fantastic initiative to the next level. Welcome Matt, the whole team are looking forward to working with you!

COVID-19 UPDATE

All of these changes are set against an incredibly challenging backdrop. The Coronavirus pandemic has had a wide-ranging impact on our work – particularly in the café. We do thank you for your support and patience whilst operating a takeout service only. We are desperate to return to normality and to re-open the café fully. We know that you are keen to come back too!

The safety of our staff, volunteers and of those visiting the café is our top priority. Government advice in this area is changing frequently, but we can assure you that Trustees will continue to meet regularly to consider how and when we might be able to resume a full cafe service. We will keep you updated on progress. How we do it and when we do, we know that we’ll have the support of our wonderful team and customers.

As ever, if you have any questions or want to pass on any suggestions for improvement, do get in touch with the trustees@friendsofhardiepark.co.uk

In the meantime, we hope you stay safe and well.

Matt / Chair

on behalf of the Trustees

Shiney new FR-EE-Z-ER

We recently had a new Rossi freezer delivered to the cafe and to celebrate our investment Lion-el Rossi paid us a visit! He's hoping you'll all go wild for some Rossi ice-cream on your next trip to Hardie's #takeout

Make sure you give him a wave!

He's made a couple of appearances recently on The Original Rossi Ice-Cream facebook page too and met Rossi bear here at the park on their last delivery slot. A pair of celebrities in the making!

Our Hardie Park gardeners spent a socially distanced few hours eating cake and drinking tea to celebrate Joe's 90th Birthday last week. Joe is our oldest volunteer and highly thought of by all those who know him at the park.

Congratulations Joe, we hope you enjoyed your day!

Our ode to the little green van...

Our little green van has been a valuable asset allowing us to pick up surplus food from supermarkets, deliver food to those that need it and operate the pop-up shop throughout lockdown. The van also plays a key role in the Hardie Cycle Hub picking up local residents bike donations.

We felt he needed some recognition so here's a little ditty.

Our little green van has put in the miles,
Picking up food that turns into smiles,
Pounding the roads without a care,
Until recently it needed a clutch repair,
You’ve been very kind with the bikes you donate,
Our lads in the hub have worked hard until late,
Volunteers have put in SO many hours,
Sorting daily deliveries of fruit, bread and flowers,
You may have used our pop-up shop,
Visiting when passing or out on the hop,
THANK YOU ALL you’ve been AMAZING, you’re GREAT,
Taking food if you need, many have chosen to donate,
The cash received helps put fuel in the tank,
Keeps us on the road without breaking the bank,
'SS17 COMMUNITY SPIRIT'
So glad to be part of it, so glad you are in it!

Every penny helps to keep this service viable for the good of the community!

THANK YOU

Julie has lived in Stanford all of her life and her children attended school locally.  She currently works at, and part owns an industrial construction company.  She has a lot of experience in the day to day running of a business and finance at all levels. Julie grew up in a Scouting family and was involved for many years as a leader.

‘I have enjoyed being a trustee at Hardie Park for a number of years and hope to continue to help Hardie Park and the project where I can.’

Jim Heale moved to Stanford from East London in 1975 as a 24-year-old newly-wed. He has a background in banking having worked in the industry for 26 years, he then became Secretary of a Registered Friendly Society Social Club. Jim also has experience as an Ambulance Care Assistant.

‘I have had an interest in Hardie Park after becoming friends with those passionate about improving the Park. I have been on the board of Trustees for many years.’

Learn the Dog Doogity

The majority of dog owners are responsible and pick up after their dogs. However, there's been a noted increase in owners leaving their mess behind. Please take note of the new posters in the park highlighting the need to scoop your own dog's poop. THANK YOU

Easy ways to support the work of the park

Supporters lockdown shopping whilst using the Amazon Smile link recently doubled our usual quarterly amount to £63.55 That's just AMAZ-ING! - THANK YOU!

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1172078-0,

It's an easy way to support the park, YOU SHOP and Amazon donates to Friends Of Hardie Park Ltd, at no cost to you.

Facebook also has a facility if you don't have anything on your birthday list. You can set up a FB fundraiser for your birthday and choose to support the park. Facebook take care of your friends and colleagues donations, processing with no fees.