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FOHP Christmas Fundraising

Coop

In late November, we had a publicity event in the Hamworthy Coop foyer. This turned out to be a quiet day due to the weather. But the main reason for being there was to be presented with a cheque for £3614.13 by the manager.

This amount was raised through the Coop Local Community Fund by the local Coop customers who have nominated the Friends as their favourite local cause. We then get 1% of what they spend on Coop brand products when they use their Coop cards.

FOHP have been accepted on to this scheme for a further year so if you are a Coop member, please register us as your favourite local cause.

We raised a total of £52.14 on the day for our funds so thank you to our volunteers who looked after our stall at various times throughout the day

St Edwards

Saturday 23 November saw FOHP attend the St Edwards Christmas Fayre where we had been offered a free table. We took our usual FOHP publicity material, Christmas cards, coasters, key rings and fridge magnets, etc and also some jams and chutneys. Either side of this on our table we had two tombolas – one for children the other adults.

Pictured is Pat at our stall when she had a visit from the Poole Town Crier and some stormtroopers! We raised a modest £47.30 – not bad for an event so far afield.

St Michael’s Church

The next fund raising event was the Christmas Fayre at St Michael’s Church, Hamworthy. There was a great atmosphere as children played games and met Santa for a photo and a present. This being home turf, we raised over £300.

Total raised

So, from all the events we raised over £400 – many thanks to all who helped and all who came to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere.

From all of us here at FOHP, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

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Hamworthy Hedgehogs – how to tempt hedgehogs into your garden

Now that Spring has finally arrived, Hamworthy hedgehogs are stirring. We’ve never seen any hedgehogs in Hamworthy park. But if you have, let us know!

Here are 8 top tips from our friends at Hamworthy Hedgehog Rescue to make your garden a hedgehog haven.

1. Water

To encourage hedgehogs to stay in or near your garden ensure they have a fresh supply of water available. Put some shallow dishes at different points in the garden and keep them topped up – especially in very hot weather. It’s great for other wildlife too.

2. Food

Yes please – leave a dish of hedgehog food, meaty cat or dog food or cat biscuits, in a place where the hedgehog can get it, but not the local cats (see pic for ideas to keep the cats out).

No thank you – Mealworms, sunflower hearts or peanuts are bad for hedgehogs.  As is cows milk and bread.

Hamworthy hedgehogs

3. Fences

Hedgehogs need a gap or hole in your fence to be able to get into your garden in the first place. Leave a hole in fences or newly constructed walls so the hedgehogs can come and go.

4. Hedgehog houses

You can buy hedgehog houses from garden centres or online, but it’s just as easy to make your own with a pile of logs and leaves…and saves a trip to the tip with that garden waste.

5. Hog proof your pond and garden

Hedgehogs love water but can easily fall into a garden pond or paddling pool. Make sure there is a ramp or some plastic coated wire to help them get out. Similarly, make sure any garden netting is raised off the ground so hedgehogs don’t get caught. Holes are another hedgehog no-no as they can easily fall in. Fill in any holes or cover them over.

6. Check and double check

Hedgehogs love piles of leaves, compost heaps and long grass -they all make comfy hog homes. So before you get your fork or strimmer out, check the area for hedgehogs. The same goes for bonfires -check the pile or, even better, use a garden incinerator instead.

Hamworthy hedgehogs

7. Dogs and hogs

Dogs are inquisitive and soon learn the hard way to keep their noses away from hedgehogs! But it can still be stressful for the hedgehog. Try turning on an outside light a few minutes before letting the dog out to give any hedgehogs time to get out of the way. Or if your hog has a set routine, make sure to keep the dog in when it’s hedgehog time.

8. What should I do if I disturb a hedgehog nest?

If you do accidentally disturb a nest with a single adult hedgehog in it, replace the nesting material. The hedgehog can then either repair the nest or build another elsewhere. If the disturbed hedgehog is hibernating and wakes up, a dish of dog food and some water each night until it starts hibernating again would be helpful. If there are babies in the nest, replace the nesting material, handling the nest as little as possible so as not to leave your smell on it. Keep an eye on the nest to see if mum returns. If there is no sign of her by the next morning telephone Hamworthy hedgehog rescue for advice on 07587 925476.

Tempting as it may be, do not allow friends, children etc to uncover the nest for a peep.

 

So there you have it. The above are ways to help visiting hedgehogs as they pass through your garden. But the best way to actively encourage them into your garden is to provide easy access,  good food, and cosy nesting sites.

If you find an injured hedgehog, you can contact Hamworthy Hedgehog Rescue on 07587 925476, or catch them on Facebook to see all the great work they do.

Happy hogging!

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Work starts on the paddling pool refurbishment

Those taking a walk in the park the past few weeks can hardly have failed to notice….with funding fully in place, the Hamworthy park paddling pool refurbishment is underway! Hurray!

We’d like to thank the local community for their support, the BoP project team along with local Councillors for their work on the refurbishment project, and the media for their interest in our little corner of the world.

It is fantastic to see the paddling pool renovations progressing so quickly!

Here you can see the base of the old pool being broken up, and the debris being removed from the site. There are trucks and diggers moving around, so keep a special eye on kids and dogs.

You can read more about it on the Echo here.

The real celebration will be when we see our children and grandchildren enjoying themselves in a new paddling pool! Roll on the summer!

Main photo credit: Dorset Dave photography

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Becoming an FOHP Trustee

At our public meeting in October, a member asked a question about how to become a trustee.

Now that FOHP is a registered charity, the processes for electing new trustees is rigidly set out on our constitution (available here). See sections 12 and 13.

There can be a maximum of 8 Trustees at FOHP – there are currently 5.

What does being a trustee Involve?

To quote the Government:

“Trustees have overall control of a charity and are responsible for making sure it’s doing what it was set up to do.”

Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charity-trustee-whats-involved

In general, you are required to make decisions in the best interests of the organisation, leading the charity, deciding how it is run and helping it to achieve its aims and objectives. It is a significant investment of time and effort –  so not for the faint hearted!

In practice, for FOHP, trustees have to make decisions for the good of the charity and its members in line with the charity’s constitution – there is also a certain amount of paperwork and “housekeeping” that needs to be done to keep the charity running smoothly, as well as meetings, account keeping etc.

Vital to the success of FOHP are the volunteer and fundraising programmes. These are the key link between trustees, members, local residents, and park users. It allows us to find out what park users are concerned about and in return, we can pass on news of the latest developments. It’s also an opportunity to make new connections in the community and recruit new members for the charity. As such, all trustees are heavily involved in these events whether it’s litter picking, volunteering or fundraising.

What skills do I need?

In general, an FOHP trustee should want to make a difference to their local community and be passionate about our local green spaces. Specific skills needed are people skills, organisational skills, and being a good listener.

Trustees are sometimes taken on for their specific skills or knowledge in an area of importance to the Friends, such as engineering skills (with regards to the paddling pool project).

How can I become a Trustee?

If you’re interested in becoming a trustee, we recommend that you get as involved in FOHP activities as possible. This will give you a good understanding of the organisation, its goals, and its active members as well as giving you, as a potential trustee, an idea of the time commitment.

Make yourself known in this way and the current trustees can then nominate you to become a trustee.

We look forward to hearing from any potential trustees!