Christmas Collection for local support groups at The Friendly Bench® in the Countess of Chester Country Park

On Sunday 13th December, from 11am to 2pm, the Friends of the Countess of Chester Country Park will be collecting donations for Crossroads Community Hub, Blacon Action Team and Soul Kitchen, who are addressing need in the local community this Christmas.

The Friends team will be based at their new community hub, The Friendly Bench, with their wheelbarrows ready to be filled with food, treats, toiletries and gifts. Soul Kitchen have especially requested new gents’ underwear and shampoo.

There will also be wheelbarrows at the Country Park carpark for those who just want to drop items off when they’re driving by after shopping.

Lynsey Young, founder of The Friendly Bench initiative said, “This is an example of The Friendly Bench vision in action.”

Morag Scargill from the Friends’ group said, “We are pleased to work with other volunteer groups to support those who may finding life difficult this Christmas.”

For more information contact the Friends at friends.coccp@gmail.com

The Friends of the Countess of Chester Country Park is a constituted voluntary group who seek to:

• conserve and develop the flora and fauna of the country park
• enhance its amenity value for everyone in the local area, with particular emphasis on its potential benefits for health and value to environmental education and training
• engage local communities in determining the future of the country park and involving them in its activities
• provide an economic benefit for the local community where possible and appropriate
• Their values and aims support the management objectives of the landowners and stakeholders and are:
• A commitment to ensuring there are lasting benefits from the Countess of Chester Country Park for the local community and for its wildlife.
• To work with others to enrich and protect the Countess of Chester Country Park and to encourage activities that are in harmony with nature