Basingstoke ObserverCHINEHAM and Sherfield Park Scarecrow Trail are set to mark A Moment in History in May.
Join Basingstoke and District Disability Forum (BDDF) on 28th-29th May for this fun annual community event.
The ‘A Moment in History theme for this year’s Scarecrow Trail is to coincide with the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.
A spokesperson shared: “Last year, we surpassed all expectations and the families that attended enjoyed the 68 amazing entries over 8 miles of trail. This year all scarecrows will remain out over the extended Bank Holiday weekend until 5th June, so everyone has a chance to complete the trail.
Chineham Christ Church will host us on Saturday 28th with a community café, you can get your trail map, raffle tickets and a cup of tea and cake. On Sunday Sherfield Park Community Centre will host and we will be joined by local charities offering lots of fun activities for the whole family. Thank you to Loddon Properties for generously supporting us again this year.
If you are unable to visit at the weekend you can download a copy of the map at www.bddf.org.uk, or collect a copy from Chineham Christ Church.
We are a small charity and rely on the support of our volunteers. If you would like to get involved, please contact [email protected]. We are still able to take charity stalls on Sunday 28th May and are looking for volunteers for the weekend. Entries close on 30th April so you still have to time to register a display, Chineham Shopping Centre are hosting entries from schools and youth groups from all over Basingstoke.
By supporting this event you will be raising vital funds for the charity– all services are free to access, from seated yoga to signposting services, and will support our mission to facilitate increased awareness, active involvement, and healthy promotion of disability and those who live it. For more information, please visit www.bddf.org.uk, telephone 01256 423869 or follow us on social media to keep up to date.”
Basingstoke and District Disability Forum have been successful in their application to receive support from the Arthur Bate Fund, a special fund launched this year by POhWER, to commemorate one of its founding members and trustee, Arthur Bate OBE who died in 2013.
The fund is used to continue Arthur’s legacy by supporting individuals to contribute to the voluntary sector as a volunteer or trustee, especially in advocacy and peer support.
BDDF will use their £1,500 award to grow their volunteer base. The money will fund 100 hours of much needed administrative support to advertise and attract new volunteers and coordinate their associated training and support costs.
Commenting on the award, BDDF Fundraising Coordinator, Suzi Owen, shared: “Thanks to the Arthur Bate Fund we can secure new volunteers and provide suitable training, which means we can better deliver our Signposting service. We can then reach more individuals from the local Disabled community, meeting their specific concerns and offering appropriate solutions to address any barriers or issues they have. Currently, we only have one committed signposter and are completely reliant on her, which puts the service at risk.”
