Friends of St. James' Park

💚Help us to make a difference💚

The gardeners would love to invite anyone who’d like to join us for some litter picking at the park today! 🌿🧤

📅 Today – Wednesday 19th August
⏰ 1pm
📍 Meet by the container, next to the tennis courts

Please bring your own gloves if you can.

This will be part of our normal weekly gardening meet, so pop along, lend a hand and help us keep St James Park looking lovely. 💚

Everyone is welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before!

Hope to see you there! 🌳💚

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Gardening report for last week.

The morning watering crew was 4 strong and in the afternoon, a team 8 of us gathered.

Thanks to the morning waterers, some plants in the park have a bit more chance of surviving. It is good to water early before the hot sun causes our watering efforts to evaporate.

Unfortunately the park was looking pretty disrespected with litter and our volunteers picked up at least 7 buckets full during the session.

The gardeners would like to invite any who would like to join us tomorrow (Wednesday 19th August) to help pick litter please, same time same place: Weds 1pm at the container. Hope to see you there!

This week we were fortunate to have three people on the case and while litter picking, two of our volunteers almost went to litter pick some white fluff - a little lost dog hiding in the shade under the hedge - thankfully ultimately helping to reunite dog and owner. (spot the dog in the picture! would you have seen it?)
The team were otherwise busy with clearing paths and steps, dead heading, reigning in brambles and cutting back some creeping thistle and dock from the St James side bank - as well as watering as needed...
Amongst the thistles were grasshoppers galore and these insects (pictured) could be a dock bug (perhaps you can help identify!?).
The main colour in the park is now the beautiful planters by the tennis courts, as well as the odd drought tolerant species such as the Helichrysum pictured - with thanks to the volunteers for their vision and foresight 🙂

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A dog has been found at St James Park. We believe someone was at the park looking for it earlier. It’s by the tennis courts on the right hand side as you walk up to the field. It’s been offered some water but won’t come out from under the bush. The cafe have rung the RSPCA.

We are delighted to be supporting these sessions.

Spaces will go fast and are pre booked only, follow the link to get your session booked! 💚

🚲🌟 Learn to Ride – Summer Holidays Fun! 🌟🚲

FREE Learn to Ride sessions incoming for this August at St.James' Park, Shirley Tuesday 18th, where we'll be helping kids build confidence and skills. ✅

Big thanks to Friends of St. James' Park for supporting us to run these sessions 💚🙌
Spaces are limited — don’t miss out!

Sign up here: https://bit.ly/sotonkidscycling

💚 Thank You! 💚

What an amazing day we had at our Friends of St. James Park Family Fundraiser on 12th July!

Despite the heat, it was wonderful to see so many people come together to support our charity. A huge thank you to everyone who attended, our incredible volunteers, USH students, stallholders, entertainers and all of our supporters. You helped make the day so special.

Thanks to your generosity, we raised much-needed funds that will help us continue supporting St. James Park and delivering projects and activities that benefit our local community.

We couldn’t do what we do without you. Thank you for being part of it, and we hope you enjoy these photos from a fantastic day! ☀️💚📸

🌟 A Wonderful Addition to Our Family Fun Day! 🌟

We're delighted to welcome students from Upper Shirley High School to our Family Fun Day tomorrow!

They're fundraising towards an exciting Zanzibar expedition in 2027, and Friends of St James' Park is proud to be supporting them by providing a safe space to help them raise the funds they need.

Please pop by their stall and show your support! They'll have:

🧁 Home-baked treats
🟢 Slime
🔑 Keyrings
🧸 Toys
🎁 And much more!

Every purchase, no matter how big or small, will help them get one step closer to their goal.

Thank you for supporting these amazing young people we know they'll really appreciate it!

Upper Shirley High School

Friends of St. James Park Family Fun Day Fundraiser

☀️🎉 ONE DAY TO GO! 🎉☀️

The countdown is almost over... our Family Fun Day Fundraiser is TOMORROW! 🥳

We can't wait to welcome you all for a fantastic day of family fun, entertainment, fundraising, and making wonderful memories together.

Before you join us, here are a few important reminders to help you make the most of the day:

🚻 Toilets
We know this is one of the most frequently asked questions at our events! The toilets are clearly marked on the map below, so please take a moment to familiarise yourself with their location before you arrive.

💧 Free Water Refill Station
We'll also have a FREE drinking water refill station available throughout the day, which is clearly marked on the map below. Please bring a refillable water bottle if you can and keep topping it up to stay hydrated.

☀️ Stay Safe in the Sun
Tomorrow is set to be a hot one, so please take care of yourselves and those around you.

✔️ Apply sun cream before you arrive and reapply it regularly throughout the day.
✔️ Drink plenty of water and make use of our free refill station.
✔️ Take regular breaks in the shade where possible.
✔️ Wear a hat and lightweight clothing to help keep cool.
✔️ Keep an eye on children, older relatives, and anyone who may be feeling the effects of the heat.

While we'll do our very best to provide as much shade as possible, St James' Park is a very open space, so we'd encourage everyone to come prepared for the weather.

Most importantly... be kind, look out for one another, and let's make this a fun, safe, and memorable day for everyone!

🎈 We can't wait to see you all tomorrow! 🎈





Friends of St. James Park Family Fun Day Fundraiser
Let's Ride Southampton
Monty's Community Hub
St James’ church by the Park, Shirley
South West Wildlife Fundraising Ltd
Southampton Voluntary Services
Southampton Sands - public page
Adopt South
Adriena’s Emporium
Sew Rad
Gifted Moments
Dotty Doris Treasures
Beadsandmore
Kitty's Kabin

🎉 Just 2 days to go! 🎉

The excitement is building for our Family Fun Day this Sunday, 12th July! 12 - 4 pm.

Check out our event map to help plan your day and make sure you don’t miss any of the fun.

☀️ With the hot weather forecast, we’ll have a FREE water refill station available. Please come prepared for the heat by bringing refillable water bottles, sunscreen, hats and anything else you need to stay cool. We’ll provide as much shade as we can, but as St James’ Park is an open space, please take extra care in the sunshine.

We can’t wait to see you all on Sunday! 🌳🎈