Essential, key roles need to be filled at Friends of Portswood Rec. Can you help?

Many of you will have actively enjoyed the facilities at Portswood Rec over recent years. You might for instance have brought children or grandchildren to the play area; the splendid new equipment installed last year by Southampton City Council (SCC) was boosted through our own fundraising.  Perhaps you came to one of our kids and family events in the summer, played tennis, walked your dog?  You may have relaxed in and around the gardens, restored and developed by the FoPR gardening group.

Most of these activities have been initiated, enhanced or sustained by the Friends of Portswood Rec: members, working volunteers and Committee.  (To find out more about what we do, visit our website or Facebook.)

We – the Committee – have an important message.

Continuing at this level depends on the active support of people like you. We’ve had the benefit of a stable and proactive Committee over the last few years.  Our two co-Chairs have helped shape and drive forward initiatives, as well as representing FoPR in wider local and green networks.  But nearing the end of our two-year tenure, both of us now unavoidably need to step back.

This is the full list of Committee roles coming up for (re-) election at the AGM on 18 March:

·         Co-chairs (an alternative being Chair and Deputy) *

·         Secretary (currently vacant) *

·         Treasurer *

·         Communications (currently vacant)

·         Membership Secretary

·         Fundraising

·         Gardening

·         Events co-ordinator

And there are other key opportunities for keen volunteers:

·         Supporting co-ordinator(s) for single or ongoing events, including organisers and back-up support for individual kids’ activities

·         New members for the gardening group

All Committee members are elected annually, except for those roles marked with an asterisk which are for two years.  Committee members can also be co-opted mid-year.

We’d particularly love to welcome anyone who’s an existing Rec visitor and/or with local connections, including parents or guardians of younger children.

Do get in touch to explore where your skills, enthusiasm and even vision could best fit.  Subject to re-election, we’re expecting most other Committee members to remain in current roles. Those of us ‘retiring’ will still be around, though with changed or reduced responsibilities. So you can be assured of continuity and support in settling in.

The alternative is that the Rec will exist rather than thrive – a great shame for all our visitors, and for everyone who’s invested their time and enthusiasm to help it grow so well over recent years.

For reference, SCC own the land and facilities that make up Portswood Rec but are no longer able to sustain the historic level of maintenance.  FoPR work in partnership with SCC; our volunteers complement and extend what SCC are now able to deliver.  Although Portswood Primary School use the Rec for summer sports, the school has no formal involvement.

Thanking you as ever for your support

With best wishes

Co-Chairs, Friends of Portswood Rec

The Friends of Portswood Rec Annual General Meeting will be held at the Scout Hut, Brickfield Road (opposite junction with Somerset Road) at 7.45, Wednesday 18 March 2026.  This year’s speaker will be from Highfield Residents’ Association. Everyone is welcome, and refreshments will be provided.  Please see the attached poster. “