An update from Town campaigner Lesley Meenaghan on her activities in recent months:
“At the beginning of the year I was privileged to join the Open Doors Project as a team leader, helping ensure the most vulnerable in our community were fed and given a bed in the coldest months.
Of course, soon after this appeared, one of the worst pandemics in modern times entered the UK taking many thousands of lives, including very sadly my mother who passed away at QA on 9th April. Many thanks to the lovely staff there for looking after her so well in her final days.
This personal loss has driven me to redouble my work for the community in Gosport. As a COVID-19 volunteer, I have been assisting the community with essential tasks such as shopping and collecting medication. Things that we all took for granted have now become a huge logistical problem for those with underlying health conditions, and so glad so many in Gosport have put themselves forward to help.
We do hope in the future there will be a memorial and remembrance service, a coming together of the community, for Gosport victims of the virus and to give thanks to our key workers. I tried to complete a chocolate eating challenge recently and raised £715.00 for this event.
At the Discovery Centre, we are all very excited and working hard to get this much-loved community hub ready for re-opening, hopefully soon.
My dogs Claude and Betty and I have really enjoyed getting out and about, chatting with the amazing people in our diverse community. This also gives a good opportunity to report litter, fly tipping and other hazards to GBC and HCC. Many thanks to GBC and HCC for quickly fixing the problems in photo gallery above after I reported them.
The Friends of Walpole Park https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Walpole-Park-624981731265170/ community continues to grow and thrive. I have really enjoyed giving online fitness classes during lockdown and I am hopeful that later in the year there will be free taster sessions of Pilates & Yoga and perhaps a family games day, of course dependent on social distancing requirements from the government.
Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible on our walks, and wishing everyone the best in hopefully a sun baked and virus free summer!”
