THE Meeting Point lunch at St Aldhelm's Church Hall was well attended and a wide range of community and voluntary organisations was represented.

The Dorset Heart Foundation had received £4,000 with more to come from the Mayor's recent charity walk and Weldmar Hospice Trust plans for the teddy bears' picnic at Greenhill Gardens on June 1are well in hand.

  • JIM Sinclair, chairman of the Friends of Radipole Park and Gardens, gave an illustrated talk about the activities of the friends group, which was formed two years ago, representing local residents.

They work in co-operation with the council's parks department and act as an effective pressure group in order to protect the park and gardens and to ensure their care and enhancement for future generations.

Long-term plans for the Friends include the replacement of trees as and when necessary in order to prevent the deterioration, which had occurred in the past by neglect.

Mr. Sinclair itemised some of the recent achievements that have resulted from the excellent co-operation of the Borough Parks Department.

In addition to opening up the whole area by lowering the height of hedges, refurbishing tennis and basketball courts and renewing the drainage for the junior football pitch, there have been two successful litter picks and there is an extensive programme of work for the ensuing year.

The Friends are set to produce a history of Radipole Park and Gardens.

From the time when the land was reclaimed and the layout instigated, through war time and for generations, these facilities have been the setting for human memories, right up to the present day, when they provide the perfect backdrop for wedding photographs.

Anecdotes of personal or family memories will be most useful in compiling this view of our unique local community heritage.

Snippets of information, old photographs, etc. may be sent to any member of the Friends Group, or to me and I will pass them on.

  • THE St Aldhelm's Friday Night Friends meet on Friday, May 23 in the Church Lounge for an evening of music.

Starting at 7.45 pm, participants are invited to bring favourite tapes or CDs for an enjoyable social evening.

  • THE recent St. Aldhelm's Church tea and Dorset apple cake event was a great success.

Some £250 was raised, which is to be added to the Christian Aid collection that is currently taking place.

  • PLANS are now being made for the next residents' community meeting, which will be held in St. Augustine's Church Hall at 7.30 pm on Wednesday, July 9.

Tom Grainger, chief executive of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, will be the headline speaker.

He will describe the workings of the council and explain its functions.

The meeting will also feature Pact (Partners And Community Together) and there will be input from Dorset Agenda 21 (Sustainable Living) so the event is sure to be of great interest.