Rayleigh and Wickford MP Mark Francois recently followed up one of his regular Saturday morning surgeries by going on to Sweyne Park to lend his support to a “Party in the Park” which was organised by the Friends of Sweyne Park Community Group.
In the course of the morning and early afternoon the party was attended by several hundred people living in and around the park and indeed from further afield as well. People attending the party were entertained by a local jazz band and were able to participate in a variety of activities including an Easter egg hunt, face painting for children, a tombola, a book selling and exchange stall, as well as purchasing food and light refreshments.
The friends of Sweyne Park were established a little over a year ago to help keep the park clean and tidy as well as promoting its active used by members of the local Rayleigh community. The group organise regular “litter picks” to try and keep the park in good condition, and have also undertaken other activities, such as providing three wooden park benches from oak coppiced from nearby Hockley Woods.
Commenting on his visit to the Party in the Park, for part of which Mark was accompanied by recently elected Rochford District Cllr for the Sweyne Park ward, Toby Mountain, Mark said:
“I was very pleased to have the opportunity to go along on a Saturday recently and lend my support to the Friends of Sweyne Park for the wonderful party that they laid on for local residents. There was a very good turnout and I spoke to quite a number of people who really seemed to be enjoying the day out. The friends do really important work in helping to care for the park and promoting its use and anybody who would like to join the Friends and to assist them in this valuable effort on behalf of the local community should contact local resident Heather Meggison on 01702 318057 or via email: [email protected]. It’s great to see a group like this making such a commitment to the local community and I hope that other people living in and around Rayleigh will support them in their efforts to make this an even better place to live.