The Parks Foundation is set to reopen the Alexandra Park Café in Parkstone on Friday 20 June.
The café is located in the refurbished pavilion building in the park and will be open seven days a week offering a range of food, drinks, and snacks. It has been temporarily closed over the winter months whilst a range of improvements have been carried out. The old derelict toilet block alongside the café has been demolished and a new accessibility ramp has been built in its place and landscaped with surrounding planting.
This work forms the most recent part of a wider refurbishment to the café which started in 2023. In addition to the new ramp, the café has received a structural refurbishment, a new plumbing system, kitchen, toilets, outside seating and a facelift to the old pavilion building.
The refurbished community café at Alexandra Park (courtesy Bournemouth Echo)
John Hanson, Chief Executive Officer of The Parks Foundation, said, “We’re absolutely delighted to reopen the café in Alexandra Park.
“Accessibility for all is important to our charity – we want this café to be a much-loved neighbourhood space and community hub, a real asset for all residents where people can meet, chat, and enjoy the park.
“The refurbishment has really transformed the pavilion into a modern and welcoming place to visit. Now, with the addition of the new ramp, everyone can fully access this space and what it has to offer.
“We couldn’t have done this work without the help and support of the community, including BCP Council, local businesses and residents, as well as our charity’s GreenFingers volunteers who have worked so hard to ready the space for the café’s reopening.
“We’ve got lots of exciting plans for the summer, including regular BBQ events for local people to get together and make the most of this special park.
“We can’t wait to welcome the local community back to the café, and we look forward to seeing familiar faces and new visitors.”
The Parks Foundation have been working in Alexandra Park since 2021, improving the park for wildlife and the local community by planting trees, sowing wildflowers, creating a community growing space and orchard, and running free nature-based activities for local people of all ages.
As with the charity’s other community cafés at Winton Recreation Ground, Redhill Park, and Boscombe Chine Gardens, and the Kingfisher Barn Visitor Centre on the Stour Valley Nature Reserve, profits from Alexandra Park Café will help towards enhancing parks across the area.
The community cafés rely on volunteers who give their time, from as often as a couple of times a week to once a month (full training is provided). If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact info@parksfoundation.org.uk, call 01202 143724, or pop into the cafés for a chat.
Read about Alexandra Park community café at parksfoundation.org.uk/alexandra-park-cafe
