Dear Volunteers, Supporters and Friends,
This is the time of year when we are busy recruiting volunteers, training them and allocating holidaymakers to our holiday weeks for the year. We are planning five weeks of holidays at beautiful Wraxall Yard the dates being: -
May 8th-15th
June19th-26th
September 5th-11th
September 11th-18th
September 18th-25th
We decided to offer three weeks of holidays in September this year and indeed these have proved easier to fill with both volunteers and holidaymakers.
The feedback from our holiday makers from 2025 was unanimously positive. They had so much fun. A huge thank you to you all for making that happen. Popular excursions included visiting the Therapy Horses near Bridport, the Tank Museum, the Haynes Motor Museum near Yeovil, the Swanage Steam Railway, Abbotsbury Swannery and Dorchester Shire Hall plus County Museum. Introducing an opportunity to do pottery on-site was well-received as were the usual cream teas, craft sessions, massage therapy, games and music with Cathy. A big thank you to Nick and Katie Read for making us so welcome at Wraxall Yard and for always being so helpful to us during our stays there.
Our Training Day on 21st March was well attended, with 27 of our volunteers being able to participate. The use of the Tricuro Centre at Parkstone Connect proved invaluable as we had a huge space and the ideal facilities for the Moving, Handling and Hoisting training.
Our fundraising this year has been boosted by Green Island being chosen by the president of Westbourne Rotary as a chosen beneficiary of its’ fundraising. A huge thank you goes to them for all their hard work. Amanda organised an extraordinarily successful Golf Day in September last year and she raised a record sum for us. We are so grateful for her dedication in this regard. She is already busy with this years’ Golf Day preparations. The date is Monday September 7th.
You will know that the role of Co-ordinator for the Trust has been filled by Annie Ketteringham, Helen Spencer and myself since September last year. This has enabled us to examine all the policies, procedures and administration of the Trust in detail. We are delighted that Ben Irons, a regular volunteer on our holidays, has been appointed as our Co-ordinator to take over from us. He is already shadowing us and learning the role. He strongly values the ethos of the Trust and his experience as a volunteer will be key to his understanding of what is required.
We apologise that we failed to organise a party for you in the Autumn last year. Somehow the time disappeared. We aim to remedy that this year and Jane Arnold has generously offered her lovely house as the venue once again. We have chosen the evening of Friday October 16th at 18.00. Please note the date in your diaries. We hope that as many as possible will be able to attend. We will send the information out again later in the year.
Meanwhile, wishing you all a lovely Spring and Summer and hoping to see many of you at Wraxall Yard during our holidays, or indeed at the Golf Day.
Best wishes,
Philippa (Dickins) Chair Green Island Holiday Trust.
STOP PRESS: Philippa will be talking about the Charity on Dorset Coast Radio on Monday 13th April at 7pm