The Blog...

We did a little video of people from the Southbourne, Pokesdown and Boscombe areas talking about the community around here, the separate identities, how Covid impacted business and what it's like getting involved as part of the community.

Thank you to Bournemouth University who supported the video production and Keylight Films for the recording.

The 2021 Sunflowers of Southbourne campaign is live and backed by Lewis-Manning Hospice Care.

Last year, you lovely SoBo people came together for the Sunflowers of Southbourne campaign, as a fun way to come out of the first lockdown with a splash of colour in our streets.

It was lovely to see people sharing tips and progress. The children got involved too and were so proud of their plants. So, in 2021 we want to do this again and make it bigger.

I have 1000 packets of seeds provided by Lewis-Manning Hospice Care and want to get as many streets as possible participating in this lovely endeavour. It will be a reminder of what we have gone through and a celebration of what we are coming through to.

It is also a reminder of the charity sector and the continuing services that they provide, and a small donation will be a fitting tribute to support those that need a little extra help. I’m sure Lewis-Manning won’t mind me saying that whether you give to them or a charity of your own choosing, anything will be most appreciated.

Just Giving link for donations or feel free to donate via any other method you wish such as via their shops, in collection boxes or direct.

If any local business wants to take a small batch to offer out, please let me know. I will have some point of sales items.

I will also be up on Southbourne Green for people to grab a packet or two. I won’t have a donations box as I don’t want people to feel obliged in anyway. Let’s bring on the colour together.

A video about the previous campaign is here https://youtu.be/6g1_GuXxxiQ

Have created a new Facebook Page for Sunflowers of Southbourne.

Having spent the last 20 years as a business owner in Bournemouth, I reached one of those turning points in life – you know the type – where one reflects on the past, present and future. After a while I realised that on the whole I was doing fine, having scraped through two recessions and now, especially with the epoch-making impact of a global pandemic, I fully understand how much those two decades have left me with a threading of stresses and scars, failures and triumphs. Out of my rumination rose a very positive outcome. One that both acknowledged retirement was still some way off for myself and my business partner, but also set in train a fresh objective, a longer-term vision … something beyond us.