Meet Our Local Community Charity in Stretford..

Hello!

I am Nadia Gubba and I am the Operational Manager here at Friends of Victoria Park, Stretford (FOVPS) which is a small community based charity operating out of Victoria Park. Originally set up as a Community Group by local residents the charity has grown by working with the Council towards the upkeep of the park and running our purpose built, fully accessible Community Building. From our base here we run the Tea Room which is open 7 days a week serving an assortment of refreshments, drinks and light bites and we do our very best to keep our prices affordable. We offer a full external catering service including sweet and savoury cold buffet options, graze boards, and afternoon teas. We also have a community room that is available to hire which is ideal for training days, meetings and special occasions and we offer a range of packages to suit your needs. We run a number of events throughout the year which are free to attend and we try to ensure that there is something for everyone to enjoy.

I have worked for FOVPS for over 3 years and very much believe in taking a hands on approach to things. I feel passionately about everyone pulling together to ensure the continuation of our wonderful charity. A resident of Stretford for the last 20 years, Victoria Park is my local park and the park where I have brought my children to since they were babies, so it’s success really does mean more to me than just a job. Everyone who is involved here at FOVPS, from the Trustees to the staff to our volunteers are passionate about our local community and what we do to enhance it. It is important to us that we continue working in partnership with the other amazing organisations that form the beating heart of Stretford.

Trying to achieve our aims and goals as a Charity in the current climate does present its challenges and we are always trying to look at creative ways of improving upon what we can do. Earlier this year, rising costs meant that we had to launch a crowdfunder to ensure we had sufficient funds to enable us to continue. The response from local businesses, residents and families was overwhelming and we achieved our target within 9 days. The support given to us by the local community is invaluable and every penny that comes into the building is truly appreciated. All profits go straight back into the park and allows us to continue our work. We simply could not operate without the support given to us by our wonderful volunteers. From those that are here week in week out without fail, to the corporate volunteers who attend volunteer days with us. Without that support we could not continue and any help that can be given either regularly or as a one off would be gratefully received.

The Building plays a huge part in helping to reduce social isolation, supporting mental wellbeing and keeping Victoria Park welcoming year-round. We run a Pay It Forward board that is largely funded by Stretfood Food Bank but we are always looking for more funding for this invaluable service. We will also soon be launching our Chatty caf? sessions in the upcoming weeks.

As Operational Manager, I am committed to helping those younger members of our community by implementing work experience placements and feel that any time invested to get them involved with volunteering in their local community is so beneficial. It helps create an outlook from a young age whereby they take an active interest in where they live. We are happy to work with schools on a larger scale to accommodate this. We also run a Youth Council which encourages the next generation of FOVPS members and allows them to have a say about what happens in the park.

On a final note, I look forward to taking the Charity through this next phase. I am positive about the future but more people using the building is the only thing that will ensure its continuation. People wanting to support FOVPS can do so by making a one-off donation or if they are able, signing up to our 100 club, providing sponsorship or match funding, supporting the building by using the Tea Room or Community Room, and generally spreading the word! In the meantime if you would like to discuss any issues about the Park, the Community Room, the Tea Room, catering or events then please don’t hesitate to get in touch!