On Saturday 20th June, communities around the UK will be celebrating everything that connects our communities as part of The Great Get Together weekend, and naturally that includes our shared green spaces too!
FoRCE is inviting the community to come together for a Volunteer Morning on Saturday 20th June from 10am to 12 noon as part of The Great Get Together's 10th anniversary. Volunteers will help care for the Esplanade Gardens and Churchfields, while spending time outdoors, meeting others, and contributing to shared green spaces that belong to everyone.
The Great Get Together began in response to the tragic murder of Jo Cox MP and has grown into a nationwide celebration of connection, community and togetherness. Over the past ten years, millions of people across the UK have taken part in street parties, community picnics, runs, coffee mornings and other local gatherings — all inspired by Jo’s belief that “we have more in common than that which divides us.”
Organised by The Jo Cox Foundation, the initiative encourages people to come together, celebrate diversity, strengthen community connections and reject division. The themes of the Great Get Together strongly echo the values of the peaceful suffragists whose stories continue to inspire the Suffrage Sensory Garden in Rochester’s Esplanade Gardens. In particular, the garden celebrates the life and work of Vera Conway-Gordon, who campaigned peacefully for greater equality, representation and opportunities for women. Like many suffragists, she believed that lasting change comes through participation, inclusion and community spirit.
By volunteering together, we continue that tradition, creating welcoming public spaces where people of all ages and backgrounds can connect, learn and feel a sense of belonging. Members of the public are warmly invited to take part on 20th June in this celebration of community, diversity and shared purpose.
For more details about our Great Get Together Volunteer Morning, check out our Volunteer Activities and Eventbrite pages. You can read more about the Jo Cox Foundation and The Great Get Together on their website.
Litter Picking News
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Volunteer Session: March 2026
Our intrepid volunteers gathered once again for a multitude of activites including litter picking, sea wall plant growth management and tree canopy lopping, once again achieving a splendid amount within the two hour session.
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Foreshore Litter Pick: April 2025
One of the activites we undertake a few times a year is to extend our litter picking efforts further upriver from the Esplanade Gardens to the stretch of foreshore by the Medway Towns Rowing Club. As usual, we collected a huge amount of litter, as well as some larger and more interesting items!