AT least 25 Whitehill & Bordon charities and community groups will be taking part in the Find Out About Your Community event at the Forest Community Centre.

The event at the centre in Pinehill Road, Bordon, will be held on March 21 from 7-9pm and is being organised by the charity Community First.

It will be an opportunity for new and existing residents to find out about groups they can join - such as sports clubs - and activities in which they can take part, including conservation and faith work.

Charities offering important services - such as transport to hospital appointments, call-and-go buses for shopping trips, furniture supply for those in need and support for vulnerable families - will be there.

Residents can explore how they can support their community by becoming a volunteer or by joining the new Woolmer Forest Timebank.

Claire Coxwell from Community First, who is organising the event, said: "Residents have seen the new buildings and leisure facilities in the town. They have watched the development of the new relief road.

"Now is their chance to find out about some of the voluntary sector initiatives in the town. What makes a vibrant community is what goes on in the town - the uniformed groups, the theatre and arts activities, the parent and toddler groups and of course the care and disability services."

Radian will be promoting the community activities and volunteering opportunities available in the new Cafe 1759 at Quebec Park. The cafe is an informal venue which groups are welcome to use, but it also hosts a number of activities for the community - including the Food Academy, a programme of cookery courses for various ages which started last summer.

There are walking and running groups that meet in the café after their sessions, and the venue hosts the Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club on a regular basis.

The café is supported by volunteers who do all aspects of café work, learn new skills and undergo training.

Radian’s community development officer Paula Windebank said: "We are delighted to be attending this event and will be inviting Radian residents to come along. We are particularly keen to ensure that new residents at Quebec Park have this opportunity to engage with the new community that they have moved into."

The Woolmer Forest Heritage Society, which co-ordinated activities for the town during the National Heritage Open Days Weekend last year, will be attending the event.

Its members hope that people will be interested in its monthly talks at the Forest Community Centre. They have collected fascinating archive material on the history of the town, and have a fun range of children’s activities and historical dressing-up clothes for their use at fetes and summer events.

A new branch of the Women’s Institute is developing in the town, working alongside the existing Blackmoor & Whitehill WI. With 80 members signed up, the organisers are "very excited" about the project. Both WIs will attend the event to chat to residents about the organisation.

Headley Cricket Club, which will soon take up residence at the Bordon & Oakhanger Sports Club, will be there alongside Grayshott Cricket Club, which runs activities in Lindford at the Broxhead Ground. Both are keen to promote what they do and attract helpers and players of all ages.

Claire Coxwell said: "Community First will be signing residents up to our Whitehill & Bordon Community E-Bulletin, which lists events and activities taking place in the town, features town redevelopment news and handy tips for community groups. We can also help people looking to start up new groups.

"Our volunteer service will also be there, promoting the Volunteer Wessex volunteering website, www.volunteerwessex.org, as well as encouraging employees from local companies to get involved in Community First’s corporate volunteering scheme."

Everyone in Whitehill & Bordon is invited, and tea and coffee will be served. For more information, email [email protected]