The Friends of Upton  Country Park

About The Friends

The Friends of Upton Country Park have been involved with the estate ever since it opened to the public in 1976. They are an active voluntary group numbering more than 135 members, including 30 volunteers. The group helps with the protection, improvement and promotion of Upton House & Country Park to maximise the enjoyment and education of all visitors.

The Friends group has raised in excess of £1,000,000 over the years, all of which has been spent on the restoration of the House and grounds, and improvement projects that will enhance people’s enjoyment of the Park now and into the future.

The majority of their funds are raised by Volunteers through:

• the sale of drinks and ice creams at the Kiosk behind the House
• by hosting regular Upton House Open Days, when Volunteers offer guided tours and sell books and souvenirs.

Additional income is collected through Membership fees, donations and sponsorships. The Friends is a Registered Charity No 272450.

All monies raised by The Friends go towards projects that help improve and maintain Poole’s only Country Park estate. Their achievements over the years are many and varied; most recently they have:

• helped progress the Discovery Project by donating £125,000 towards the Partnership Funding required for our £2.3 million National Lottery bid;
• purchased a tipping trailer, pallet forks and tractor mounted flail for use in the Park;
• purchased a circular bench to go around the Holm Oak tree near the Kiosk;
• purchased Trail Cameras, which are carefully positioned away from visitor areas in order to record the nightlife in the Country Park.

See History & Achievements for a full listing of our works in the House & Country Park from 1976-2020

If you feel you would like to contribute in some way to the remarkable assistance the group provides in the successful running of large Country Park estate, then please consider becoming a Friend yourself, or perhaps making a one-off donation:

Please click here for the history of The Friends and a comprehensive list of achievements since 1976