About the Friends

The Marsh, which is owned by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It attracts thousands of people a year and therefore requires very careful management, it was with this in mind that Pat Woodward and Peter Holloway decided to start a support group to arrange adequate funding to help to manage the Marsh. A meeting took place in a local pub which rallied twenty supporters and The Friends of Stanpit Marsh was born.

This was in 1983 and now today our membership stands at well over four hundred. Over these years we have raised a substantial amount of money with many regular events such as garden parties, bring and buy stalls, car boot sales, evening socials, coffee mornings, walks and quizzes. Information on future events can be found on our Events Calendar and photos of past events are available in the FOSM Activities Gallery.

Money raised by the Friends has enabled us to give a very substantial donation towards the building of the Visitor Centre, as well as helping towards funding a Summer Warden, which we always considered a priority. We also help financially with other projects associated with the centre.

So, the Marsh now has a Centre that informs and facilitates education of the many visitors, about the variety of wildlife that can be found on the Marsh. We sincerely hope that they all will respect the fragility of the marsh environment, but cherish & remember their visits.