31st March 2017. NCI Portland Bill will be hosting a family fun day in the tranquil grounds of the Charborough Estate. This spring fundraiser will take place in the Highwood Gardens on Sunday, April 30 to raise crucial funds to enable the volunteer watch-keepers to continue with their dedicated work.

The Highwood Garden is a woodland garden located around the Charborough Tower area of the estate and boasts a wide collection of azaleas and rhododendrons for guests to enjoy. Visitors will be able to take a stroll through the bluebell woods as well as meeting Coastwatch members to discover what the charity does in keeping a watch along the Jurassic Coast. The charity event will include cream teas, tombola, cakes, books and craft stalls

NCI Portland Bill Station Manager Geoff Peters said: "Why not come and spend a pleasant afternoon with us? Charborough is a beautiful place to be in the springtime and this year we have a very special guest', the Durnovaria Silver Band which has just been confirmed."  Geoff added: "We don't receive any funding from the government or local councils, so the lookout is run entirely on public donations. It costs £8,000 just to keep the doors open throughout the year and every bit of money that we get we have to find ourselves. We are also a working charity which means that every day we need to find nine people to man the watch station."

The Charborough Eestate is located on the A31 between Bere Regis and Sturminster Marshall, and the Fun day will be open from 2.30pm until 6pm. Admission is £5 for adults and £2.50 for children, no dogs allowed.

Photograph courtesy of The Dorset Echo