Guided Bat Walk - Friday 9th June - 8:30pm to 10:30pm

Join Ken for an evening to celebrate bats as part of Love Your Burial Ground Week and National Cemeteries Week.

Discover the Cemetery Park’s flying nocturnal residents.

After one of Ken's well known introductory bat talks, you'll be led by him for a guided walk through the woodland and meadows with bat detectors to listen out for our furry friends as they hunt for their insect prey. The bat detectors help to identify the species that are swooping around and you'll be able to listen to them ‘chattering’ as they hunt for food.

Event leader, Kenneth Greenway, the manager of the Cemetery Park is a registered volunteer bat worker with Natural England, and has been leading bat walks and talks since 2000. He is literally batty about bats.

Suitable for all ages. Booking essential.

This is an after dark event - each two children (under 16) can attend for free without a ticket but must be accompanied by at least one adult (18+ yrs).

Please read as much as possible before booking. 

Please wear weather appropriate clothes and closed shoes (no sandals/flip flops/crocs). Bring your own snacks and drinks. A maximum of 30 participants will be attending the walk. Spaces book up quickly, but it's worth joining the waiting list as people do cancel.

Please bring a torch for you to light your way, they're not for shining at the bats.

Meeting point: The Soanes Centre, just on the right as you enter via the main gates on Southern Grove E3 4PX

BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO BOOK

1. Do not attend sessions if you or a member of your household have COVID-19 symptoms. Please check your symptoms.
2. If you travel by bike, we can’t offer indoor storage, but you are able to lock your bike up on the railings around the Soanes Centre.

WHAT TO BRING

1. Wear closed shoes and comfortable clothing. Dress for the weather as we will be outside.
2. Bring your own food and drinks (we recommend definitely bringing water). Make sure it’s enough to last you for the duration - there will be access to drinking water for refilling, but we won’t be providing tea, coffee or snacks.
3. Note book and pen
4. Bring your own, torch and bat detector if you own one.
5. You will only be permitted into the Soanes Centre to use the toilet. There is nowhere to leave your belongings. Please do not bring anything you aren’t willing to carry with you.

ON THE DAY

1. Please arrive on time and go to the meeting area:  The Soanes Centre, just on the right as you enter via the main gates on Southern Grove E3 4PX
2. The Friends will collect contact information on attendees and we will treat your data in accordance with our data protection policy.

Click here for more information on our data protection policy.

Access statement

• This is an accessible, inclusive walk. The maximum number of participants is 30.

• We will cover a distance of 1km to 2km. The paths are approx. 1-2m wide. The surface is crushed concrete fines, a type of hard-packed fine gravel (which doesn't turn to mud in rain) or earth although we may wander in some areas off the paths where access is more limited. A circular route around the Cemetery Park is approx. 1km with one steeper slope and some shallow slopes, but you can go as far as you like. There are 2 areas with steps, but these are avoidable. If arranged in advance a motorised vehicle could also drive onto the site. There are benches with backs at regular distances around the Cemetery Park. Some of the site is shaded. There is restriction free on-street parking (Southern Grove) at weekends.

• Please contact us with at least 2 weeks’ notice if you’d like BSL or other interpretation/translation and we will do our best to accommodate. Sadly, we have no-one in house who is able to offer this service.

• Toilets will be available in the Soanes Centre. There is a toilet that was deemed accessible when it was refurbished in 2007, but it is not accessible in line with today's standards. It is approx. 2x2 m2 and there is a fixed support bar on the left of the toilet, with a movable bar on the right. There is no adult changing table or hoist.

• We are not able to offer baby changing facilities but we can provide a private space for breastfeeding on request.

• If you need space to pray, please let us know and we'll do our best to offer you a private space.

• We aim to make our events as accessible as possible, and we're learning constantly how to do this better. If you would like to let us know about any specific requirements or access needs that you would like us to meet, or offer feedback on our accessibility arrangements, please email contact@fothcp.org. We want you to feel safe in the Cemetery Park.

Refund policy: If you tell us that you want to cancel your ticket, we will only give you a refund if you request one, and if you give a minimum of 48 hours notice before the start of the event. If your reason for cancellation is Covid-related, you must send us a screenshot of the notification (NHS app or test result).