Fundraising walk from Lowestoft to Aldeburgh to raise £1,000 for Redlingfield Doorstep Green

Redlingfield resident, Tony Freitas, is doing a fundraising walk on Sunday 15th October along the Suffolk Coastal Path from Lowestoft to Aldeburgh, aiming to raise at least £1,000 towards converting two acres of farmland in to a recreation and wildlife amenity for the village.

The aim is to add it to the three quarter acre recreation area called Redlingfield Doorstep Green which was created 10 years ago by villagers.

Redlingfield is a small village in north Suffolk with less than 60 houses. The pub closed many years ago and there is no shop, school, village hall or pavement.

Just over ten years ago, with local fundraising and government grants, villagers were able to create Redlingfield Doorstep Green, a three quarter acre recreation, wildlife and play area for the village. Prior to having the Doorstep Green children used to play football and skateboard on the main road, which was incredibly dangerous.

For a tiny village there are a large number of children and young people, either who live here or visit regularly because their grandparents or great-grandparents live here. At the last count there were more than fifty.

What we didn’t realise at the time was just how popular it was going to be and that it was far too small! So over the past few years we have been fundraising and managed to raise £27,000 to buy an additional two acres of agricultural land to extend the Doorstep Green.

Our immediate goal is to create highway access, installing a bridge and creating an access road and parking using robust under grass mesh. We will also be fencing the site, putting in 125 metres of new trees and hedging and creating areas of wildlife meadow.

However the costs involved are far greater than we had hoped and the £10,000 we raised to do this initial work simply isn’t enough, we need to raise a further £10,000 to get this work finished

It’s going to be a hard slog for Tony. It’s approaching 30 miles and will take all day. He’s setting off from Lowestoft at around 7.30 in the morning and hoping to reach Aldeburgh by 5.30 that evening. We are hoping that people not only sponsor him but join and support him along the way.

Several venues along the route have now agreed to supply refreshments for the weary walkers:-

The Sailors Home at Kessingland

Southwold Pier

The Beach Café at Dunwich

The Brudenell Hotel at Aldebugh