As the evenings draw in and summer events begin to wind down, it can be tempting to retreat indoors until spring.
But autumn is actually a brilliant time to get involved with your local community.
Across Bognor Regis, there are groups bringing people together to run, walk, make, create, listen to live music or simply spend an evening in good company.
Whether you’ve lived here for years, recently moved to the area or just fancy meeting some new people, here are a few ways to embrace community in Bognor Regis this autumn.
Get creative at Bognor Makerspace
If making things is your thing, The Bognor Makerspace on Longford Road is well worth getting to know.
The Makerspace is an inclusive community resource where people can come together to create, share skills and knowledge, work on projects and meet others. It’s designed to provide much more than simply somewhere to make things, with friendship, confidence, wellbeing and combating loneliness all part of what the space is about.
The preview evening takes place on Friday 9th October, followed by the main exhibition on Saturday 10th October. Expect painting, drawing, pastels, mixed media, sculpture and photography from amateur artists of all ages, with visitors able to vote for their favourite pieces. Saturday’s exhibition is free to visit.
Even if you don’t consider yourself particularly artistic, keep an eye on what’s happening at the Makerspace. You might just discover your next hobby and a few new faces to enjoy it with.
Take safer steps together
There’s something particularly powerful about a community coming together for a shared purpose.
It’s Run By Her is a female-only running group, and Safer Steps was created to raise awareness of the challenges people can face when running and walking alone. More than 350 runners and walkers took part last year, and this year’s event once again invites the wider community to get involved.
Starting at West Park Café at 7pm, the 5K route heads towards Longbrook Park before returning to West Park. You can walk, jog or run, and you certainly don’t need to consider yourself a runner to join in.
Wear something bright, add a glow stick or two and become part of an evening celebrating movement, community and everyone’s right to feel safe while enjoying the outdoors.
Start your Saturday at Parkrun
If you keep telling yourself you’d like to get out and run more, why not make Saturday morning the time to do it?
Bognor Regis parkrun brings people together for a free, weekly 5K every Saturday morning.
One of the loveliest things about parkrun is that it isn’t just about chasing a personal best. You can run, jog or walk at your own pace, while volunteers and familiar faces help create the sense of community that keeps people coming back week after week.
And if Saturday mornings don’t work for you, there are other ways to find a running community locally.
Bognor Regis Tone Zone Runners welcomes runners of all abilities, from complete beginners and people returning to running through to experienced marathon runners. The club runs from Arun Leisure Centre in Felpham, with sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Sometimes getting active is a lot easier when you’ve got other people doing it alongside you.
Spend an evening at your local
Community doesn’t always have to involve joining a club or signing up for an organised activity.
Sometimes it’s as simple as heading to the pub.
Keep an eye on what’s happening at The Green Dragon in The Steyne, where quiz nights and entertainment give you an excuse to get a few friends together and head out for the evening.
The Station on Station Road is another local to watch for events and entertainment, while The Hothampton Arms on London Road has become a familiar part of Bognor Regis’ local music scene. The William Hardwicke always has something fun going on too!
Rather than waiting until the weekend and wondering what to do, follow your favourite local venues and keep an eye on their upcoming events. You might find live music, a quiz or something completely unexpected happening just down the road.
Discover Bognor Regis’ music community
If live music is your thing, there’s more happening around Bognor Regis than you might realise.
Alongside the town’s pubs and live music venues, the Regis School of Music has a programme of performances throughout autumn. October alone includes jazz, classical and contemporary performances, with Bognor Regis Music Club also celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Supporting the local music scene doesn’t have to mean being a musician yourself. Buy a ticket, turn up, discover an artist you’ve never heard before and help keep live performance thriving in the town.
Find your version of community
Community looks different for everyone.
For some, it’s turning up at parkrun every Saturday and gradually getting to know the faces around them. For others, it’s sitting down with a craft project, joining a local group or recognising the same people at a gig each month.
You don’t have to throw yourself into everything at once.
This autumn, choose one thing that sounds like you. Go along to an event, try a group, support a local venue or finally investigate that activity you’ve been meaning to try.
As the nights get darker, there are still plenty of reasons to get out of the house. And you might find there’s a whole community waiting when you do.
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