The Friends Of The Crouch are a local community group of residents who care about The Crouch. That includes the Crouch Gardens, the children's playground, the areas used by the Seaford Crouch Bowling Club, the Exchange Project and Seaford Town FC, and the different interests of all users and visitors.

The FOTC was born out of a 2008 campaign launched by Dick Knight (the then Chairman of STFC), to try to get the Crouch Recreation Ground cleaned up and suitable for recreation by persuading dog-walkers and local Councils to collaborate in abiding by and enforcing the rules that dog droppings should be removed before they could become a nuisance. Whilst this is still one aim of the Friends, their horizons are rather broader. The group is recognised by and has good contacts with Seaford Town Council, and uses this to discover what Crouch users want (and do not want) and present these views to the Council. At times they may act as a debating chamber to reconcile any conflicts between interest groups, and thus agree on the best ways forward before they become arguments; this helps to speed up and rationalise the public consultation process, or simply engage all parties in an informal process with the same effect but less stress.

Problems? The Friends can often bring them to the attention of the right people faster and more effectively. Ideas? - ditto!

Another function of the FOTC is coordinating and attracting events at The Crouch to ensure it is properly used to good effect. This includes sponsoring and publicising outdoor drama and music, for example.

To find out more about the FOTC, please see the FOTC website or contact their Secretary: Sarah Demoratti - 892758