VOLUNTEERS who run the Lightship café at Grays Beach Riverside Park are going all out to try and provide toilets for the area after Covid-19 restrictions forced the closure of the actual café and its facilities.

This week's warm weather has brought big numbers of parents, carers and children to the Riverside Park and beach area, which has recently seen the installation of new play equipment.

Unfortunately Thurrock Council and the Grays Town Board, which worked together to fund the improvements, didn't factor in any new toilet facilities, leaving the volunteers who are on scene day-to-day and who deal face-to-face with the many visitors with a problem they are attempting to solve.

Though Thurrock Council owns the park, and is responsible for its maintenance, it was the engagement of residents several years ago who committed to run the café on a voluntary basis, having set up a community interest company that sparked the regeneration of the park.

Chair of the café company is Tina Macklin and she told Thurrock Nub News: "We are looking at the moment to try and install some portable toilets as a matter of urgency."

The group is also looking at the possibility of creating an entrance so the toilet facilities inside the café might also be able to be used.

Looking further forward Tina says there are still lots of positives.

She said: "We can't wait to get everything up and running properly.

"Because of Covid-19 restrictions, reopening the café itself is a work in progress and it's unlikely to be filly open until June.

"However, within the next couple of weeks we hope to have completed work on the Exmouth kiosk from where we will be able to serve hot and cold drinks, other refreshments including hot snacks and ice creams.

"That should be open on Monday, 12 April."

Tina praised her team of volunteers for the 'incredible job' they do.

"The volunteers have been the lifeblood, with Tina saying: "Everything is done free of charge, nobody takes any money out from this, we work extremely hard to make sure that this place is fit for purpose."