Friday, 11 September 2015
FREE HARVEST PARTY
Celebrate Harvest round the world with us at the Forest Gate Hotel on Saturday September 26th, 5pm to 9pm. Bring your own Harvest dish to share - feasting, music and fun.
The Big Paint
Come along on Saturday September 12th and Sunday September 13th between 11am and 3pm to paint the Garden fence. Local artist Jim Valenrtine has produced a beautiful design for us to fill in. Bring a 2" to 4" paint brush if you can, and wear old clothes.
Sunday, 14 June 2015
LATEST NEWS // Successful application for Capital Clean-Up Grant
More great news – we were successful in our bid for a Capital Clean Up Grant and as such have an additional £1,250 in our coffers to spend on the garden. Thanks to everyone involved in the bid, especially Myanah Saunders who has put an amazing number of hours into applying for funding on behalf of the garden.
LATEST NEWS // Fingers crossed for our pond...
Thanks to everyone who voted for us for money from the Aviva Community Fund for our pond. We got nearly 2,000 votes, which is testament to the brilliant community of Forest Gate pulling together to help make great things happen and support our vision. This means we are definitely in the running for funding subject to checks
See our Facebook and Twitter sites, plus this blog, for more news on this and other funding soon. We're applying for as much as we can from various sources so that we can make the best garden possible.
Go Team Forest Gate! We hope to bring you frogs and newts very soon!
PS If you are good at or experienced in funding applications we'd love to from you as we need all the help we can get – room on the Steering Group for you...
See our Facebook and Twitter sites, plus this blog, for more news on this and other funding soon. We're applying for as much as we can from various sources so that we can make the best garden possible.
Go Team Forest Gate! We hope to bring you frogs and newts very soon!
PS If you are good at or experienced in funding applications we'd love to from you as we need all the help we can get – room on the Steering Group for you...
LATEST NEWS // Come help create the garden... every Saturday 10am-1pm
Now we have our lease, we can really get stuck into creating the garden – but we need your help. Come join us on Saturday morning 10am-1pm and let's see how much we can get done over summer
So exciting that we can now organise regular site days in the garden so Members can get stuck into some digging and planting. As long as we have enough free Steering Group Members in town to supervise, we now hope to do this every Saturday morning between 10am and 1pm.
We are also hoping to run a 2-hour session during the week so let us know when would suit you. We will then pick the most popular time. Email info@forestgate-community-garden.org with your days and times.
Our first session went really well and was also great fun as usual (see all the smiling faces in the pics below). Led by Rob Beazley, we cleared a space for a greenhouse and found a perfect piece of hardcode exactly where we wanted it (the sun is smiling on us); we also found a freshly dug foxhole!
The site was also cleared and checked ready for the arrival of our shipping container hub on Monday 15 June, which will serve as our dry area and meeting place – thanks to Lisa Eller for sorting out all the logistics for this, can't wait to see it in place.
If you'd like to join our team or amazing gardeners, you just need to be a Member of the garden. It's easy to sign up and only £2 for lifetime Membership. Simply click JOIN US on our website.
Here's some pics from last Saturday's gardening meet to inspire you including Rob Beazley (top left) and Isobel and Jess (top right). Thanks to Lloyd Jeans for these images and many more over the course of the garden's emergence and creation.
See you all in the garden soon!
So exciting that we can now organise regular site days in the garden so Members can get stuck into some digging and planting. As long as we have enough free Steering Group Members in town to supervise, we now hope to do this every Saturday morning between 10am and 1pm.
We are also hoping to run a 2-hour session during the week so let us know when would suit you. We will then pick the most popular time. Email info@forestgate-community-garden.org with your days and times.
Our first session went really well and was also great fun as usual (see all the smiling faces in the pics below). Led by Rob Beazley, we cleared a space for a greenhouse and found a perfect piece of hardcode exactly where we wanted it (the sun is smiling on us); we also found a freshly dug foxhole!
The site was also cleared and checked ready for the arrival of our shipping container hub on Monday 15 June, which will serve as our dry area and meeting place – thanks to Lisa Eller for sorting out all the logistics for this, can't wait to see it in place.
If you'd like to join our team or amazing gardeners, you just need to be a Member of the garden. It's easy to sign up and only £2 for lifetime Membership. Simply click JOIN US on our website.
Here's some pics from last Saturday's gardening meet to inspire you including Rob Beazley (top left) and Isobel and Jess (top right). Thanks to Lloyd Jeans for these images and many more over the course of the garden's emergence and creation.
See you all in the garden soon!
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| Space for our greenhouse, amazing that the hardcore was already there just where we wanted it! |
LATEST NEWS // Update from The Big L(a)unch on 7 June
Thanks to everyone who came to our Big L(a)unch on Sunday 7 June – it was a great success including food and fun in the sun, a play street, 30 new Members, site visits, fundraising for Nepal and over 250 visitors over the course of the day
Tying in with Big Lunches around the UK and to celebrate our official launch now we have the lease, we decided to organise a street party and site open day at 136 Earlham Grove. Headed up by Steering Group Member Isobel Matheson, we managed to close off the street around the site and inspire over 250 local residents, neighbour, supporters and friends to visit the garden, bring food to share, buy plants and generally make merry in the sun.
It was a wonderful day, not least for all the hard work that went into the event including liaising with the council to close the street, supervising safe visits to the garden site, preparing and serving food, running kids activities and organising a plant sale in aid of Nepal.
See below for some images of the day – we'll be posting more in our gallery soon plus check our Facebook and Twitter sites for regular updates of this and other events and happenings.
Thanks again to everyone who helped and came along – we can't wait to see you in the garden soon!
Tying in with Big Lunches around the UK and to celebrate our official launch now we have the lease, we decided to organise a street party and site open day at 136 Earlham Grove. Headed up by Steering Group Member Isobel Matheson, we managed to close off the street around the site and inspire over 250 local residents, neighbour, supporters and friends to visit the garden, bring food to share, buy plants and generally make merry in the sun.
It was a wonderful day, not least for all the hard work that went into the event including liaising with the council to close the street, supervising safe visits to the garden site, preparing and serving food, running kids activities and organising a plant sale in aid of Nepal.
See below for some images of the day – we'll be posting more in our gallery soon plus check our Facebook and Twitter sites for regular updates of this and other events and happenings.
Thanks again to everyone who helped and came along – we can't wait to see you in the garden soon!
LATEST NEWS // We've got the lease!
Great news, we've finally got the lease for the Forest Gate Community Garden site. Check out the images below for the moment when Steering Group Members Lloyd Jeans and Myanah Saunders signed the official document on 21 May 2015. After two years of negotiations, a very exciting moment indeed! Read on for what it all means...
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| Lloyd holding the official document on 21 May 2015 – at last! |
We now have the lease for 5 years with the proviso that after a year – so from 21 May 2016 – we are on 3 months notice from the powers that be at Newham Council. Which means we have a full year to knock our garden into amazing shape, while making it portable to transport to another site if we needs to (fingers crossed this doesn't happen but if it does we want to be optimistic and ready).Thanks to everyone who has been involved in the securing of the lease, both on the Steering Group and at the council.
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| Myanah signing the lease – a very exciting day indeed! |
Saturday, 6 June 2015
Big Lunch To-morrow
Come along to Earlham Grove on Sunday June 7th between 11am and 3pm.
The street will be closed for a shared lunch (bring something to share). Enjoy street games for the kids to, as well as free popcorn, a chance to do a tour of the garden site before we start work properly on it, order your FGCG T shirt, and bring a plant or seeds to swap - all donations to the Nepal Earthquake fund.
See you there!
The street will be closed for a shared lunch (bring something to share). Enjoy street games for the kids to, as well as free popcorn, a chance to do a tour of the garden site before we start work properly on it, order your FGCG T shirt, and bring a plant or seeds to swap - all donations to the Nepal Earthquake fund.
See you there!
Monday, 11 May 2015
LATEST NEWS // Enter our Hoarding Design Competition NOW! // Deadline 14 June 2015
Artist, designer, illustrator, art student? Or simply feeling creative? Enter the Forest Gate Community Garden Hoarding Design Competition. See your winning design on 60 metres of fencing around our garden in the heart of Forest Gate
It's exciting times for the Forest Gate Community Garden, as we sign our lease and begin to clear the site and create the foundations of our community wildlife garden. As well as the interior aspects of the garden, such as a central hub, pond and play area, we also want to create an engaging periphery to draw people in. This will take the form of a 60-metre-long mural, across the full extent of the exterior boundary of the garden from Earlham Grove and around to Sprowston Road in Forest Gate, London E7, currently painted bright blue. The garden – and hoarding – is located seconds from Forest Gate's main high street Woodgrange Road, and minutes from the main railway station, which will be part of Crossrail from 2017.We need someone or a group of people to design our mural, which will then be painted onto the blue timber hoarding, by the Forest Gate community during summer 2015. In order to get the very best design for our hoarding, and give as many people as possible the opportunity to enter, we're launching a nationwide Hoarding Design Competition. All designs should be suitable to transfer onto the timber hoarding, to be painted by volunteers including children. Block colours and simple shapes are therefore ideal, but the theme of the design is up to you – obviously something that connects the hoarding with the garden, through its history, location of wildlife would be good. Designs should also include ‘windows’, peepholes from the street to the garden inside, a unique and inspiring element of the competition.
Judges include local and international artists, Forest Gate Community Garden Steering Group Members with creative, landscape, media and gardening backgrounds, and neighbourhood representatives. The deadline is 14 June 2015 and entry fee is £10 per design, with all proceeds going towards the creation of the Forest Gate Community Garden. For administrative reasons, we're accepting hard copies scaled to A1 size only, which will be non-returnable. However, we will be exhibiting shortlisted entries in a local space at some point in 2015. The competition is open to everyone, however under 18s can only enter as a group represented by an adult.
If you'd like to enter, find the full brief (in printable PDF format), along with design templates of the hoarding in PDF format and DWG (compatible with CAD and Adobe Illustrator), plus a poster for publicising within schools, colleges and art/design groups (low res and high res available for online and print). Use the templates to create your design digitally or print out to provide the outline for a manual design. Either way, you will then need to scale your design up to A1 size, and submit a hard copy at this scale as your competition entry – find more details on the full brief including images of the hoarding via Google.
Can't wait to see the winning design around our garden!
HOARDING DESIGN COMPETITION BRIEF & TEMPLATES
COMPETITION BRIEF
http://adobe.ly/1Hb8a0eCOMPETITION POSTER (LOW RES / ONLINE & EMAIL)
http://adobe.ly/1KWMx22
COMPETITION POSTER (HIGH RES RES / PRINT)
http://adobe.ly/1H9h4IN
HOARDING DESIGN TEMPLATE (PDF FORMAT)
http://adobe.ly/1Eo74XT
HOARDING DESIGN TEMPLATE (DWG FORMAT COMPATIBLE WITH CAD AND ILLUSTRATOR)
http://adobe.ly/1PbCOeb
Sunday, 10 May 2015
LATEST NEWS // Hugh runs in Hackney for the Garden
Steering Group member Hugh Barnard completed the Vitality RUN HACKNEY Half Marathon on Sunday May 10th in just over 2 hours. If you haven't sponsored Hugh already, there is still time to show your support. Put your donation in an envelope marked for FGCG together with your name and drop it into Number 8 Sebert Road (next to CoffeE7).
Thanks for your support, and well done Hugh!
Thanks for your support, and well done Hugh!
Sunday, 26 April 2015
LATEST NEWS // Enter the Forest Gate Community Garden Hoarding Competition
Keep your eyes peeled for an official announcement of the Forest Gate Community Garden Hoarding Competition – a great opportunity to see your artwork on full extent of the external fence, located at the heart of burgeoning Forest Gate.
The competition is open to everybody and will involve a design for the full length and height of the fence, including cut-out windows to view into the garden itself.
Designs need to be submitted to the FGCG team by 1 June 2015 and the winning design will then be painted by the community on a subsequent date in Summer. There will also be an exhibition of the winning design and runners up.
Judges for the competition are Steering Group Member, landscape architect, urban designer and competition lead Jane McCarthy; Steering Group Member and local artist, writer and editor Sonya Patel Ellis; internationally renowned artists Alex Chinneck, Tom Ellis and Lothar Götz; and local councillor Ellie Robinson.
Keep checking in here, on our website and social media for more details of the competition including dimensions and templates. FGCG Members will be advised of the competition by email.
If you want to become a Member email us at info@forestgate-community-garden.org.uk or sign up here >
DATE FOR THE DIARY // The Big Lunch // 7 June 2015
With the final details of the lease confirmed and the final documentation just weeks away, we can start planning some official events. First up is the Big Lunch on 7 June 2015
The Big Lunch is a nationwide initiative, dreamt up by the Eden Project. The aim is to get as many people as possible across the whole of the UK to have lunch with their neighbours annually on the first Sunday in June in a simple act of community, friendship and fun. Since starting in 2009, thousands of Big Lunches have taken place in all types of communities. In 2014, 4.83 million people took to their streets, gardens and community spaces for the sixth annual Big Lunch.
This year, we're hosting our very first Big Lunch in the Forest Gate Community Garden and we'd love you to come. Rain or shine, we'll be making merry at 136 Earlham Grove and also hope to organise a Play Street on the road outside at the same time.
It should be great fun and is a great way to meet your neighbours and find out what the garden is all about. We also need some volunteers to help with lunch and festivities so if you have some free time on the day, we'd love to hear from you. Just email info@forestgate-community-garden.org.uk.
Can't wait to see you there!
The Big Lunch is a nationwide initiative, dreamt up by the Eden Project. The aim is to get as many people as possible across the whole of the UK to have lunch with their neighbours annually on the first Sunday in June in a simple act of community, friendship and fun. Since starting in 2009, thousands of Big Lunches have taken place in all types of communities. In 2014, 4.83 million people took to their streets, gardens and community spaces for the sixth annual Big Lunch.
This year, we're hosting our very first Big Lunch in the Forest Gate Community Garden and we'd love you to come. Rain or shine, we'll be making merry at 136 Earlham Grove and also hope to organise a Play Street on the road outside at the same time.
It should be great fun and is a great way to meet your neighbours and find out what the garden is all about. We also need some volunteers to help with lunch and festivities so if you have some free time on the day, we'd love to hear from you. Just email info@forestgate-community-garden.org.uk.
Can't wait to see you there!
LATEST NEWS // We need your spare wood, paving stones, bricks and fencing...
The next phase of the Forest Gate Community Garden is to create the hard landscaping areas including raised beds and the base for the container hub. We are accepting donations of these items on Saturday 9 May when the garden is open to volunteers helping out at our next site clear.
Here's what we gratefully received at our last delivery from Members of the Steering Group plus the cherry blossom on one side of the garden in glorious bloom.
We also received planters, paving stones and pebbles donated by B and Q last year, tubing, a builder's bag and some guttering. All brilliant resources to help our garden come together.
A big thanks to all involved in donating, delivering, moving and storing goods.
If you have wood, paving stones, bricks or fencing you can donate then we want to hear from you. We will accept these goods on 9 May. Just email info@forestgate-community-garden.org.uk to arrange delivery.
Here's what we gratefully received at our last delivery from Members of the Steering Group plus the cherry blossom on one side of the garden in glorious bloom.
We also received planters, paving stones and pebbles donated by B and Q last year, tubing, a builder's bag and some guttering. All brilliant resources to help our garden come together.
A big thanks to all involved in donating, delivering, moving and storing goods.
If you have wood, paving stones, bricks or fencing you can donate then we want to hear from you. We will accept these goods on 9 May. Just email info@forestgate-community-garden.org.uk to arrange delivery.
EVENTS // Help out at the next FGCG Site Day on 9 May 2015
Want to help clear the Forest Gate Community Garden site, ready for the next phase? Got some spare paving stones, wood, bricks or fencing that you could donate to help us create hard landscaping such as raised beds and a base for our container hub? Join us on 9 May
Sign up for the next chance to get on site at 136 Earlham Grove and help other FGCG Members to clear the last of the rubbish, mend internal fences and move donated materials in, led by Lisa and Rob of the Steering Group.
We're running an afternoon and a morning session and can fit 30 people in per session. You'll need to wear the stoutest shoes you have, gloves if you have them (we'll provide some if you haven't) and bring water. Not suitable for under 16's.
We're also accepting donations of wood, paving stones, fencing and bricks so if you have any of these items please email us and we can arrange to pick up or advise on delivery on 9 May. These items will be used to make raised beds, provide hard surfaces for our container hub and create other hard landscaping.
We need to know numbers for the site day and if you will be donating goods. In both cases please email info@forestgate-community-garden.org.uk.
NB If you're not a Member of the FGCG, you can still attend, just sign up to become a Member via our website (link here) or via the email above. Only £2 lifetime Membership to stay in the loop about what's going on!
Sign up for the next chance to get on site at 136 Earlham Grove and help other FGCG Members to clear the last of the rubbish, mend internal fences and move donated materials in, led by Lisa and Rob of the Steering Group.
We're running an afternoon and a morning session and can fit 30 people in per session. You'll need to wear the stoutest shoes you have, gloves if you have them (we'll provide some if you haven't) and bring water. Not suitable for under 16's.
We're also accepting donations of wood, paving stones, fencing and bricks so if you have any of these items please email us and we can arrange to pick up or advise on delivery on 9 May. These items will be used to make raised beds, provide hard surfaces for our container hub and create other hard landscaping.
We need to know numbers for the site day and if you will be donating goods. In both cases please email info@forestgate-community-garden.org.uk.
NB If you're not a Member of the FGCG, you can still attend, just sign up to become a Member via our website (link here) or via the email above. Only £2 lifetime Membership to stay in the loop about what's going on!
LATEST NEWS // FGCG Organic Gardening Course now underway, email to check if still availability
A second term of the Forest Gate Community Garden Organic Gardening Course is now underway at the Forest Gate Learning Zone. This term it is help at 7pm on Wednesdays so that more people can attend after work.
The first term was a great success, and by the look of the numbers attending this year already, organic methods of gardening seem to be something lots of people in the area want to learn about.
If you didn't manage to sign up for this batch of sessions but would still like to attend you can check availability at info@forestgate-community-garden.org.uk.
Details about the course can also be found here: http://136earlhamgrove.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/latest-news-join-round-two-of-forest.html
The first term was a great success, and by the look of the numbers attending this year already, organic methods of gardening seem to be something lots of people in the area want to learn about.
If you didn't manage to sign up for this batch of sessions but would still like to attend you can check availability at info@forestgate-community-garden.org.uk.
Details about the course can also be found here: http://136earlhamgrove.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/latest-news-join-round-two-of-forest.html
LATEST NEWS // Garden Design Course with FGCG tutor Stephen Mason
Want to know more about Garden Design - how to turn your patch into a stunning vista?
Stephen Mason, who runs the very successful FGCG Organic Gardening Course at the Forest Gate Learning Zone, is running a weekly 2-hour session at his house in Wanstead on Fridays for 10 weeks from 24 April.
Covering basic principles of Garden Design, it will be tailored to the garden design needs of course members. Cost £70 or £7 per session.
Sessions have already begun but you can drop in and drop out or start from week 2. FGCG Members and non-Members welcome.
Contact Stephen for more details on stephen.mason7@googlemail.com
Stephen Mason, who runs the very successful FGCG Organic Gardening Course at the Forest Gate Learning Zone, is running a weekly 2-hour session at his house in Wanstead on Fridays for 10 weeks from 24 April.
Covering basic principles of Garden Design, it will be tailored to the garden design needs of course members. Cost £70 or £7 per session.
Sessions have already begun but you can drop in and drop out or start from week 2. FGCG Members and non-Members welcome.
Contact Stephen for more details on stephen.mason7@googlemail.com
Friday, 20 March 2015
LATEST NEWS // Join round two of the Forest Gate Community Garden Organic Gardening Course – starts 22 April 2015
Our first Organic Gardening Course has gone so well, we've gone and organised a second one, running for 10 weeks from 22 April 2015 – this time on Wednesday evenings between 7-9pm. Read on for more details on the course and how to enrol
Only one more week left of the very first Forest Gate Community Garden Organic Gardening Course with tutor Stephen Mason, just in time to get out into the garden for a bit of spring sowing, planting and last minute propagating!
Those of us lucky enough to be on the first course have learnt so much – more than we thought possible in just 2 hours each week – including how to have healthy soil, all about shrubs, flowers, trees, and seeds and great tips on water conservation, organic pest control and keeping your tools shipshape. Can't wait to put all our newfound knowledge into action in our own personal gardens and the forthcoming community garden at 136 Earlham Grove.
Don't worry if you missed the course this time round, as we're running a second 10-week class at the Learning Zone from 22 April – this time it's on a Wednesday evening between 7pm and 10pm. You can enrol from 15 April and it costs just £60 for 10 weeks (concession rates apply).
ABOUT THE COURSE // HOW TO ENROL
Run in partnership with Newham Adult Learning Service and tutored by renowned local organic gardener Stephen Mason of Greenspace Management – who has a distinguished community garden record – it runs for 10 weeks from Wednesday 22 April 2015. Sessions take place between 7-9pm each week and are held at the Forest Gate Learning Zone (1 Woodford Road, London, E7 0DH; 5 minutes walk from Forest Gate Station; opposite Wanstead Park Station).
The full cost of the course is £60 for those in employment but there are concessions for the retired and those on benefits, with evidence (see page 2 of the Newham Adult Learning Lifelong Learning 2014-2015 brochure). In order to qualify you need to enrol at Forest Gate Learning Zone on 15 April (10am-7pm), 16 April (10am-7pm) and 17 April at (10am-4pm).
Read on for a detailed account of our syllabus. It is designed to be flexible to meet participants needs and interests and to be of value to experienced as well as new gardeners. Hope to see you there!
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| FGCG Organic Gardening Course tutor Stephen Mason on site (centre) in the Forest Gate Community Garden following our Members event in September 2014 |
Only one more week left of the very first Forest Gate Community Garden Organic Gardening Course with tutor Stephen Mason, just in time to get out into the garden for a bit of spring sowing, planting and last minute propagating!
Those of us lucky enough to be on the first course have learnt so much – more than we thought possible in just 2 hours each week – including how to have healthy soil, all about shrubs, flowers, trees, and seeds and great tips on water conservation, organic pest control and keeping your tools shipshape. Can't wait to put all our newfound knowledge into action in our own personal gardens and the forthcoming community garden at 136 Earlham Grove.
Don't worry if you missed the course this time round, as we're running a second 10-week class at the Learning Zone from 22 April – this time it's on a Wednesday evening between 7pm and 10pm. You can enrol from 15 April and it costs just £60 for 10 weeks (concession rates apply).
ABOUT THE COURSE // HOW TO ENROL
Run in partnership with Newham Adult Learning Service and tutored by renowned local organic gardener Stephen Mason of Greenspace Management – who has a distinguished community garden record – it runs for 10 weeks from Wednesday 22 April 2015. Sessions take place between 7-9pm each week and are held at the Forest Gate Learning Zone (1 Woodford Road, London, E7 0DH; 5 minutes walk from Forest Gate Station; opposite Wanstead Park Station).
The full cost of the course is £60 for those in employment but there are concessions for the retired and those on benefits, with evidence (see page 2 of the Newham Adult Learning Lifelong Learning 2014-2015 brochure). In order to qualify you need to enrol at Forest Gate Learning Zone on 15 April (10am-7pm), 16 April (10am-7pm) and 17 April at (10am-4pm).
Read on for a detailed account of our syllabus. It is designed to be flexible to meet participants needs and interests and to be of value to experienced as well as new gardeners. Hope to see you there!
Tuesday, 17 March 2015
Course Students Learn in the Garden
The next course starts on Wednesday April 22nd at 7pm at the Learning Zone. Enrol in the previous week on April 15th, 16th or 17th.
Now, where's that homework on trees and shrubs.....?
Thursday, 26 February 2015
Thanks for the Hearts, Number 8
Thanks to everyone who displayed their hearts in the window of Number 8.
Your generous donations will help us build a beautiful garden in the heart of Forest Gate.
Your generous donations will help us build a beautiful garden in the heart of Forest Gate.
Friday, 20 February 2015
FEATURE // WEEK 1-5 OF THE ORGANIC GARDENING COURSE // A RAMBLING ACCOUNT
It's half term and, as such, the Forest Gate Community Garden Organic Gardening Course is on holiday for a week. Here's a little taster of the course so far and how we might apply our new knowledge to our own garden and the Forest Gate Community Gardenat 136 Earlham Grove. Steering Group Member and 'student' Sonya Patel Ellis reports
It's nearly March and Week 6 of the Forest Gate Community Garden Organic Gardening Course is on the horizon. Half term provides a week off in which to contemplate what we have learnt and maybe begin to implement some of the things that we have been taught as the advent of Spring begins to throw up shoots. Here's a little recap of weeks 1-5 – can't believe how much we've learnt already. The power of osmosis...
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| Companion planting in the vegetable garden can help keep pets away and makes your plot look beautiful |
It's nearly March and Week 6 of the Forest Gate Community Garden Organic Gardening Course is on the horizon. Half term provides a week off in which to contemplate what we have learnt and maybe begin to implement some of the things that we have been taught as the advent of Spring begins to throw up shoots. Here's a little recap of weeks 1-5 – can't believe how much we've learnt already. The power of osmosis...
Tuesday, 17 February 2015
WE ONLY NEED TWO MORE MEMBERS
Saturday's Winter Event at BB's was a roaring success. After our AGM over 50 people enjoyed great food, plenty to drink and loved the Scumbags. We made a much needed £400 for the garden and we signed up 17 new members, so only need 2 more to reach 200 - fantastic! Thanks to everyone who made it a great evening.
Friday, 13 February 2015
GARDEN COURSE // As promised – the course feedback web link
Fellow Members of the FGCG Organic Gardening Course with Stephen Mason. As promised here is a link to the course feedback website so that we can all say how brilliant the course is.
I'll also be posting some feedback on the course this site soon, so please do drop me an email if you are able to give me a couple of words on that too: 136earlhamgrove@gmail.com.
Herewith the link: https://surveys.ipsosinteractive.com/mrWeb/mrlWeb.dll?!.Project=S2000172
However it doesn't seem to work at the moment. I'll keep trying and then relink it so you can click on it direct.
Thank you, Sonya x
I'll also be posting some feedback on the course this site soon, so please do drop me an email if you are able to give me a couple of words on that too: 136earlhamgrove@gmail.com.
Herewith the link: https://surveys.ipsosinteractive.com/mrWeb/mrlWeb.dll?!.Project=S2000172
However it doesn't seem to work at the moment. I'll keep trying and then relink it so you can click on it direct.
Thank you, Sonya x
LATEST NEWS // Plans are coming together
It's the eve of our AGM and Winter Event and plans are shaping up nicely for the Forest Gate Community Garden. As well as food, drink, music and dancing we'll also kick off the evening with a presentation of what's going on with the garden, next steps and plans for the future. Here's a sneak preview of some of the drawings and model made by Steering Group Member and garden designer Lisa Eller for landscaping and buildings on the site.
These plans will be presented at the AGM / Winter Event by Lisa alongside the launch of the front fence mural design competition, which will be presented by Jane McCarthy. So exciting to see ideas actually beginning to take shape.
We hope to see you tomorrow night (14 February 7-11pm) and look forward to seeing you in the garden very soon for a spot of good old-fashioned toil!
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
LATEST NEWS // Only 3 days to go to display your Valentine message
Have you displayed your heart to Forest Gate yet? Only £2 to write a message to whoever, or whatever, you love. Half the profits go to the Garden. Thanks to Number 8.
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
MEMBER NEWS // AGM and Winter Event // BB's Social Club // Sat 14 Feb 2015
Members of the Forest Gate Community Garden – join us on Saturday 14 February for our Winter Event and Annual General Meeting (AGM). It's a great opportunity to find out what's happening with the garden, meet fellow residents, and generally make merry and share the love!
The night will kick off with a brief AGM and Financial Report (these docs will also be circulated to Members by email). There will then be a presentation of our future plans by Lisa Eller, the launch of our competition to design an artwork for the external fence presented by Jane McCarthy, and a Q&A to give Members the opportunity to get involved, feedback and learn more.
Then it's time for the celebration of all we've achieved so far – all our hard work and meetings finally paying off – with food, drink, music and dancing. All refreshments are on a donation-only basis, with all proceeds raised going towards the further implementation and creation of the Forest Gate Community Garden.
There's even an open mic, so if you feel like taking to the stage, please do!
Hope to see you there. Please share this post with anyone you think might like to come.
The night will kick off with a brief AGM and Financial Report (these docs will also be circulated to Members by email). There will then be a presentation of our future plans by Lisa Eller, the launch of our competition to design an artwork for the external fence presented by Jane McCarthy, and a Q&A to give Members the opportunity to get involved, feedback and learn more.
Then it's time for the celebration of all we've achieved so far – all our hard work and meetings finally paying off – with food, drink, music and dancing. All refreshments are on a donation-only basis, with all proceeds raised going towards the further implementation and creation of the Forest Gate Community Garden.
There's even an open mic, so if you feel like taking to the stage, please do!
Hope to see you there. Please share this post with anyone you think might like to come.
Monday, 26 January 2015
MEMBER NEWS // Save the Date // Valentine's Day evening event
Wondering what to actually do on Valentine's Day? We're hoping to have a little local evening event planned for you, the Forest Gate Community Garden Members with food, drink, music and dancing. We're also hoping to celebrate the signing of our lease – so very nearly there – and hold a quick AGM at the beginning to fill you in on what's going on and what our next steps are. Watch this space for more information but for now, save that date!
LATEST NEWS // Congratulations to Tylney Road Play Street
Congratulations to Tylney Road Play Street, organised by local mum Kelly Drake, neighbouring residents of Forest Gate and supported by London Play and Newham London. Could this be something we could do outside the garden on Earlham Grove too?
A brilliant afternoon was had by all, as Tylney Road between Capel Road (Wanstead Flats) and Godwin Road (Forest Gate Hotel) was closed between the hours of 1pm and 3.30pm on Sunday 25 January 2015.
Loads of kids (of all ages) came down and played in the street, just like we used to do when we were kids. They were out on their bikes, roller skates and scooters, writing in the road with chalk, running around with balloons from BoBo the Balloon Man, spinning hoops and enjoying the bucket loads of hot chocolate and tray bakes.
This is such a great idea, and you can help make it happen again by showing your support on the Tylney Road Play Street Facebook page here >
We're also inspired to organise one ourselves outside the garden on Earlham Grove, possibly to tie in with painting the front wall (more on this soon) so let us know if this is something you would be interested in / helping at. Email us at info@forestgate-community-garden.org.uk.
FIND OUT MORE
Tylney Road Play Street
London Play
A brilliant afternoon was had by all, as Tylney Road between Capel Road (Wanstead Flats) and Godwin Road (Forest Gate Hotel) was closed between the hours of 1pm and 3.30pm on Sunday 25 January 2015.Loads of kids (of all ages) came down and played in the street, just like we used to do when we were kids. They were out on their bikes, roller skates and scooters, writing in the road with chalk, running around with balloons from BoBo the Balloon Man, spinning hoops and enjoying the bucket loads of hot chocolate and tray bakes.
This is such a great idea, and you can help make it happen again by showing your support on the Tylney Road Play Street Facebook page here >We're also inspired to organise one ourselves outside the garden on Earlham Grove, possibly to tie in with painting the front wall (more on this soon) so let us know if this is something you would be interested in / helping at. Email us at info@forestgate-community-garden.org.uk.
FIND OUT MORE
Tylney Road Play Street
London Play
LATEST NEWS // LYN BROWN MP signs up for Membership of Forest Gate Community Garden
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| Lyn Brown MP (centre) with local Councillors Rachel Tripp (left) and Seyi Akiwowo (right) |
Lyn signed up at the Tylney Road Play Street on Sunday, Forest Gate's, indeed Newham's very first Play Street, and gave us £5 towards her Membership.
Welcome to the garden, Lyn. We look forward to sharing our news with you and even getting stuck into some gardening!
LATEST NEWS // Sun-drenched day on site clearing rubbish and moving in materials from the Olympics
Thanks to everyone who turned out on Friday 23 January for the second Forest Gate Community Garden site clear and to help move Freeusable materials from the Olympics 2012 onto our site at 136 Earlham Grove. The sun really is shining on us!
Teams of FGCG Members joined forces with London Groundwork and community officers from the local police and Newham Council to help get the task down, brilliantly managed by Steering Group Members Lisa Eller and Hugh Barnard.
With everyone's help, we managed to clear most of the rubbish into a skip (thanks to Ian Martin at Newham Council for organising that) and move donated goods including paving slabs and stones into the site. Truly amazed by the range of ingenious ways our volunteers came up with to move the rubbish and transport the donated goods on site.
A packed lunch was prepared by Myanah and Kath from the Steering Group to keep the volunteers energised. Plus we had a most generous spontaneous delivery of homemade ginger biscuits and tea from the Bruderhof community on Clova Road – best ginger biscuits we've ever tasted.
The sun shone all day, albeit with a frosty start, proving once again what an amazing sun trap the site of the garden is. Everyone agrees, there's something quite magical about this spot and with some of the buddleia and debris cleared, the site looks even bigger and more inviting.
We also had a visit from Councillor Rohima Rahman of Green Street East ward and Community Leader for Forest Gate, who supports several community gardens in the borough. Thanks Councillor Rohima for coming to observe our efforts. We hope to see you in the garden again soon.
The last two volunteer days have been such a success and such fun too, we just can't wait for the next opportunity to get on site, hopefully to celebrate signing the lease!
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| Getting stuck into the site clear led by Steering Group Member Hugh Barnard |
With everyone's help, we managed to clear most of the rubbish into a skip (thanks to Ian Martin at Newham Council for organising that) and move donated goods including paving slabs and stones into the site. Truly amazed by the range of ingenious ways our volunteers came up with to move the rubbish and transport the donated goods on site.
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| Another brilliant way to transport the rubbish off site |
The sun shone all day, albeit with a frosty start, proving once again what an amazing sun trap the site of the garden is. Everyone agrees, there's something quite magical about this spot and with some of the buddleia and debris cleared, the site looks even bigger and more inviting.
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| Councillor Rohima Rahman with Steering Group Members Lloyd Jeans and Isobel Matheson – plus our youngest volunteer Iggy Ellis helping mum and Steering Group Member Sonya Patel Ellis with photography! |
The last two volunteer days have been such a success and such fun too, we just can't wait for the next opportunity to get on site, hopefully to celebrate signing the lease!
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| Brilliant invention! The intelligence of mankind |
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| Another ingenious way to cart away the rubbish |
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| Ginger biscuit delivery |
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| The morning team at Forest Gate Community Garden site, clearing rubbish and unloading donations – supported by Councillor Rohima Rahman and Ian Martin from Newham Council |
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| Must stop people rummaging through our rubbish ;-) |
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| Thanks Ian Martin at Newham Council for organising the wheelbarrow! |
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| Some of the 'rubbish' on site that we're keeping and reusing |
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| A frosty but sunny start |
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| Wave goodbye to the rubbish! |
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| Donated goods from the Olympics 2012 on the lorry ready for transportation - there's that lovely bench! |
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| The team at the end of the day |
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| Great support from London Groundwork |
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| Great support from London Groundwork |
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