Email from Alan

This is a note to give you a quick summary of our activities during this past Spring.
From September through to early December we tackled 16 new vegetable gardens around the suburbs and revisited and assisted with 12 other gardens that we had been involved with in previous years. As usual we had a wonderful reception from the owners and where we had to call 3 or more times to a garden, we were able to build a good rapport with the new gardeners.
This year we concentrated on the individual gardens and left the Highgate community garden in the care of the folk at the Maori Hill church.
Some of the highlights of the last 3 months would be:
1] A Cooking Seminar at OBHS school called ” Beyond Baked Beans”. Sabin and Shelley, teachers at the school, demonstrated and gave tips on the cooking of vegetables, the use of herbs and recipe ideas to a group of our new gardeners…plus others. The seminar was very well received.
2] A member encouraged some of her university friends to assist in the weeks before exams and another member with a team that he had organised from Selwyn College, assisted over a 2 or 3 week period as well. It was great to have young and enthusiastic help. And many thanks for the committed team, from St John’s church and elsewhere, who came out week after week.
3] We were encouraged [almost bullied] into entering our project in the annual Trustpower Volunteers Community Awards this year and to our amazement we were the winners of the Health and Wellbeing award. This has meant a welcome addition to our funds.
In the new year we will revisit all our gardens to offer advice, assistance and Summer seedlings.And we anticipate a number of new referrals from the welfare agencies in the city for more new vegetable gardens around the suburbs.
May this Christmas time be a blessed time for you and your families. And as we holiday, may the gardens keep working vigorously.
Best wishes
Alan

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