ABUNDANCE MEETING 2

Guinness Trust Estate, Sunday 16 December 2-5pm

Programme:
2pm Welcome and introduction to ABUNDANCE
2.30pm Site Visit
3.00pm Planning the project together
4.00pm Film: THE POWER OF COMMUNITY, How Cuba Survived Peak Oil. (an inspiring film about the benefits of localisation and urban agriculture)
Refreshments provided. All welcome, kids especially.

Report

After a brief introduction of the Project everyone introduced themselves and why they were there. We visited the Allotment site and the future composting area by the old Mortuary before returning for hot soup, rolls, tea/coffe/chocolate and networking. Then all together we attempted to address some important questions for the project.

How can we organise to get more local residents actively involved?

  • Have FUN
  • Festivals A SPRING FESTIVAL
  • Permaculture Training 'Gardening classes'
  • Food Days
  • Kids mapping the estate
  • Work days which people see and join - especially easy stuff - leaf sorting on composting site, tidying.
  • Seating and meeting space made as part of the gardens
  • Willow sculpture
  • Tree planting
  • Dedication event on the allotment to honour George and Carlos
  • Seed swap NB Potato Fair and Seed Swap happens in SE22 on Sun 27 Jan
  • Give away seedlings for people to grow on windowsills and balconies
  • Get FoodupFront involved in this
  • Offer window boxes
  • Offer really small plots 2 square metres
  • Do soil analysis by next meeting (20 Jan) and publicise results
  • Give seeds out with publicity to all tenants which they can swap or plant at a spring meeting.
  • Plant for butterflies, wildlife, bees
  • Plan to plant decorative, smelly stuff, honeysuckle, roses
  • Map other stuff on the estate eg the problems, the beautiful - can feed in to future visioning for the estate.
  • Signage, noticeboards with information on site days and how to get involved.
  • Seasonal information on the site
  • Creative competitions
  • Collect recipes from residents
  • A visit to Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses
  • Survey of what people like eating/what they want to grow.
  • Get site looking good, cared for.
  • Get a gate on the site for child security.
  • Bike maintenance for kids
  • Mark (mow) the paths on the site. Get donations of old scaffold boards
  • Create tool collection.
  • Have regular Sunday work/social days (3rd Sunday of the month) with regular work days the preceding Saturday.
  • Involve the youth club
  • Record the process (Christian Nold volunteered)
  • Interviews residents and get news coverage.
  • Interview Alf and create an archive of the estate.
  • Bring in compost
  • Sort compost site
  • Pagan ritual, tree dressing
  • Make connections with Lambeth Horticulture Society
  • Make connections with local schools and churches.

Things we must do as a priority:

  • Sort tools and storage
  • Get Mortuary surveyed and opened up
  • Arrange a workday to sort composting site.
  • Get water supply
  • Survey rainwater downpipes for waterbutts.
  • Get/make notice boards
  • Book rooms for meeting (sort heating)

Next ABUNDANCE event

Sunday 20 January. 2-5pm at the Guinness Trust Community Centre and the allotments

There may be a 'work day' on the allotments on Saturday 19 Jan (tbc)

It will focus on tidying the site so that 'something is happening' and on planning for the SPRING FESTIVAL.

We hope to have a short introduction to Permaculture and Planning to Garden which all are welcome to attend.

At 11am on that day mappers will meet on the estate and do 1 hour's trial mapping to test whether the draft materials we have got together are user-friendly. Then meet to evaluate and plan what next. ALL WELCOME. Please let us know if you're coming so that we can have materials for you. email