I am sorry to say we have suffered quite a bit of wind damage on site. Plotters would be well advised to come down and see what needs to be secured as more gales are likely to follow the initial surge of Storm Babet.
Category: Events Page 3 of 34
It was very pleasing this past week to see that we are at last beginning to recover from the knock that our Active Community Engagement (ACE) Programme took post-Covid.
Sunday, we had a good turn out for our September Community Sunday.
We had a mix of plotters, friends and volunteers on the day. Apologies to those who missed out on the photo opportunities.
Monday, Stuart the Builder laid down the concrete base for the machinery store. Ron has been beavering away for weeks now pre-assembling the structural components, so we ought to have it built before long. If this is something you could help with, please contact Ron.
Tuesday, saw the volunteer squad back in numbers and it was super to have Anne back with us after her recent bad back. Good too, to have Gordon B and Fate back on site and busy woodworking. Gordon is, of course, an old hand, but it is great to have his skills and good humour back with us.
Tuesday, we also welcomed Paul and Laura from Aberdeen City Council on site to join our monthly Committee Meeting. They brought good news in the offer of some very useful second-hand sleepers and a promise to look at solutions for the problem we have with cars bottoming out when using the paths to get to the top of the site. Details to follow we hope.
We arrived on Wednesday to find that Keith and his grass-cutting Pixies had been at work and the Orchard Area was looking great again. We owe a huge thanks to Keith for his efforts keeping our machinery running and much more. His grass cutting on the Tuesday finished more or less in the dark!
Wednesday we took delivery of a set of pallets thanks to a tip-off from Rebecca at C-Fine. The pallets will be re-cycled and provide timbers for up-cycled garden furniture built by our volunteers over the winter months ahead.
Thursday was a very spacial day. RGU students from Gray’s School of Art had been with us all week, but Thursday brought us an especially big group. It is always interesting to see our site through artists’ eyes.
We also welcomed Milly Brace and her Aberdeen horticulture students on site for their first visit. The students enjoyed a site tour led by Anne, followed by a Q and A before donning their boiler suits and boots to help out with the afternoon’s volunteering activities. They helped spruce up the Nursery Plot, Primary Plot and filled potholes before leaving around 15.00 hours. We hope their visit will be the first of many.
Thursday ended with a TAMS collection and it was super to see the amount and variety of surplus provided by our plotters and volunteers over the week.
Friday, brought the news that our missing strimmer and battery had been located and handed in: a great result and further evidence of how public-spirited our plotters are.
Thanks go to everyone involved in making this a special week. However, special mention must go to Anne for setting up the visit of the horticultural students and to Ron, Jordi, Christine and Veronica who stepped in to help on the day when it became clear spinning plates were about to hit the floor if they did not. Thanks!
Yes, believe it or not, it’s the third Sunday of the month again, and so the wait is over, and it is time to come and enjoy another Community Sunday on Garthdee Field.
The coffee’s on the brew, the cakes are in the oven, and all we ask in return is a wee spot of your perspiration on this Sunday 17th September to help us keep our site in tip-top, lickity-split condition. Details in the poster. Do come and share a natter with your fellow plotters and our ace Volunteer Squad.
We had a good turnout for our August Community Sunday – despite competing with the Lionesses on the day. Thanks to all who managed along to help out – old hands and new. It’s amazing what can get done in an hour or so with many willing hands. Apologies to those who missed out in the photo sessions. Many thanks too, to our behind the scenes bakers and providers. We will meet again on the third Sunday of September.
With our annual, It’s Your Neighbourhood site assessment visit fast approaching, we would much appreciate your help this Sunday to get our site ready for inspection. If you are an old hand at Community Sundays, we would love to see you back: if you are new to plotting, there is no better way to meet your plotter neighbours or our volunteers than to come along this Sunday.
We meet at 11.00 and take on all sorts of site maintenance tasks. There is sure to be something for everybody to get stuck into until 12.30 when we stop for coffee and cake and a good natter.
We look forward to seeing you at 11.00 if you can spare a hour or so to help – or just pop along for the coffee and cake at 12.30. All welcome and the more the merrier.
We received a super surprise this week. Our efforts in the community have been recognised by our local ASDA and they have awarded GFAA a celebration hamper.
This month marked the 3rd annual ASDA Thank You Day. Over the past 2 years the day has brought together over 15 million people. This is ASDA’s Opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to colleagues and community groups. Celebrating the unsung heroes in our life and our communities. Big Thank You is a collaborative celebration working with a number of national charities and grass roots groups including groups such as Dementia Carers , Young Voices, Alzheimer’s UK & the Women’s Institute.
Our hamper contained a thoughtfully put together set of garden hand tools and, much to the approval of our volunteer squad, a super selection of cakes and biscuits. The tools will last a lifetime, but the cakes and biscuits – not so much!
Big thanks go to Margaux and to ASDA and to the volunteers and community groups who made it all possible.