This week saw the last of our Kaimhill Primary Five visits for the Summer Term. Having the kids with us again has been a real tonic after too long a gap caused by the Lockdown years.
Thanks go to Mr Skinley and his team for agreeing to bring the P5 class every week over the Summer Term. Thanks too to the committee members, plotters and volunteers who helped host the six groups each week. The visits are an important part of our Fresh Food for Frugal Families project and it was wonderful to get the project off to such a great start with the kids.
The kids themselves are a credit to Mr Skinley and to the school. They were both a force of nature and for nature with their limitless enthusiasm for the outdoors. They were a proper tonic and we oldies all need our regular positivity vaccination shots and updates to fend off the grumpy doldrums.
The school breaks up this week, but we will be back in touch with the kids in the Autumn term to harvest and deliver their produce for them to take home and cook with.
After the long Covid break, it was great to have the wonderful Kaimhill kids back visit with us along with Captain Grow, aka Peter (Plot 29).
Thanks go to Hazel, Anne, Steve, Raymond, Ron and Norman for hosting groups on their plots and to Mr Skinley and his colleagues for taking the kids along to us.
The kids return on Tuesday 9 May and then for the next six weeks or so at the same times. If you can spare an hour or so between 13.00 and 14.20 and would be willing to have the kids visit on your plot we would love to hear from you.
Obviously, our Volunteer Squad is stood down right now, awaiting a relaxation in the COVID Regulations that will make it possible for the volunteers to come on site as a group. We are going to review this situation at the end of this month.
Social distancing done the Garthdee Way
We ended last year with a team of 12 active volunteers. I am delighted to say that the team has remained in touch throughout the Lockdown. We had a Zoom Catchup this week and those present confirmed they are all keen to return when circumstances allow. How good it that!
We also discussed how members of the Squad might contribute in the meantime as we wait from normal group activities to recommence. We decided that as the Momentum Group (and we are unsure about Club 10) will not now be returning we will make the raised beds available to volunteers to grow their own stuff for this season (if they so choose). This will make sure that the beds are put to good use and maintained throughout the year, and that the individual volunteers can come on site to work their beds – while staying compliant with the Covid and Council Regs. Meantime, 2 beds will be retained for possible use with Club 10.
The Raised Beds in use by Club 10
Additionally, it may well be that the Primary School kids will not be able to come visit with us in the current session. We have agreed therefore, that the Volunteer Squad will plant up and maintain the Primary Plot and the plastic and metal Primary/Community Greenhouses over the season ahead. The volunteers will be able to harvest for themselves, but we anticipate healthy surpluses will be grown and these we will donate to TAMS. This will boost the TAMS dividend paid into our GFAA funds at the end of the year.
The Kaimhill Kids get to know their onions
So, in the weeks ahead you are likely to see individual volunteers working on the raised beds and the Primary plot and greenhouses: if you do I hope you will stop by and give them a word of encouragement and thanks.
Thanks go to Steve (Plot 72) and volunteers Doug and Irene for agreeing to oversee and manage the volunteers’ Primary School plot and greenhouse activities for the season ahead.
Watch out for further info on the return of the Squad to full duties when circumstances allow. If you are a GFAA Member and have a pressing need for help please use the Requests for Help link on our homepage.
We welcomed a group of fifty Kaimhill Primary kids, staff and parents on site for the last visit of the term this week.
Huge thanks go to all the plotters who helped out on the day – some at very short notice. We were able to muster a team of over ten, making the plot visits for the near-fifty kids much more engaging and interesting. It’s great to know we can count on this sort of support when spreading the joys of gardening out to the next generation.
