Grow Greener with Garthdee Field Allotments Association

Tag: opportunities Page 1 of 14

A Tale of Two Sheds

It’s been the best of times, it’s been the worst of times, and certainly a monumental struggle, but finally we have positive news to report on two new assets on site.

The Wee Shed Community Tool Store

The Wee Shed is the repurposed small toilet now sited next to the Micro Plots and the Bothy Noticeboard.

After being blown over in one of the Autumnal gales, the Wee Shed has needed quite a bit of TLC before being repurposed.

It has been kitted out with a set of tools for the use of any plotter, but especially new plotters who may not yet have their own tools. We will be adding to the tool set as we can over the weeks ahead.

Please clean and return tools immediately after use.

The Wee Shed is secured with a combination padlock which uses the usual GFAA code. If you are not sure what that is, please ask.

The Big Shed Storage Facility

The Big Shed was kindly donated to GFAA by Barry and Kay when they decided to relinquish their plot. It needed quite a bit of restoration to be wind and water proof again. Thanks to all plotters, volunteers and friends of GFAA who helped with this work and the rebuild.

It’s amazing what a bit of joinery and a coat or two of paint can do!

The shed now has a new floor, doors and a re-felted roof and is fit for many more years of useful life. It will serve as a much needed storage space for community equipment and materials and so take the pressure off the Bothy, Octagon and Cabin allowing them to better serve their intended purposes.

Getting these community assets in place has certainly been a stretch and a struggle, but huge thanks go to all who have helped out getting this final stage of the project completed.

Pallet Wood Bonanza

Laura at Aberdeen City Council kindly arranged this week for a delivery of fresh pallets. These are sitting up at the North of our site and are available to all plotters while stocks last.

Seed Sale Event

GFAA are running our first Seed Sale this May. We hope this will become an annual event from now on, run for the benefit of our plotters, volunteers, friends and indeed the wider gardening community in Aberdeen.

Raymond (Plot 83) has kindly agreed to manage and run this event. Raymond has been sowing and pricking out a wide variety of seeds and plants for many weeks now.

If you can offer your time to help with event preparation – sowing, pricking out, potting on, or have plants you can donate to the sale, Raymond would love to hear from you. Please do get in touch.

The event is planned for the third Sunday in May. Please spread the word to all who might be interested.

Some Spring Surprises

Thanks to the continued generosity of Raymond (Plot 83) and Pete (Plot 33) and many other benefactors unknown, our Community Seed Swop area is now brimming full with viable seeds for the current growing season.

Thanks too are due to Bob of One Seed Forward who kindly donated two bags of seed potatoes for use by plotters and volunteers.

Feel free to help yourselves to seeds or potatoes from the Octagon. No need to be too greedy: hopefully there will be plenty to go around, but they are offered while stocks last and on a first come, first served basis.

If you don’t find what you are looking for, remember you can get a 40% discount on all seeds from Dobies online when you use the Code SUGD196X on checkout. Other orders attract a 5% discount if you use the same code.

Job Opportunity

Thanks go to Anna who suggested this post.


Gardener / Outdoor Areas Worker
Full time: 37.5 hours/week over 5 days
1-year, fixed term post (with view to extend dependant on funding)
Salary: £22,308 – £23,400

Camphill Wellbeing Trust is a medical charity which provides extended approaches to address illness, support resilience and maintain wellbeing. We have a dedicated and passionate team of employees and volunteers, based across three sites approximately 6 miles west of Aberdeen City. A vacancy has arisen within the Compass Project team for an enthusiastic and capable Outdoor Areas Worker / Gardener to support the development
and success of our Compass project outdoor areas and related activities.
The role involves working with the team to care for all aspects of the 4.1 acres outdoor site, including its mixed woodland. Gardening / horticultural / agricultural experience is required, and experience of beekeeping is desirable. Ability to forward plan with regards to planting and growing produce is essential as is an ability to operate a range of appropriate
land management tools.
Key responsibilities include:

  • Ongoing development of Compass outdoor areas in line with sustainability and organic/ biodynamic principles
  • Guiding volunteers, patients, school pupils and people with additional support needs in meaningful outdoor activities
  • Ensuring health & safety of outdoor areas
  • Supporting and educating volunteers, service users and local community in healthy food production on a small scale while maximising growing opportunities and production in gardening areas
  • Documentation of progress through photography and video
    If you have the relevant experience along with strong communication and people skills, we would love to hear from you.
    For further information and application pack, please email admin@cwt.scot or contact us on 01224 862008. Site visits can be arranged at your request.
    CLOSING DATE for applications: Tuesday 2nd April 2024 at 17.00.
  • You can find out more about us on our website: www.camphillwellbeing.org.uk or
    www.compassaberdeen.org.uk

We are much Re-leafed.

ACC delivered several loads of excellent leaves to us over the last few days. They are nicely dry and so easily handled. As the ground in the Southeast corner of the site was too wet and soft for the delivery trucks, they have been dropped off in the bay to the North of our site. Please feel free to help yourselves while stocks last – leaves were in short supply this year for some reason. It would be a great help if you could take from the western end of the pile: this will keep the car parking area free – and allow for more deliveries.

Page 1 of 14

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén