Grow Greener with Garthdee Field Allotments Association

Tag: volunteers Page 2 of 15

That was (quite) the week that was.

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!

September Community Sunday 2023

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.

Community Sunday Thank You

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.

Changing Seasons

The volunteer sessions of late have been very full on and busy, so it was a real treat today to have time to take a few photos during our work session.

We had time to note too, just how quickly Summer is slipping towards and into Autumn. There is still plenty of promise of cropping to come however.

Lots of tomatoes to harvest now and into the weeks ahead
The apple crop to come looks good for this year

However, there is no doubt that the summer is slipping by us and Autumn is just around the corner.

The rhubarb is flagging, but luckily Autumn’s abundance lies ahead

So it was good today to note good progress on the new Cabin – which looks quite the part overlooking the Community Orchard.

A Cabin for all Seasons

Great to0, having the help of Gordon, one of our longest-serving volunteers in getting the interior set up and ready to go.

Gordon showing off his carpentry skills

Thanks go to Gordon and Linzi, Veronica and Jordi for their help around the site today.

UPDATE – It seems that Gordon joined us in July 2016. See, Meet Gordon our Latest Volunteer

ASDA Thank You Hamper

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.

Margaux presents volunteer Jordi with our Thank You Certificate and Hamper from ASDA

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.

Kaimhill Kids Tonic

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.

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