With May well underway we at Bridgend Farmhouse have been enjoying the brighter weather and longer days with many an activity benefitting. The peace garden labours are well underway, our health walks and guided bike rides are thriving, a flurry of improvements are underway in the community allotments, and our Acorn Fund has allowed a 'Mindful Photography' group, 'Art in Nature' sessions, 'Words for Wellbeing' classes and 'Baby Massage' pilots to start. We have been pencilling in dates for our Summer Party, Harvest Meal, AGM, Apple-Pressing Day, and Hallowe'en too so look out for these being confirmed in due course.
A SPRING IN OUR STEP
Spring is our planting season here at Bridgend Farmhouse. Our team of over 20 volunteer gardeners are busy in the allotments. We’re so proud of what they do that we have entered them for the Volunteer Edinburgh Awards.
But that isn’t the only department where spring is being celebrated. Our cycling operation is hurtling towards summer, repairing bikes, refurbishing bikes for sale, teaching cycle maintenance…all from our new Bike Barn.
The woodwork shop, the arts and crafts room, café and kitchen are all busy and we have a new canvas on our marquee. Children’s voices ring out from the Bothy and play area. And we have a new project starting this spring, re-imaging the area of land behind the workshops as a Peace Garden.
We are increasing our work with local schools and young people. In the last year we have offered 46 12-18 year olds volunteering experience in woodwork, bike maintenance, gardening, kitchen and café work. We have helped 12 young people gain entry into college courses.
With government funding for community projects like ours drying up, we have been fortunate in gaining grants from independent charities and trusts who see the value of our work in tackling poverty and lack of opportunity. Our area of Edinburgh, EH16 and EH17, has 20 so-called zones of multi-deprivation in which some 14,000 people are living in hardship.
To enable us to carry on with our work, we are appealing to everyone in our community to use our café, hire our marquee, our workshops and exhibition room, and sign-up for our courses and seasonal events. And please, think about volunteering with us, as a café assistant, a woodwork or art leader, a handyman/woman to care for the gardens and buildings. Oh, and one last thing – if you have a bicycle you are not using, we desperately need bikes in reasonable condition so they can be overhauled and sold at affordable prices.
Yours, John Knox
Chair of Trustees
Spring is our planting season here at Bridgend Farmhouse. Our team of over 20 volunteer gardeners are busy in the allotments. We’re so proud of what they do that we have entered them for the Volunteer Edinburgh Awards.
But that isn’t the only department where spring is being celebrated. Our cycling operation is hurtling towards summer, repairing bikes, refurbishing bikes for sale, teaching cycle maintenance…all from our new Bike Barn.
The woodwork shop, the arts and crafts room, café and kitchen are all busy and we have a new canvas on our marquee. Children’s voices ring out from the Bothy and play area. And we have a new project starting this spring, re-imaging the area of land behind the workshops as a Peace Garden.
We are increasing our work with local schools and young people. In the last year we have offered 46 12-18 year olds volunteering experience in woodwork, bike maintenance, gardening, kitchen and café work. We have helped 12 young people gain entry into college courses.
With government funding for community projects like ours drying up, we have been fortunate in gaining grants from independent charities and trusts who see the value of our work in tackling poverty and lack of opportunity. Our area of Edinburgh, EH16 and EH17, has 20 so-called zones of multi-deprivation in which some 14,000 people are living in hardship.
To enable us to carry on with our work, we are appealing to everyone in our community to use our café, hire our marquee, our workshops and exhibition room, and sign-up for our courses and seasonal events. And please, think about volunteering with us, as a café assistant, a woodwork or art leader, a handyman/woman to care for the gardens and buildings. Oh, and one last thing – if you have a bicycle you are not using, we desperately need bikes in reasonable condition so they can be overhauled and sold at affordable prices.
Yours, John Knox
Chair of Trustees
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