February 2015, Seed fund and pics

Seed fund - your essential help

We need small donations towards buying seeds for this season's veg, the more we can muster the more we can grow on the 5 acres now available.

Your donation may have enormous impact. We do not need much to expand our range, just £20 goes a long way for us and nothing goes on admin as we are totally voluntary. To state the obvious, without seeds we cannot grow anything!

Donate Now - click here

Without seeds or plants we can't produce much more than we have previously and progress towards feeding more local families may be slow and painful which is frustrating when we look over the expanse of grass.

So we would ask every supporter, friend and family who would like to have some of our veg to support us now so we may expand the volume and range of vegetables we grow and maybe even move into growing the fruit we are permitted to grow as well as some craft. If we raise enough we may even have hens too.

The field we rent is 5.7 acres

It is mostly hay meadow

we grew over 3 tonnes of potatoes this last season

pumpkins numbered over 120 and total weight would be nearly a tonne

this year we want up to 10 different potatoes

more pumpkins along with butternut and 'spagetti' squash

over 1000 metres of onions

some unusual crops like sweet potato and yams

just £10 means we can sow a new bed

£20 gives us enough to supply staple veg to a family for a month!

£50 would give us enough to broaden our range beyond the basics and perfect growing salads, for instance

£100 helps us maintain the box scheme for a month longer with a varied selection that people want

£250 would give us the chance to really grapple with our 'seasonal' veg and keep an interesting supply through the entire year

Without your help we can't do much more so please give generously to your means. It is now very easy and with Gift Aid we may boost your donation by about 20%.

GO TO our Charities Aid Foundation page at https://www.cafonline.org/my-personal-giving/start-giving/donate-now.aspx  and find our page by 'Communigrow' exact match. Please add a note saying "seed fund". 

Make your donation using credit/debit/paypal payment and be sure to give your name and address so we may gain your Gift Aid on your donation. That's £2 on every £10. Please note, we cannot collect gift aid on donations from vegetables.

As a reminder. We are a charity based on education on food and farming and aim to provide growing experience free of charge to schools, groups and individuals who may otherwise find it hard to gain such an opportunity. If we do not have enough funds we will grow what we can but will always be left short when we have ground to cultivate.

map and about us

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Seed fund for this season - via charities aid foundation (CAF) for gift easy gift aid

via the charities aid foundation (CAF) for gift easy gift aid and credit/debit card or paypal payments which is easy and fab as they do not take a cut of your precious pledge.

https://www.cafonline.org/my-personal-giving/start-giving/donate-now.aspx

Please search using 'communigrow' as an exact term and add a note saying "seed fund" and complete for the gift aid, it really does make a difference.

Thanks

Sydenham Garden was set up with the main purpose of helping.....

another case study...... Sydenham Garden was set up with the main purpose of helping those in our local community coping with or recovering from significant illness.

Sydenham Gardens
Resource Centre, 28a Wynell Road, London, SE23 2LW

Patients are referred to the project through their GP or key worker and when at the project are known as “co-workers”; working alongside centre staff and other volunteers.
Co-workers have the opportunity to work either in the community garden and nature reserve or with our Art and Craft group. Although some opt to do both!
We make every effort to cater for the individual’s physical abilities as much as possible and tasks in the garden can range from light activities such as sowing seeds in pots, to heavier work such as digging or bricklaying.
We also provide accredited training and help with progression to further education, volunteering opportunities or reemployment.
The charity’s co-workers also have an active part in the development of the community garden and in the shaping of the project as a whole. Many also get involved in our very popular community events.
Regular social events, group trips to other community projects and visits to places of interest are also an important part of the co-worker experience at Sydenham Garden.
If you think you would like to join us as a co-worker, please have a look at our leaflet.
www.sydenhamgarden.org.uk/uploads/

About Us

Founded in 2002, Sydenham Garden is a growing, award-winning, registered charity involved in improving the health and well-being of residents living in Lewisham and Bromley.

We provide gardening and creative opportunities for co-workers (the name the project gives to our primary beneficiaries) referred from over 30 community organisations and health sector agencies.



We have developed an integrative approach where those with different degrees of mental and physical ill health come together with volunteers and members of the local community.

This approach aims to reduce exclusion and the prejudice which fuels continuing lack of opportunity for many of our beneficiaries.

As a user-centred service, co-workers and volunteers are very much involved in our decision-making processes and service delivery approach.

In 2009, we had a record number of over 60 co-workers regularly attending the project, with over 50 co-workers, volunteers and local people achieving Open College Network qualifications.

We are currently developing a significant expansion of training and work experience opportunities in the form of a market garden social enterprise.

As local support continues to grow for the charity and its invaluable work in the community, over 1500 visitors attended our ever-popular seasonal events last year.

We are always striving to be as inclusive and accessible to the community as possible.
Co-worker Activities

Co-workers take part in a range of therapeutic gardening or Art and Craft activities, depending on their interests. Co-workers set medium and long term goals (activity and health or social) and seek to achieve these during their sessions.

Garden sessions begin with the co-workers, volunteers and staff deciding what needs doing and tasks are allotted depending upon individuals’ goals.

Art and Craft sessions take place in a group and individuals complete projects such as card making, painting, felt making etc.

Throughout the year co-workers have a chance to complete accredited training courses – we have run Level 1 and Level 2 Gardening courses, Level 2 Ecology and Conservation, Level 2 Felt Making, Mosaic Making and Batik / Tie Dye.


find out more about this fab project at www.sydenhamgarden.org.uk

new festival - now every saturday 10am until 12 noon