Oxford Road Community Garden

Barbeque started!

2011-07-09T12:19:00.001+01:00

Picnic

2011-06-24T16:15:00.001+01:00

An eccentric approach. Community Garden. AGM by e-mail

2011-06-18T16:23:00.002+01:00

An AGM should really do two things - it gives the Committee a chance to report back on how things are going and it gives the members a chance to meet together to put forward ideas and so forth.

In the case of the Garden, previous AGM's have achieved none of these. They have taken time setting up, have borne a cost in renting a venue, and a scattering of people attend.

But infact we now have over 50 members, the spirit between us is good. This seems easily the best way of both keeping all 50 of you informed and allowing you to come back to the Committee.

CHAIRMANS REPORT
The Garden has been running for nearly 15 years. When a large open site, now largely taken over by Lidl and Dreams, was set out, the Garden was the allocation for community use. Our Borough set out the basic plans for small allotments, lawns and flowerbeds, did all the tree planting. At the same time it supplied the Garden with an excellent range of tools. Members enthusiasm has added to this basic plan - two major features, the pond and the cabin, were done totally by the membership.

Our Borough gives us an annual grant of about £800. The squeeze on Borough funds has made us anxious ; as a relatively small player we feared that our grant would be slashed but so far so good. Our present banks funds of about £800 might seem large but we have to go on building it up. The most common costs are simple maintenance ; tools need replacing and BBQ tables need repairing. But our major wariness has to be the walls and fences - we are responsible for everyone of them, the last section done cost some £1500, another section looks very vulnerable.

As i write this the Garden looks lovely. We try to avoid the over fussy and by keeping it simple we seem to manage the maintenance with a few regular enthusiasts and a monthly working party. We have no waiting lists for vegetable plots and the areas are in much better shape than previous years.

Working Parties are now notified to you all one week ahead. Part of the vegetable plot deal is a commitment to two working parties per year. But if we could encourage more of you to contribute to working parties that would be so helpful. We try to make sure that they are well organised and the session lasts just for two hours 10 - 12 on a Saturday morning.

For such a lovely spot the Garden is generally rather underused.
But very slowly the number of young families using it has risen and this is lovely to see. We realise that for people with young families it is very hard to attend evening meetings so we are not appealing for a family committee member. But if somebody from the young families could e-mail the committee once a month that could be very helpful. We will be sending out a separate request asking for a volunteer.

The major social event is the BBQ on Saturday July 9th. 12- 2
These have been very successful in the past and attending is a very easy way of showing your support.

I wish you all well. Chris Howlett

There is a committee of six people. Officially we need to be voted in annually. We will organise a way of doing this by
e-mail as well ..

Spring...

2011-03-29T15:49:00.001+01:00

has sprung

November Working Party

2010-11-17T11:40:00.005Z

Over the course of the morning, some people arrived at first light (more or less) and stayed until the bitter, frosty end, and some breezed in and out, doing what they were able. A truly enormous quantity of manure was shoveled from outside the gate into wheelbarrows and distributed around the garden and into the compost heaps; next year's harvest should be spectacular! And the primroses are still holding on. We must remember to check them again in December.

	Quite a small pile of manure, when you consider what was there before the photographer arrived...
	Barrows of manure.
	Wheel it in, tip it out
	Spreading it on the allotment beds
	Mmmm, lovely!
	Boosting the rockery
	Bright-coated children
	Mowing leaves to aid the mulching process - also, this way they are picked up into the mower's bucket and can just be tipped onto the compost heap. Clever!
	The penultimate barrowful!
	Poo for the primroses.
	Primroses in November

Our Annual General Meeting

2010-11-05T10:15:00.002Z

To all members of the Oxford Road Community Garden

Until now the AGM has been held in November. Not surprisingly,
in a month when a garden is not the first thing on ones mind, the evening turn-out has been dismal.

Holding a public event like the summer BBQ shows the very large support out there. The AGM will be moved to the early Summer, May or June, and will be held in the Garden itself.

Chris Howlett (Chairman ORCG)

- and i take this opportunity to say "thank you" for the work done in the Garden this year.

Autumn!

2010-10-06T19:07:00.005+01:00

October. What do you see in October?

Also:

National Bean Pole Week: 17th - 25th April 2010

2010-04-06T10:34:00.001+01:00

Bean Pole Bundles
[11 poles, 7ft maximum]

Price per bundle
Hazel £5.00 Ash £4.50

For more information or to order, call Judith on (0118) 947 8920

Woodland Management and Woodland Products
Conservation groups in the Reading area have had permission from Reading Council to coppice hazel from certain areas in Reading’s woodlands as part of their woodland management plans. These hazel wands make excellent bean poles. The groups are selling bundles of 11 [approx. 7ft long] poles to raise money for their tools fund.

The bundles will be £5 each, and there could be pea sticks as a by-product of the coppicing if required. Bundles of ash poles may also be available for £4.50 each.
Coppiced woodlands have been neglected during the last century, so by reintroducing this traditional product we are rejuvenating the woodlands, opening them up for bluebells, fritillary butterflies etc. and the poles are a sustainable product, they grow again within 6 years or so and they are local.
Support local sustainable woodland management!. Call (0118) 947 8920 to order and arrange collection.

An update for 2010

2010-03-12T17:02:00.000Z

Dear Garden Member,

As a valued member of the garden I am sending this update to invite you to get a little more involved with the garden.

If you have a query about the garden or would like to see something happen or not happen then please email the garden onoxfordroadgarden@yahoo.co.uk and we will discuss your query at the next committee meeting, held on the first Thursday of the month.

What’s going on?

If you would like to hold an event in the garden please check the diary in the garden (on the outside of the cabin) or email the garden and we’ll check it out for you, most events can be catered for (family BBQ, etc) we’re just trying to avoid clashes. For those of you with young children concerned about the pond there is a temporary fence that can be erected, it’s stored in the toilet cabin. Please remember, children in the garden are the responsibility of their guardian(s), not the garden.

Ongoing through the year Reading Single Homeless Project (RSHP) will be using the garden on Tuesdays from 10-2pm (approx), please take this into consideration when deciding on when to attend the garden, Alison the group organiser will be with the group each Tuesday.

Through the spring, summer and autumn three local schools use the garden (during school hours) so you may find the garden particularly busy, so again, please check the diary before attending.

On Thursday 15^th April volunteers from the British Trust Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) will be in the garden to finish the path extensions around the veg patches, volunteers warmly welcomed to join in, drop the garden an email (or tell a committee member) and mark it “FOA BTCV April 15^th” and we’ll pass on your email, Oonagh is always willing to welcome new faces.

In addition to this, the committee hold work parties every second Saturday of the month 9-12noon, there is always something to do for all abilities, coma along even if it’s just to say hello.

September sunshine (with nasturtiums and beans)

2009-09-17T08:34:00.002+01:00

BBQ Today at Noon

2009-07-18T07:59:00.001+01:00

12-3pm today at the garden there will be a barbecue. Bring your own food for the grill - separate grills for meat and vegetarian food - and potatoes, salad and drinks will be provided.

See you there!

Bees and Bells for July

2009-07-16T09:49:00.002+01:00

There were bees in the lavender...

... and in the bee garden...

And everywhere else, there were bells.

Rain stopped play

2009-07-07T11:18:00.001+01:00

There was a committee meeting last night and it went wonderfully well
until the wind rose and flipped the paperwork off the picnic tables,
and then the rain came down and washed us all out the gate. Still, all
business was completed and everyone got home safe.

Also, the hanging baskets have been moved so that they aren't at short
people's head-height any more.

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Neighbourhood Watch Barbecue July 18th!

2009-06-24T12:00:00.000+01:00

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

BBQ

OXFORD ROAD COMMUNITY GARDEN
YOU ARE INVITED TO A BBQ IN THE COMMUNITY GARDEN
ON
SATURDAY JULY 18th. 12 – 3
Soft drinks and salads and potatoes will be supplied.
Please bring your own food to go on the BBQ’s

A reminder to you that there is a
BBQ
On Saturday between 12 and 3
In the Community Garden

June! A hot day.

2009-06-16T13:52:00.002+01:00

Today was hot in the garden, and the pond was alive - tadpoles, newts, a waterlily about to flower, and two damsel flies which I photographed on a
friend's hand.

We had a picnic with fresh handpicked lettuce, played frisby and drove the little car around, and tried to count how many tadpoles had grown legs and turned into froglets.

Somehow, the lack of rain meant that the children didn't really need to water the garden much.

Open Day 2008

2008-08-11T12:00:00.000+01:00

On the 26th of July 2008, the ORCG had a glorious open day.

There was a BBQ, lots of families and children using the garden as it was meant to be used.

A resource for the local community to enjoy.

Compost toilet is finished.

2007-09-07T12:00:00.000+01:00

from Adrian Windisch: "At last the Compost toilet at the Oxford Road Community Garden (www.orcg.co.uk) is finished. I think it's the only one in Reading, probably the first in Berkshire. I've seen and used them at LILI in Buckingham (www.lowimpact.org), and at Sunseed Desert Technology in Spain (www.sunseed.org.uk). I downloaded the instructions from www.humanurehandbook.com. It's a great way to turn what others regard as a waste product into a source of nutrients to enrich the soil. I hope it spreads the message, and it's the first of many."

Work Day at the Garden sees the start of the new Compost Toilet

2007-08-10T12:00:00.000+01:00

With help from volunteers from Yell and St Lawrence's Church the 31st July saw the garden transformed. Volunteers dug up beds and an allotment that can now be used and cleared up paths that were barely visible. For the compost toilet the area behind the shelter had to be cleared, the donated shed given a coat of timber preserver, the ground levelled and cleared, blocks laid as a foundation and finally the shed was assembled. The toilet itself will be finished at a later date.

The volunteers did a magnificent job in the hot weather, some areas have been transformed. They, and other groups or individuals, are welcome to help our community garden in the future. Please see our website at www.orcg.co.uk for information on what is happening and for contact details. We're in this week's Reading Chronicle, where I discuss the green benefits or using what others consider a waste product to give nutrients to the soil. Also it will be more convenient for gardeners than going to the fast food outlet next door.

Forbury Fever

2007-05-26T12:00:00.001+01:00

June Events

The next ORCG meeting is Tuesday 12th June 7:30pm

ORCG will have a stand at Forbury Fever on 2nd June. 11-4pm. Please come down and say hello if you can!!

OXFORD ROAD COMMUNITY FUN DAY on Saturday 16th June

This year the event will take place from 12 noon to 4pm at Kensington Park (on Kensington Road, off Oxford Road). This years event has the theme of 'Children and Young People'. There are a number of activities and attractions planned on the day by a whole range of local groups including:

Children's entertainment including a bouncy castle, facepainting and soft play
Activities for all the family including arts and crafts, sports demonstrations and taster sessions
Music from local people - steel pans, a school choir, song and dance acts, DJ workshops
'Community Marquees' featuring display stands and information from local groups
A Safer Communities roadshow with representatives from Thames Valley Police, Street Wardens and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue.
Prizes, games and much more...

School visits Garden

2007-04-30T12:00:00.000+01:00

We had a visit from Wilson Road School today, the children were very interested in the vegetable plots, and the ducks.

Notice for Mums in West Reading

2007-04-19T12:00:00.000+01:00

Reading Mums! MAKE A DIFFERENCE! HELP OTHER MUMS TO GIVE THEIR BABIES THE BEST START
We are looking for Mums to become volunteer peer supporters in the Oxford Road area. If you have breastfed one or more babies and can help, we’d love to hear from you.

YOU WILL RECEIVE: After training, we’d expect you to offer at least 2 hours of your time per week for a year to support new mothers at the Battle Library Breastfeeding Centre, in clinics, or in the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

We want to recruit a wide range of peer supporters and are particularly keen to hear from mothers aged under 25 and those who speak Urdu or Polish.

For further information, call Supporterline 0870 900 8787, text 0783 796860 or email training@breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk

Course starts May 2007
Reading Peer Support Project
The Breastfeeding Network,
PO Box 11126,
Paisley
PA2 8YB

The Breastfeeding Network Trust (The Breastfeeding Network) is a recognised Scottish Charity No SC027007

Did you breastfeed your baby? Want to help other mums?

* Free training with crèche facility
* Open College Network accredited qualification
* Work experience and references to apply for a job in the future
* Travel costs and childcare expenses paid

Pride of Reading Awards 2006

2007-04-18T12:00:00.000+01:00

And the winner of the Pride of Reading Awards Environmental Project was:

The Oxford Road Community Garden

See more pics of the awards ceremony at www.getreading.co.uk/news/2005/2005043/picture_special_pride_of_reading_awards_2006

Join!

2007-01-01T16:44:00.001Z

The Rules

As members of the Oxford Road Community Garden, we would ask that respect is given to others and we all try to adhere to simple rules so that we can use the garden in harmony with each other.

In the interests of security, the entrance gate is kept locked. Members have a gate key, for which they pay a small returnable deposit. Members must live or work within the Catchment Area, (which is bordered by the Tilehurst Road, Portman Road to the north and south, the IDR and Grovelands Road to the west and east).

If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact

Chris Howlett (email chris.r.howlett@btinternet.com ) or

Beryl Heaton (email beryl.heaton@ntlworld.com or tel 967 9107 ).

A copy of the constitution can be obtained on request and anyone who obviously does not act in accordance with our simple guidelines may be asked to return their key and have their membership terminated.

Year 2009/2010 Calendar of Events

2007-01-01T13:56:00.002Z

Our History

2007-01-01T12:00:00.000Z

The garden site came about when the developers built the retail stores which now house McDonalds, Dreams and Lidl stores.

The site was given back to the community under a grant called "Section 106" and has been in existence since 1996. The site was developed over the years by members of the Battle GLOBE group and local residents. They built a pond and started the site with shrubs and laying of the vegetable plots. There was a lot of hard work and dedication over the years, and this has built the garden into what it is today.

The newly formed constitution of "Friends of Oxford Road Community Garden" which still remains within the group called GLOBE as part of the alliance TREGA, hope to continue this hard work.

We as members all wish to se the Community Garden thrive and be a focal point for all of our beneficiaries.

Please feel free to make suggestions when you come to the regular meetings as a member or as a visitor, and make a contribution towards the group.

Summer/Autumn 2009 Contact information & Location

2007-01-01T10:00:00.002Z

Comment on the blog and we'll get back to you
Email oxfordroadgarden 'at' yahoo.co.uk

Where we are

We are on Western Elms Avenue, just behind Lidl and Dreams. From the Oxford Road, walk up Western Elms Avenue on the left hand side until you come to some parking garages - just after those and before the next houses, turn left and you will see the gate to the garden. This is locked and members hold a key. To apply for a key contact us as above.