Dear friend,
We hope you enjoyed the holidays and have had a good start to the New Year. We look forward to continuing those special relationships we have built with you all on and around this beautiful site of St Ann’s Allotments and excited for the connections we are yet to make.
As most of you already know, our City and Guilds Practical Horticulture courses launched this month. There has been an incredible response to this and we thank you all so much for your interest and support. We are hosting our first open day on Saturday 13th January and there are still a few places left for our Morning and Afternoon slots. Please visit our booking page here if you are interested in enrolling on one of these courses.
The annual RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch takes place from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th January. It’s one of the biggest citizen science projects in the UK and all you need to take part is one hour of your time.
P.S. If you’d like to receive news like this in your inbox each month, join our mailing list here.
Best wishes,
Kayleigh
Upcoming Workshops
Why not purchase a gift card for our workshops, so you can share our horticultural, floristry and seasonal crafts experiences with friends and family.
Planning your Cut Flower Garden
Saturday 10th February 10.00 – 12.30 – £25
We will share with you the simple secrets behind our cut flower garden so you can successfully grow beautiful cut flowers for yourself and to gift to your friends and family.
Fruit Tree Pruning
Saturday 10th February 13.30 – 16.00 – £30
Come along for a masterclass in all aspects of tree care including how to rejuvenate old trees and formatively prune new trees to achieve the perfect crop.
Make Your Own Spring Hardy Hanging Basket
Saturday 24th February 10.00 – 12.30 – £40
Come along and create a lovely, large, moss lined basket full of hardy colourful flowers, mini shrubs and gorgeous Spring bulbs to brighten up your garden.
Planning Your Edible Garden
Saturday 24th February 13.30 – 16.00 – £25
A full rundown of what to plant where, and why. Learn how to plan your rotation and about the right materials to feed the soil to save time and tragedy in the future.
Spring Wreath Making
Saturday 9th March 10:00 – 12:30 – £42
Learn how to use a blend of fresh foliage along with dried and faux flowers to create a lovely Spring wreath to adorn your door.
Make a Willow Obelisk for Climbing Plants
Saturday 9th March 13:30 – 16:00 – £35
You’ll make your own obelisk to be used for growing sweet peas, runner beans or other climbing plants using the traditional art of willow weaving.
Learn How to Compost and Improve Soil Fertility
Saturday 13th April 10:00 – 12:30 – £25
Bring a jar of your own soil along to test, investigate and learn about a variety of techniques to improve your soil.
Planting Your Cut Flower Garden
Saturday 13th April 13:30 – 16:00 – £25
We will be planting and sowing our annual flower seeds, discussing cutting and conditioning techniques for maximum flower power, and talking you through the steps to get your garden blooming all summer long.
On the Orchard
The Community Orchard runs free events for all ages.
New Shoots, every Tuesday in term time, 09:30-11:00
Community Open Day, Saturday 27th January 12:00-15:00. Click here, to book your free ticket!
Volunteering & Social Gardening
As we enter the new year, this is the perfect opportunity to join us as a volunteer!
There are plenty of opportunities to join us maintain our beautiful open spaces, as well as tour volunteer opportunities to help us with our guided tours on the last Wednesday of the month.
Please do get in touch with me at kayleigh@staa-allotments.org.uk for further information.
Tuesdays at the Nursery, 10:00-14:00
Digging, sowing, pruning, clearing, building, watering, harvesting! All things food and flower focused for a productive garden.
Wednesdays at Oliver’s, 10:00-14:00
Help maintain a beautiful display garden for visitors to enjoy, and promote its heritage features.
Our Social Gardening sessions will run alongside our usual volunteer sessions, giving you the perfect opportunity to come and enjoy the the beautiful spaces, see our volunteer projects and have a go if you wish!
Volunteer inductions:
Wednesday 17th January 10.00 – 12.00
Saturday 10th February 14.00 – 16.00
This is an introductory session for anyone interested in volunteering at STAA. Receive a tour of our projects to find out what you might be interested in, and an opportunity to meet people and ask questions.
If you have any questions about volunteering or social gardening, please contact Lucy at volunteer@staa-allotments.org.uk or visit our volunteer page.
Join the Team
We have two great opportunities to join us as we head into another exciting year here at STAA. Please to get in touch with kayleigh@staa-allotments.org.uk for further information.
Finance & Office Manager – 15hrs p/w
STAA is looking to recruit a highly organised and capable Finance and Office Manager to join our small, busy team. The successful applicant will ensure the effective financial management and administration of all STAA’s projects and activities.
This position is a hybrid role consisting of both office and work from home days.
For the full job description and application form, please click here.
Please return the application and EDI monitoring form along with your CV to jo@staa-allotments.org.uk. Please be assured that the EDI form is for monitoring purposes only and will not be used as part of the application process.
Closing date for Applications: Monday 15th January 2024 at 5pm.
We’re recruiting Trustees!
We’re expanding our board of trustees!
We’re looking for new trustees to join us in helping improve peoples lives through sustainable allotment gardening, promoting the heritage of the Grade II* Listed site, and providing personal development opportunities to local people.
If you are passionate about the community and this sounds like the opportunity for you, head to our webpage here for more information or contact Kayleigh for an information pack at kayleigh@staa-allotments.org.uk.
Closing date for applications is Wednesday 10th January 2024 at 5pm.
