Dear friend,
We hope you’re having a good start to the new year, and if you have resolutions around trying new things, learning new skills, and being outdoors then we have plenty of upcoming activities across STAA for you.In particular, we’re recruiting new Trustees and we welcome applications from all ages and backgrounds. Whether you are an experienced Trustee or want to take your first step at board level, we would love to hear from you. You can find out more about the role and how to apply here: Current vacanciesThe deadline is Wednesday 25th January.The annual RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch takes place from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th 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.
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Winter workshops
Design your own cut flower gardenWednesday 25th & Saturday 28th January 10:00-12:00, £25Love flowers? We want to inspire you to successfully grow beautiful cut flowers. From early Spring bulbs to late Autumn blooms, we will share with you the simple secrets behind our cut-flower garden. Make your own Spring hardy hanging basketSaturday 11th February 10:00-12:00, £35Come along and create a lovely, large, moss-lined basket, full of hardy colourful flowers and mini shrubs as well as gorgeous Spring bulbs to brighten up your garden, with Tracey from Outside The Cave.Fruit tree pruningSaturday 11th February 13:30-15:30, £30Leo Jordan will share the art behind fruit tree pruning. Come along for a masterclass in all aspects of orchard tree care including how to rejuvenate old trees and prune new trees to achieve the perfect crop.Learn the principles of seed sowingWednesday 22nd & Saturday 25th February 10:00-12:00, £25Growing plants from seeds has its challenges. Join us for a morning to discuss the principles of seed sowing and nurturing seedlings to learn how to successfully raise healthy plants.
Guided tours
We lead walks around St Ann’s Allotments on the last Wednesday of every month, 1:30-3pm. The 1.3-mile guided tour takes you to our Heritage Display Garden and Nursery, telling the 700-year story of how this 32-acre site changed from pasture and orchards, to Victorian pleasure gardens, to working-class allotments. Including stories of people who lived here and the grassroots campaign to save the site from redevelopment.Find out more and book tickets here.
On the Orchard
The Community Orchard runs free events for all ages.
New Shoots, every Tuesday 09:30-11:00Community Open Day, Saturday 28th January, 12:00-15:00
Volunteering
Volunteering continues as usual, with so much to help with at this busy time of year!Tuesdays at the Nursery, 10:00-14:00Digging, sowing, pruning, clearing, building, watering, harvesting! All things food and flower focused for a productive garden.Wednesdays at Oliver’s, 10:00-14:00Help maintain a beautiful display garden for visitors to enjoy, and promote its heritage features.Volunteer inductions, 10:00-12:00 on:Tuesday 10th JanuaryTuesday 24th JanuaryWednesday 8th FebruarySaturday 11th FebruaryThis 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.New Year conservation at Urban Nature, 10:00-14:00Saturday 14th January & 28th JanuaryA chance for us to finish any outstanding Winter tasks and look ahead to starting Spring projects. The 28th January will also take place during the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch if any volunteers wanted to spend an hour to identify our feathered visitors.Preparing for Spring wildlife at Urban Nature, 10:00-14:00Saturday 11th February & 25th FebruaryIn this session, we will continue woodland and clearance work, as well as preparing for Spring, including preparing nest boxes for National Nest Box week!Suitable for all abilities and levels of experience, tools provided. Just dress for the weather! 🌦️If you have any questions about volunteering, please contact Lucy at volunteering@staa-allotments.org.uk or visit our website.
On the blog
This month on the blog, Holly tries to convince you to enjoy rather than endure Winter, and our newest Trustee, Dave Wood, shares his reasons for joining us along with his STAA-themed poetry.Read all about it: https://staa-allotments.org.uk/news/“I prefer the cold weather, the winter light, that winter sun, bright but cool, snow and frost and wintery walks. What’s not to like!”
