Dear Sir,
We are writing to tell you about Great Aycliffe Garden Guild, a new community group that is being set up for the residents of Great Aycliffe. We plan to open a shop and a community room at Clarence Chare Allotments. The shop will be open on a weekend and it will sell good quality gardening products at a fair price. We will also run community events on a regular basis; these will include crafts, talks and demonstrations. The focus of the project is to inspire people to engage in gardening and learn how to do so in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.
So far we have secured funding from Livin. We are in the process of submitting a funding claim to the Great Aycliffe and Middridge Partnership. The project will gather pace shortly and we will need more support from the local community to ensure it is a great success.
We are holding a public meeting on Thursday 30th June at 7pm at the Oakleaf Sports Complex. We hope that residents will come along to find out more about the project and contribute their ideas too. Teas and coffees will be provided along with a raffle for a garden hamper. Representatives from the Town Council and Funders will also be attending.
As the project gains momentum we will need more volunteers to support the project. At present we especially need volunteers to join the committee, in roles such as Secretary, Social Media and Events organiser. The committee meets informally once a month. The project is just starting out, so it is an opportunity to shape the direction of the project, develop skills and meet new people. Once the project progresses we will need more volunteers for the shop. All volunteers will be provided with full training and will be eligible for a discount on shop products.
We would like to thank Councillor Jim Atkinson who initiated the project and provided funding, Lee and Dan from Great Aycliffe Town Council, Louise Barbé from Livin, Angela Blanchard from Durham County Council and Design Draughting Services. Their support in getting the project to the stage it is today has been invaluable.
If you are interesting in volunteering please contact Lucy on 07828 536235 or check out our Facebook page ‘Great Aycliffe Garden Guild’. We look forward to seeing residents on 30th June.
Great Aycliffe Garden Guild Committee
Contact G. Crossen 07340 606402.
