Welcome
To Mary who started in her new role as a Peer Mentor this week, and congratulations to Fiona who was appointed in the other Mentor role.
Apologies
Dan Walker
Actions from last meeting
The electrics are now working - A big thank you to everyone who has helped, and especially to Mervyn
Work programme
· We need to ensure that yesterday’s near miss doesn’t happen again. Please can everyone, whether you’re in a car or on a bike, wheelchair or mobility scooter observe the one way system – when the entrance track splits as you enter Grozone, please turn right, and then always follow that direction (anticlockwise) around the ‘circle’. When leaving the site, please make sure that you remember to go in the same direction! We agreed to install some form of signage to remind everyone – suggestions to Pete or Andy please.
· Lots of work been done to clear the stream and remove dead branches from trees. Any gaps can be filled with trees from our nursery
· Toilet ramp – been carrying on installing the posts.
· New growing area – keen to get started and the first job is to build a surrounding fence, and then replant Pete’s gooseberry bushes in the new fruit area.
· Need to plant hazels in the newly cleared site by the forest school area. The hazels need to be planted closely together to encourage upright growth. We don’t need to clear any more of this area for now.
· To make it easier and safer to walk in and out, we’ll put a path through the bund where the remnant wall is.
· Need to bury the remaining sections of water pipe behind the sheds to prevent them freezing.
· Fiona is working on a growing plan – please pass on any suggestions for things you’d like to grow/eat.
· Giant’s head – we need to make sure that the pile is stable when adding material to it.
· Build our cob oven, incorporating it n to a new kitchen area (the current shelter can then be moved and used as a smoking area)
· Other jobs on the to do list include making covers for the raised beds, continuing work on the toilet ramp, planting fruit trees along the fence (once it’s built) in the new growing area, making wheeled planters, and doing some path and roadway repairs.
As always, thanks to everyone for all your help with everything.
Art & crafts
Pete is keen to expand on our woodland craft skills, through visits to other places or bringing in expertise e.g. bodging, hurdle making, basket making, spoon carving, charcoal making
Music
Thanks to everyone who helped to make our carol singings sessions such a pleasure. As above, we could get some musicians to come along to our sessions or visit other projects that involve music for ideas and inspiration.
We have a budget for minibus hire, so visiting other places is easy when we know where we want to visit. Places we visit need to linked in some way to what we already do, or might like to do, at Grozone.
Other projects
CCG project – still running on Wednesdays and Fridays 1.00 - 3.00pm. We would still like to recruit more participants. Andy has secured additional funding from the CCG to continue the project beyond March.
Norley Rural Skills Centre
There is strong Groundwork interest in taking on the site. The site has lots of potential and would enable us to expand on and improve what we do at Grozone. Pete, Andy and Groundwork Cheshire E.D. Jane Staley are meeting with CWAC staff next week to discuss proposals. There was strong and widespread support from those present at the meeting for the idea.
Events
Grozone Family Club in December was fairly quiet. Agreed to only run them in Spring, Summer & Autumn school holidays. Next one at Easter.
Other ideas included running Grozone open days and having an apple pressing event.
Training
We’re keen to run formal training sessions that are available free to Grozone volunteers, and at a cost to others, probably on Saturdays to enable those in work to attend.
Providing evidence to funders
It is essential that we provide evidence to existing and potential Grozone funders of the benefits of the project. We do this by asking everyone to complete the WEMWBS forms, and we’ll be asking everyone to do this again in the next few weeks. No one likes filling in forms, but these ones are vital for our future funding. Mary will help to coordinate this as a quick way of getting to know everyone.
We agreed that we also need to keep a record of other forms of evidence, such as photos and off the cuff remarks. Everyone needs to help with this please.
Any other business
· Please make sure that you put boots and gloves away in clean pairs. Andy has ordered a boot cleaner to help with this.
· We agreed that it would be really useful to run some more sign language training. Andy will look into this with Sue Johnson and/or the Deafness Support Network
Date of next meeting
Wednesday 4th February at 3.00pm
To Mary who started in her new role as a Peer Mentor this week, and congratulations to Fiona who was appointed in the other Mentor role.
Apologies
Dan Walker
Actions from last meeting
The electrics are now working - A big thank you to everyone who has helped, and especially to Mervyn
Work programme
· We need to ensure that yesterday’s near miss doesn’t happen again. Please can everyone, whether you’re in a car or on a bike, wheelchair or mobility scooter observe the one way system – when the entrance track splits as you enter Grozone, please turn right, and then always follow that direction (anticlockwise) around the ‘circle’. When leaving the site, please make sure that you remember to go in the same direction! We agreed to install some form of signage to remind everyone – suggestions to Pete or Andy please.
· Lots of work been done to clear the stream and remove dead branches from trees. Any gaps can be filled with trees from our nursery
· Toilet ramp – been carrying on installing the posts.
· New growing area – keen to get started and the first job is to build a surrounding fence, and then replant Pete’s gooseberry bushes in the new fruit area.
· Need to plant hazels in the newly cleared site by the forest school area. The hazels need to be planted closely together to encourage upright growth. We don’t need to clear any more of this area for now.
· To make it easier and safer to walk in and out, we’ll put a path through the bund where the remnant wall is.
· Need to bury the remaining sections of water pipe behind the sheds to prevent them freezing.
· Fiona is working on a growing plan – please pass on any suggestions for things you’d like to grow/eat.
· Giant’s head – we need to make sure that the pile is stable when adding material to it.
· Build our cob oven, incorporating it n to a new kitchen area (the current shelter can then be moved and used as a smoking area)
· Other jobs on the to do list include making covers for the raised beds, continuing work on the toilet ramp, planting fruit trees along the fence (once it’s built) in the new growing area, making wheeled planters, and doing some path and roadway repairs.
As always, thanks to everyone for all your help with everything.
Art & crafts
Pete is keen to expand on our woodland craft skills, through visits to other places or bringing in expertise e.g. bodging, hurdle making, basket making, spoon carving, charcoal making
Music
Thanks to everyone who helped to make our carol singings sessions such a pleasure. As above, we could get some musicians to come along to our sessions or visit other projects that involve music for ideas and inspiration.
We have a budget for minibus hire, so visiting other places is easy when we know where we want to visit. Places we visit need to linked in some way to what we already do, or might like to do, at Grozone.
Other projects
CCG project – still running on Wednesdays and Fridays 1.00 - 3.00pm. We would still like to recruit more participants. Andy has secured additional funding from the CCG to continue the project beyond March.
Norley Rural Skills Centre
There is strong Groundwork interest in taking on the site. The site has lots of potential and would enable us to expand on and improve what we do at Grozone. Pete, Andy and Groundwork Cheshire E.D. Jane Staley are meeting with CWAC staff next week to discuss proposals. There was strong and widespread support from those present at the meeting for the idea.
Events
Grozone Family Club in December was fairly quiet. Agreed to only run them in Spring, Summer & Autumn school holidays. Next one at Easter.
Other ideas included running Grozone open days and having an apple pressing event.
Training
We’re keen to run formal training sessions that are available free to Grozone volunteers, and at a cost to others, probably on Saturdays to enable those in work to attend.
Providing evidence to funders
It is essential that we provide evidence to existing and potential Grozone funders of the benefits of the project. We do this by asking everyone to complete the WEMWBS forms, and we’ll be asking everyone to do this again in the next few weeks. No one likes filling in forms, but these ones are vital for our future funding. Mary will help to coordinate this as a quick way of getting to know everyone.
We agreed that we also need to keep a record of other forms of evidence, such as photos and off the cuff remarks. Everyone needs to help with this please.
Any other business
· Please make sure that you put boots and gloves away in clean pairs. Andy has ordered a boot cleaner to help with this.
· We agreed that it would be really useful to run some more sign language training. Andy will look into this with Sue Johnson and/or the Deafness Support Network
Date of next meeting
Wednesday 4th February at 3.00pm