Saturday 25 January
SPARK together with the Community Ranger and volunteers from Yeovil Country Park organised “Winter Warmer” based at St Peter’s Community Centre but using Westfield Community Garden as a venue for some of the activities.  Charcoal was made and then used to draw pictures depicting evil spirits.  There was also an opportunity to make bird feeders using apples.  The event finished with hearing about the origins of wassailing and a wassail was sung in the orchard to bless this year’s harvest with dancing around the trees represent the evil spirits being driven out.  

“Winter Warmer” based at St Peter’s Community Centre but using Westfield Community Garden, Saturday 25 January 2025 

The talk evening 6th January 2025 by Carl McClean of the Green Flag organisation called “Around the World in 80 Parks”

Westfield Community Garden Report to Trustees 6 January 2025

       Not so much to report this month due to the season and also our own commitments. In the autumn a hedgehog with her 5 very tiny hoglets had been disturbed in the Garden’s compost heap and they were taken to Secret World Wildlife Rescue Centre.  In December we collected the mother to return to the Garden and move into a lovely home built by students of Westfield Academy.  All the hoglets survived and once ready they were to be released elsewhere.  We ran a Name Our Hedgehog competition at the Community Centre in aid of Secret World raising £46.  Her name is Hermione – just so you know if you see her!

        On 11 December we had a very successful Garden Volunteers Christmas Breakfast at the Community Centre attended by 27 people including the Able2Acheive gang and funded by WCA as a thank you to everyone for all they do throughout the year.  The Centre kitchen team did a marvellous job and a good time was had by all.   Our next volunteers session is this Wednesday 10am-12noon as we continue our pattern of meeting on the second Wednesday of the month.  Later in the year we will experiment with additional weekend sessions to see if that attracts different people.  We will also be looking for people to mow the grass regularly.  
        We have been approached by SPARK community organiser Sarah asking to use the Garden for a wassailing event based at the Community Centre on Saturday 25 January being run by her in partnership with Edd Chilcott the Community Ranger for Yeovil Country Park. We are meeting them for a planning meeting later this week.

     Thank you to those who opened and locked the Garden throughout the festive season so it was available to local residents every day.  Much appreciated.
Looking ahead we hope to complete re-laying the painted pebbles once the weather remains dry for long enough to ensure that the process works.  With the support of Carl we will move forward with improving the accessibility of the picnic tables area and we also plan in the coming months to make the approach to the Garden from the Co-op car park more welcoming once the temporary fencing has been removed now that bollards have been installed.  We will also be moving the notice board currently by the lock up to near the Stiby Road gate so that it will be read by more people passing by and put up a "black board" by the bench where people can write what they have seen in the Garden. As always we are working towards making the Garden  low maintenance, sustainable, wildlife friendly and most importantly a community resource for all. With our thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement.  Especial thanks to the
A2A gang and also to Joe, their master of networking and information.

Pete and Pat Gaylard, Sonia Chant, John Willis and Rosie Keynes
Westfield Community Garden Lead Team
on behalf of Westfield Community Association

             Westfield Community Garden Report  to Trustees December 2024

In some ways this past month has been quieter as not much is growing but we still find plenty to do.

We have not yet been able to complete the replacement of the painted pebbles due to there being no long enough dry periods when we are available.

Carl McClean is finalising the spec and getting a price guide for making the picnic tables area more accessible.

Westfield Academy made a hedgehog house for us for the mother hedgehog that was rescued from the compost heap along with her 5 new hoglets when their nest was disturbed in October.  Secret World cared for them and she came back to Westfield last week.  The hoglets will be cared for by specialist volunteers before being released elsewhere.  We are running a Name the Hedgehog competition to raise a donation for Secret World.  

Fortunately there was no significant damage in the recent strong storms; Abri’s broken fencing panel adjoining the Garden has been reported to them.

Steve sold 2 litter bins that are not needed in the Garden for £40 total.

We successfully tried out our new mower and will “just” need to find new volunteers next year to use it as this year has proved that fortnightly mowing makes a huge difference.  In the spring we will explore the possibility of having extra weekend volunteers sessions to see if this raises numbers.  

A Ukrainian woman introduced by Joanna a SPARK community organiser has helped Rosie to organise the storing and labelling of photos of the Garden for future reference and our portfolio.  She has offered to help in other ways if required.

This week is our Garden Volunteers Christmas Breakfast at the Community Centre to be attended by 27 people including 12 staff and learners from A2A who as well as helping in the Garden throughout the year also were a significant help to Mike with his tree planting project.  WCA kindly pays for the breakfast as a thank you to everyone.  Later in the week 5 Garden volunteers are attending A2A’s community celebration marking all the learners have done throughout the year and recognising the part played by their partners like Westfield Community Garden.  WCA’s new display boards will be used there to highlight its work. 

The Adam Dance meeting signage has been cut up and the WCA name and logo taken from it and fixed to the Garden’s fencing at 3 points to promote WCA and its responsibility for the Garden to users and passers by.  

Pete & Pat Gaylard, Sonia Chant, John Willis and Rosie Keynes 

Westfield Community Garden Lead Team on behalf of Westfield Community Association