ActivLives Newsletter – December 2020

ActivLives Newsletter – December 2020

In light of the UK lockdown, we unfortunately won’t be bringing our usual bright and colourful newsletter to you this quarter.
However, here’s an electronic version with the added benefit of bigger photos!

ActivGardens

Festive Market a HUGE Success!
Our team at the community garden pulled out all the stops to put on a fabulous festive market on 4th December, and thanks to all our supporters, we made a whopping £568!

As well as freshly picked produce and cheerful plants to brighten up winter days, we had an amazing array of gifts, all made by our volunteers and learners.

Visitors braved the first really bad weather of the season to browse our original range of gifts such as – bee products – including bee bombs, candles and lip balm – a delicious selection of jams, jellies and chutneys, strings of chillies and many other decorations, pine cone firelighters and bird feeders, woolly hats and furry brooches, and a fantastic display of wooden items by the ActivSheds team.

Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make the day the success it was.

It’s not too late to pick up a gift from us! Festive goods will continue to be on sale from our polytunnels until we close for Christmas on 18th December.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas. Thank you for all your support in this very challenging year. We look forward to seeing you in 2021! Gardening and access to the great outdoors has never been more important. The gardens reopen on Monday 4th Janaury 2021.

Grow Your Future learners move on to pastures new as new faces start their garden adventure

Our learners have enjoyed a productive three months at the community garden, and are now moving into work experience in a variety of roles – supporting others, trying their hand at flower arranging with a professional florist, and working at Chantry Walled Garden.

As well as taking part in all aspects of horticulture and gardening, beekeeping and nature conservation – including scything our wild meadow with a local expert, they got involved in preparing for the market too, including making pickles and jams, apple-pressing, harvesting honey and making crafts.

The group is busy looking at progression routes into further training or employment, while our third group of 10 learners enrolled in November, and is now settling in.

These free courses are funded by the European Social Fund.

We still have spaces on this course, which resumes in January. Please get in touch if you or someone you know or support would like to take part.

Grow to Learn gives young and old a taste of the great outdoors

Leading Lives Community Benefit fund has enabled us to provide taster sessions for people with additional needs, both at our gardens and at our ActivSheds project.

Our weekly sessions have enabled young people to enjoy a range of gardening and nature conservation activities, alongside cooking, jam-making and other activities.

While these sessions are fun to take part in, they also enable people to develop practical skills and encourage important attributes such as good communication, ability to work as part of a team and willingness to take on responsibility.

Meanwhile, over at the ActivSheds, Ralph has helped men with living with a range of conditions, including dementia, Alzheimer’s, stroke and post-traumatic stress disorder, to get involved in making, doing, repairing, recycling, upcyling and everything to do with wood.

Those who take part enjoy socialising with others and sharing their skills and knowledge.

 

  • Thanks to South West Area Committee for funding our pop-up garage, which enables more people to take part in a safe, socially-distanced way.

Women’s Shed is now in Action!

Our merry band of ‘she shedders’ now meet every other Thursday afternoon, making all sorts of items from windmill sails (model, of course) to teddy trugs for grandchildren.

We also held a craft afternoon, flower arranging session, jam-making sessions and apple pressing as part of our Women’s Skills Exchange.

  • Please get in touch if you are interested in getting involved.

Walled Garden volunteers bring power of flowers to parks

Chantry Walled Garden volunteers, led by David Sheedy, grew an astounding 14,000 spring bedding plants for Ipswich parks and green spaces.

The pansies and polyanthus were collected by Ipswich Borough Council Parks team in October to be planted all around the town.

As one of our customers said: “It’s so important to have flowers during these difficult times. I’m going to enjoy seeing them all planted out.”

The plants arrive to our nursery as tiny plug plants in August, which then have to be carefully potted up and grown on, to be in peak condition for planting out in autumn. These plants will keep blooming right through winter and into spring.

Thanks to all our team who worked so hard and made such a tremendous effort.

    Helping hands from local business

    Our Wild Zone benefited from Do Good’s corporate networking team in October, when a group of seven people from various local business came to the People’s Community Garden.

    We were delighted to welcome Councillor Nadia Cenci – who has been a great supporter of the gardens over the years – as part of the team, setting her to work on raking up grass as habitat piles and sowing wildflower seed.

    We hope to welcome back Do Good in 2021.

      School puts finishing touches to their new garden with a bit of help from us!

      Lesley visited Stoke High – Ormiston Academy to help children with additional needs put the finishing touches to their garden at the front of the school.

      We took over a selection of plants which children enthusiastically planted up.

      Community librarian Jane Riches, who has led the project for the school, said: “All of the children in this group enjoy getting outside, they feel more relaxed working in a small group and love the garden. 

      “They dug up 60 potatoes yesterday, yes they actually counted them!”

        Update from Belle Vue Park, Sudbury – Bev

        Our volunteers continue to improve the beds at Belle Vue Park. We have been clearing the woodland area of the park. We have cut back large shrubs, cleared pathways, we have moved non-woodland plants and have replaced them with English Bluebell bulbs and woodland plants such as Pulmonaria and Cyclamen.   Perrywoods in Sudbury very kindly donated £50 to enable us to purchase more woodland plants.

        We are putting leaf mould on the beds to protect the dahlia tubers.  The tender plants have been moved to Chantry Walled Garden and winter bedding plants and perennials have gone in.  The Community Wardens have given us a quantity of woodchip that has been placed next to our compost bins ready to use next year.

        We have provided work experience placements for students at the Ryes College – which provides education and care to young people with complex needs. The students have been very courteous and hard-working. They have integrated into the Sudbury team very well with support from Liz Brightwell and other staff from the school.

        Our volunteers say they have become much closer during lockdown – forming friendships, meeting outside of the project to enjoy other activities together, and supporting each other – running errands for each other and calling each other to make sure they are okay.

          “I love gardening. It’s good for my health.  I have made friends at the ActivGardens group and have recently started to support Sudbury in Bloom with Julia.”

          Maxine

          “I need to socialise with others.  I have made friends with Bev and the other volunteers.  I go walking on a Tuesday with Rosemary and meet Bernie to tend the garden at the Railway station.  Gardening keeps me fit, mentally and physically.”

          Hazel

          “I joined to learn life skills and enjoy talking to other volunteers – it makes me feel very happy and useful.”

          Merry

          ActivSports

          Getting Out & About with ActivLives!
          ActivLives members have had the chance to get out of their houses, and go on mini health walks with ActivLives staff – meaning they can get weekly exercise, while staying safe and supervised!

          These have happened in one-to-one sessions, as well as in small socially-distanced groups.

          Here’s what some members have had to say:

          “I enjoy exercising with someone else, it really helps to motivate me.

          “The exercises that we are doing remind of what we would normally do at our badminton sessions.

          “I am feeling so much fitter as a result of these (exercise) sessions, I really enjoy the challenge.”

          MB

          “It has been so lovely to go for a walk somewhere different (on the heath), it’s not something that I would feel safe doing on my own.” 

          MH

          “I have been stuck in the house for so long, these walks are great.

          “I am seeing places that I have never been to before, and I have lived for over 40 years!

          “Thank you Mike, it’s really good to see you both again.

          “My Daughter in Law said ‘Go for it’, when I told her about the walks. I’m so glad that I did!”

          AC

          ActivHubs

          After successfully re-opening some of our Better Balance sessions as well as our ActivSteps session back in September following the end of the first lockdown, another lockdown meant that these had to stop temporarily after not long being started!  During lockdown 2 we were able to offer live exercise sessions via Zoom where some members were able to participate in their exercise class with their instructor from the comfort of their own homes.  This worked really well, with very few technical difficulties and allowed people to maintain their fitness whilst keeping connected with others. 

          Now that Lockdown 2 has finished we have been able to reopen some of our classes again whilst following Covid safety measures.   We ensure that members are 2 metres apart whilst participating in their exercise, frequently sanitise, follow social distancing and face masks are worn (although these can be removed during the exercise).   We are operating 2 Better Balance sessions on a Tuesday morning at Rushmere Village Hall as well as 3 sessions at Walton Community Centre on a Tuesday morning.  St Mary at Stoke Church Hall also has a session running on a Tuesday morning. Our ActivSteps group continues to run at Castle Hall Community Centre on a Thursday morning and Woodbridge also has 2 sessions running at the Fred Reynolds Centre, also on a Thursday morning. 

          We were also pleased to have welcomed back some members to our Leiston Better Balance session on Wednesday 9th December.  This was the first time this group had returned since March and it was lovely to see people back at the King George Community Centre.  Comments from our members were “it’s really good to be back”.

          As some venues are still not opening up, we have been trying to seek alternative venues for some of our other groups.  We are very grateful to the Kingfisher Pub at Chantry which is temporarily hosting our Monday morning class.

          We are making lots of wellbeing phone calls to keep in touch with our members and hope that it won’t be too much longer until we are able to resume all of our Better Balance sessions.  We look forward to seeing those members that have not yet been able to return to their class as well as welcoming new people who are interested in joining.

          ActivLives April 2020 Newsletter

          ActivLives April 2020 Newsletter

          In light of the UK lockdown, we unfortunately won’t be bringing our usual bright and colourful newsletter to you this quarter.
          However, here’s an electronic version with the added benefit of bigger photos!

          We’re hoping to bring you our next newsletter in July 2020.

          ActivGardens

          Learners go from strength to strength

          Our Grow Your Future learners have made a flying start at ActivGardens.

          They have enjoyed a range of activities on Mondays and Fridays, including gardening tasks, environmental conservation and beekeeping, cooking from scratch with fresh ingredients and pizza making on our clay oven.

          Unfortunately, the project has been postponed owing to coronavirus lockdown, but we are hoping to finish off training with our first intake of learners online.

          When we get back to normal, Eastern Region Roof Training are planning to deliver skills workshops as part of the project and ASDA is offering mock interviews to trainees.

          Register your interest and we will let you know when our next FREE course starts…

           Grow Your Future will enable you to learn new skills and gain confidence on your way to further opportunities and employment.

          The 12-week scheme will include garden maintenance, horticulture and environmental conservation, with a chance to get involved in specialist activities such as woodworking or bee-keeping.

          Grow Your Future is for anyone aged 16+ who is unemployed or economically inactive, and encourages people who face barriers to work – such as a disability, health condition, or caring responsibilities.

          • Where? The People’s Community Garden, Maidenhall Allotments, Halifax Road, Ipswich IP2 8RE
          • When? Next course start date to be confirmed

          The programme is funded by the European Social Fund and the Education & Skills funding Agency, and administered by LIFT Community Grants ‘Local Investment in Learning Paths to Work’.

          New chapter for school grounds

          ActivGardens are busy planning a sensory garden at Stoke High – Ormiston Academy to brighten up the front of the school and encourage students and community library users to enjoy the natural environment and read al fresco!

          With the help of contractors from Clarion Futures, who funded the initiative, we are also planning to install raised beds in the library courtyard so older people can join in with gardening activities.

          We would like to thank Louisa van den Berg, an RHS flower show winner, who has designed the garden and helped with logistics.

          Last term, Lesley was  busy in the new vegetable garden, down at the bottom of the playing field, planning and planting with an enthusiastic group of students, who are learning skills and enjoying fresh flavours.

           

          • Once we are able to return to normal, we will be holding a community planting day to get the sensory garden planted up – do email susannah@activlives.org.uk if you’d like to help out.

          Community Garden offers learning programme to schools

          ActivGardens is launching a new learning and skills programme at the People’s Community Garden to inspire young people and help move them on to the world of work.

          Starting whenever we are able to get back to normal (possibly Autumn term 2020), it will consist of half-termly (five-week) programmes, giving young people a chance to learn hands-on in the great outdoors, as well as improving their overall health and wellbeing in a community-embedded project.

          The programme will benefit from the expertise of careers professional Bev Baker – project officer at the People’s Community Garden.

          The programme will offer a range of activities in gardening and horticulture, nature conservation and beekeeping, woodworking and construction, cooking and crafts.

          The scheme will help young people:

          • learn practical skills, gain work experience, and take on leadership/ organisational roles
          • develop competencies such as working as a team, good communication, and being willing to take on and understand responsibility
          • build self-esteem, gain confidence, and feel pride in their achievements
          • feel better – both physically and mentally
          • develop friendships, form social networks and feel a part of their community.

          For more details, please call Fundraising and Development Manager Susannah Robirosa on 07530 407302 or email susannah@activlives.org.uk.

          On our last session with young people at Northgate High School in March, budding gardeners took away pumpkin seeds they could plant at home – something to focus on in the challenging weeks ahead, giving them a feeling of hope for the future. In autumn, we hope these young people will be able to bring back their pumpkins to school and celebrate the resumption of normal life together.

          Never mind the weather!

          Two classes of 30 children from Sprites primary braved the rain to visit our walled garden as part of their topic on the ‘Scented Garden’.

          They learned all about how to nurture plants before sowing seeds to take back to their school to look after and plant out.

          Huge thanks to Thompson & Morgan for donating the seeds!

           

          It’s bloomin’ lovely in Sudbury

          Where once was a bare patch of land was a glowing host of golden daffodils in early Spring – thanks to the work of Sudbury volunteers who planted this forgotten flower bed with bulbs kindly donated by Riverside Bulbs.

          • The team usually meets every Thursday morning at 10am Belle Vue Park. To register your interest, please contact project officer Bev Baker on or email beverly@activlives.org.uk . Bev will let you know when the volunteer session is up and running again.

          Shedders are shell-shocked

          ActivSheds recently received its most unusual commission to date. We have made a mini Suffolk barn, a cat box, and many a hedgehog home… and now we have been asked to make a tortoise hideout!

          Although this has had to be put on the back burner for the time being, the shedders will be busy building this and their amazing array of products once they are able to get back to work.

          ActivSheds offer not just standard bird boxes – we have whole sparrow terraces to encourage these cheeky chappies (in sad decline) to our gardens and green spaces, alongside bat boxes, bird feeders and bird tables, garden trugs and planters, obelisks to support plants, tool holders so you can keep everything together, bread boards  lovingly decorated…  and much much more…

          • Why not think up your own unusual commission to get the shedders busy thinking during lockdown?

          We also renovate and repair, recycle and upcycle – so we’re doing our bit to save resources and give your garden benches a new lease of life.

          • Owing to popular demand, we will be launching a new ActivSheds session when we are able to open again… so watch this space….

          Keeping our bees buzzing

          Our community beekeeping project has sadly had to be put on hold owing to the current situation. But our small team of project beekeepers are keeping our buzzing friends happy and well meanwhile.

          To keep yourself connected with nature during this difficult time, watch for signs of spring when you leave home for your exercise each day – have you heard a blackcap or spotted a swallow yet – both arriving from Africa? Try to identify one of the many sorts of bumble bees emerging now. What about trying to name a few spring wildflowers?

          • If you would like to help keep our bees buzzing – please sponsor a bee. For £5 you will get a fantastic information pack and contribute to our project. Please email susannah@activlives.org.uk  to find out more.

          Growing for ‘Eden’

          Pacitti Company has enlisted ActivGardens as a growing partner for its SPILL Festival this year.

          Luckily, we managed to get the seeds sown before lockdown, and a small team of volunteers is keeping the seedlings watered and well.

          They will hopefully form part of an art project ‘Eden’ by Canadian artist Mary Catherine Newcomb, made up of curious creatures, grown from veg with the use of custom-made moulds.

          < This one is is a Bride Aubergine ‘Saint’

           

          French garden exchange

          ActivGardens has entered into an exchange project with a group of volunteers from a community garden project in Auxi-le-Chateau in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.

          They are called ‘Les Popotes Papotent’ – or the ‘chattering pans’, and we have already had long-distance meetings via video-call to get to know each other, swap and share ideas.

          Although we have had to put our exchange visits on hold for the time being, we hope the group can eventually come to Ipswich, and that we can visit them too – especially as Ipswich is twinned with the region’s capital of Arras!

          ActivIpswich

          ActivLives Badminton Group enjoy success in London SW19!

          Members of the ActivLives Inclusive Badminton group had a great day recently representing Suffolk at the Special Olympics Regional Tournament which was held in Wimbledon.

          Just up the road from the All England Tennis Club, this singles badminton tournament was held for the very first time in the famous SW19 area of South London.

          The ActivLives/Special Olympics Suffolk group consisted of nine players competing for the medals across the various divisions. They were joined by competitors from a variety of Special Olympics groups including Wimbledon, Southampton, Exeter and the Isle of Wight.

          “This tournament is a very welcome addition to the Special Olympics calendar”, said Mike McCarthy, from ActivLives, and Coach to the Suffolk group. “It has been brilliant for our players to play at such a prestigious venue, against opponents, many of whom, they hadn’t competed against before”. 

          The Suffolk team did the county proud by winning a number of medals including two Golds won by Donna Wyatt and Harry Creasey, who both topped their respective divisions.

          The team completed a great day by taking part in the Team Relay event, a competition that puts all of the competitors into mixed teams across all of the abilities and groups represented on the day.

          If you would like to get involved with Inclusive Special Olympics Badminton in Suffolk (the group is based in Ipswich), please contact Mike McCarthy at mike@activlives.org.uk or call on 01473 345350.

          ActivHubs

          Keeping active whilst in lock down can be challenging but at least we are able to go out once a day.

           

          If you are safe to do so either unaided or with mobility aids try and go for a walk even if it just down the road and back. Please adhere to guidelines and stay 2 metres away from anybody and do it at a quiet time of day. Walking strengthens your lower body and can improve your balance and also whilst the sun is out you can get some Vitamin D as well.

          If we do not exercise our muscles weaken which could cause you to lose your balance and put you at risk of falling.  The exercises are going to strengthen your lower body to help prevent that from happening. Wear comfortable clothing and sturdy footwear whilst doing the exercises.

          1. SIT TO STAND
          The ability to stand up from a chair makes a huge difference in everyday life for seniors, it helps with essential activities like getting out of a chair and getting out of bed. That is why the sit to stand exercise is probably the best mobility exercise for seniors. The exercise strengthens legs,core and back and improves balance.

          (A) Sit towards the front of a sturdy armless chair with knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip width apart.
          (B) Stand up using your legs looking forward and not down until you are standing upright. If needed you can use your arms to push off the chair.
          (C) Slowly sit down pushing your hips back so you go bottom first.

          Aim for 8 repetitions but only do what you can so that maybe more or less. Control the action in both directions.

          2. CALF RAISES
          Rest your hands on the back of a chair for stability.
          Lift both heels off the floor as far as is comfortable at a controlled speed.
          To make this exercise harder perform without support.

          As we age, our balance declines if it is not practiced and can cause falls.Try these and see how you get on.

          3. HEEL TO TOE
          In a standing position,place one hand against the wall to maintain balance.Start walking forwards slowly with your feet moving heel to toe as if you are on a tightrope.Look directly ahead as you walk in a straight line.As you become better at this try it without a point of contact.

          4. FLAMINGO STAND
          Stand with feet together and arms relaxed at your side.Hold onto a chair for support if needed.
          Bend one knee to lift the foot slightly off the ground and balance with your other leg.
          Hold for 10 seconds and repeat with other leg.

          5. SINGLE LEG STANCE WITH ARM
          Stand with feet together and arms relaxed at your side.Hold onto a chair for support if needed.
          Raise your left arm overhead and raise your left leg forward and off the floor.
          Hold for 10 seconds and repeat with other leg.

          With all of the exercises only do what you can manage and a little is better than nothing, and stop immediately if you experience any pain, discomfort, dizziness or feel faint.