Community Spruce – achievements

Thank you to all members who have contributed to our Community Spruce initiative over the past year. Here’s what we’ve achieved together:

  • Tidied the site, removing two skip loads of rubbish.
  • Refurbished the toilets,  including replacing the broken toilet seat in the ladies loo, painting the walls and doors and putting new lino down.
  • Clive’s kitchen has been cleaned and a new fridge, kettle and microwave installed for members’ use.
  • The communal polytunnel has been cleared and cleaned ready for growing plants for open day.
  • The bonfire area has been cleared and new compost bins made.
  • The grass has been cut throughout the year.
  • The hedging has been pruned and overgrown areas cut back.
  • The office has been cleared.
  • We’ve planted new wildflower verges and hedging around our perimeter and planted wildflower seeds in the wildlife garden. This work is part of our re-wilding initiative, which will increase the biodiversity on our site and help support our fellow plant and animal communities which are now seriously threatened by climate change and loss of habitat.

We have been helped by teams of corporate volunteers, a great new initiative  set up by Linda, which brings donations to the site and gets work done quickly.  The 19th Bromley Scout Group also helped plant new hedging and seed bombed the wildlife garden.

There will be more opportunities to join in Community Spruce activities in 2020 as we continue to work to make our allotment site a peaceful, wildlife haven and an important community asset.

Community Spruce – Spring Clean

On Sunday 14 March our members cleaned, tidied and decorated the communal facilities as part of our Community Spruce programme.

The external walls of the toilets were painted (the doors still need to be finished).

The internal walls and ceilings the both toilets were scraped, primed and painted (the floors still need to be painted).

The Clubhouse kitchen cupboards were emptied and the contents sorted.   A professional cleaning company will be along shortly to give the Clubhouse a deep clean ready for upcoming events including our AGM and Open Day.

The communal poly tunnel and greenhouse were cleared and tidied.  Unfortunately a lot of potted plants had to be disposed of because they were infested with vine weevil.

A skip was available for site and members’ use as some plotholders had inherited a lot of rubbish and rubble when taking on their plots.

There was also a litter pick of the site and surroundings.

Thank you to everybody who helped out on the day and to those who have been helping with the site improvements at other times.

Spring Clean – Sunday 14 April

As part of the Community Spruce programme we are hosting a Great British Spring Clean to help tidy up our allotments, and the areas near our entrances.

As well as a general tidy up and litter pick, we will be giving the clubhouse, toilets and office a good clean and a lick of paint.  We will be pricking-out and potting-on of plants for the Open Day on 19th May.  Our resident horticultural expert will be giving demonstrations for those new to growing from seed.

Children can help too – many of the seedlings ready to be pricked-out were sown by children at our March Community Spruce event.

Members will be able to dispose of non-recyclable waste in a skip that will be available on the day.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday!