gardens |

The popular Grow Your Neighbour’s Own garden share scheme celebrates its first year of running. The scheme matches people who don’t have space but would like to grow their own food, with other residents who have gardens but aren’t able to, or interested in, growing food. In doing so the scheme brings underused and neglected gardens into productive cultivation, develops new skills amongst people in the community, and helps gardeners and garden owners share fresh, local food. The scheme has over 90 members and has been busy connecting garden owners and land managers with aspiring gardeners over the last year. It is run by volunteers with a passion for bringing the community together, reducing our carbon footprint, and reviving food growing skills.

With so many people keen to grow food but with nowhere to grow it, Grow Your Neighbour’s Own is appealing for more owners to share their garden with a member of their community. There are all sorts of benefits; making new friends, putting unused land to good use, and sharing the produce being just a few. If anyone has space of any size they would like to share, the scheme would be pleased to hear from you.

For more information about the scheme and to register as a garden owner or gardener, please go to the website:
www.growyourneighboursown.org.uk
or call Julie Green on 07796 172196 / 01273 735795

Shared learning for pleasure, for people no longer in full-time employment
U3A stands for University of the Third Age: people who, with their youth and working life behind them, have the leisure to expand their understanding and who come together to share and pursue learning in all its forms, not for qualifications but for pleasure.

There are now more than 670 local U3As all over the country, self-managed, lifelong learning cooperatives, run entirely by volunteers. Brunswick Westward U3A is one of them, set up in 2001 originally to cover West Hove, Portslade, Hangleton and Knoll, but now, in practice, welcoming members from all over Brighton and Hove.

Members share learning and leisure experiences in a wide range of special interest groups: Drawing with Crayons, Gardens, Patchwork, French (intermediate/advanced), Spanish (elementary), Play Reading, Theatre and Film Groups, Reading Fiction, Exploring Poetry, Family History Support, Local History, History Discussion, Walks, Meditation and Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now.

We’d like to start other groups as interest arises. Groups are interactive, with members contributing from their own interests and experience. Some groups have a leader with special knowledge or skills but in many cases it’s a co-ordinator who’s just responsible for organisation. Groups meet weekly, fortnightly or monthly, usually in members’ houses; but we hire a hall for get-togethers such as our Spring Celebration.
As well as the special interest groups we have regular illustrated talks by knowledgeable speakers, and members can attend the popular regional Study Days held monthly on Saturdays at various venues across Sussex.

Details of these are in our Brunswick Westward Newsletter and members also get a regular U3A magazine from head office. Membership is £16 a year. If you are interested in joining you would be most welcome to have tea with existing members and group co-ordinators at our open Introductory Meeting, to be held at 2pm on 11 September 2009 in the Ralli Hall, Denmark Villas, near Hove Station.

Further details from our Secretary, Dee Bartaby, tel 747565 or de@bartaby.co.uk. If you’d like to join now contact our Membership Secretary, Pat Sawyer, tel. 551425 or sawyep_7@yahoo.co.uk.

Anyone wanting information about other U3As in the Brighton area should visit www.sura.org.uk.

Tag Archives: gardens

Happy Birthday to Garden Sharing

Brunswick Westward U3A