Newsletter November 2023
In this jam-packed edition:
Hedge-laying and biochar course, 25th and 26th November. 1 Place left.
Tree Day, 29th November. Pensilva Primary School, University of Plymouth, Tregovenek and Pentiddy Community Woodland coming together to celebrate trees.
Welcome to Stu and Vicky – New tenants moving in to the bungalow this week!
Funding applications – Awards for All and Community Capacity Fund
Work PARTY! -Festive celebration 16th December
Welcome to Stu and Vicky.
The work to get the bungalow up to specifications for rental has been huge. Thank you to all those who have been involved in painting, repairing, applying for funding, writing rental agreements, cleaning, gardening…. The list has seemed endless but is finally complete. Wishing Stu and Vicky happy times in their new home.
Hedge-laying and biochar Course
It’s all go for the hedge-laying course – although we frustratingly still haven’t heard anything about our funding application!! We’ve concocted a plan to make it feasible anyway as so many of you were keen to come along. So this is the new plan…
Saturday 25th November, 10-4:
This will be open to anyone, unlimited by numbers. It will be a chance to learn from the experts all about hedges, their ecology and history, see different styles of hedge management at Pentiddy Woods and the products we can make from the timber that is cut out. We will also learn about the tools used in hedge-laying and how to sharpen them. The new biochar kiln will be set up at Tregovenek ready for the following day so that we can see how it works, how it fits in with hedge-laying and hear about biochar’s amazing properties and uses.
Sunday the 26th November, 10-4:
This will be a practical day with hands-on hedge-laying and biochar production and will be limited to 8 people.
We will be asking for a minimum donation of £10 for each day which will help to pay for Jeremy’s time if the funding doesn’t come through. If the funding does come through then your donations will go into the Tregovenek Community Farm pot.
Please let me know ASAP if you would like to come to either or both days. It will be a bring lunch to share thing but hot drinks will be provided.
Please spread the word if you haven’t already. It’s been difficult to do that up to this point due to the uncertainties around it but now it’s a case of the more the merrier for the Saturday. There is just one place remaining for the Sunday.
Tree Day – 29th November.
Pensilva Primary School, the University of Plymouth, Tregovenek and Pentiddy Community Woodland are coming together to celebrate trees thanks to the University’s Get Involved Award.
A class from Pensilva Primary School will be working with researchers and lecturers from the university together with folk from Tregovenek to gather scientific data on how much Carbon is being stored in the trees in the Community Woodland, look at all the ways trees are important in our lives and start a community tree nursery at Tregovenek. In the first instance, these young trees will be used to improve hedges around the land.
Next steps process and funding applications.
At the end of the Summer we initiated a process to gather everyone’s considerations on what Tregovenek’s next steps should be. A proposal was formed from this and has now gained consent from everyone involved.
Some of the outcomes of the proposal involve funding applications for the Cornwall Community Capacity Fund to design and cost small-scale workshops and a small community hub and teaching space, and an application for an Awards For All grant to fund a part-time project co-ordinator. Amazing work has gone into both of these which are now being submitted. Fingers crossed.
Work PARTY! – Dec 16th, 10 – 3. Everyone Welcome.
With the emphasis definitely on the word PARTY!
There will be plentiful opportunities for practical work in the morning, followed by some time in the afternoon putting ideas into the pot for the design of the community garden and a chance to have conversations around working circles and roles. There will be the usual epic shared lunch and undoubtedly some festive shenanigans. Add to all that the beauty and magic of midwinter in this beautiful corner of Cornwall and a phenomenal community of awesome humans and we have all the ingredients for a brilliant day! There’s so much to celebrate!
N.B. This event is replacing the work party previously booked for the 8th of December.
Work party dates for the new year to be decided soon.
As always, please get in touch if you’d like to find out more about our work and how to get involved: mail@tregovenek.org.uk
