The fundraising post

Community Tools

Huge thanks to everyone who used the link in our last newsletter to pledge support to our fundraising drive to raise £8,000 to build the new community composting site. We are chuffed to report that BATCOM has to date received £2,810 in pledges – well on the way to our target! Please use this link to pledge your composting membership fee of £50 before the site is built, and/or any donation you feel you can offer. Once our £8k target is reached we will ask the builders to move in and start the groundworks for our big composting bays.

Gardeners’ party on Thrupp Allotments

This Sunday (21st April) between 2-5pm, you are cordially invited to Thrupp Allotments for a gardeners’ party. Find out more about the composting scheme and browse the stalls selling second-hand garden tools, books, plants and seedlings and delicious cakes baked by Thrupp locals. There will be a treasure hunt around the allotments for little ones and prizes to be won in our Mucky Dip. Everyone’s a winner! Please bring a picnic blanket, and a mug for tea. Pretty sure no umbrellas needed.

Merlin Sheldrake at Stroud Brewery

There is much joy in our composty hearts this week – not only because of the news that our favourite mycologist and best-selling author Merlin Sheldrake will be presenting his film ‘Fungi – Web of Life’ at Stroud Brewery in May, but also that the money raised from ticket sales will be going to BATCOM! Within (almost literally) nanoseconds these tickets sold out, but if you missed it you may be interested to know that there will be a second screening on Sunday 2nd June, tickets available through the Stroud Brewery events web page.

BATCOM gardening advice – can you help?

We would like to offer a bespoke advice service for people in Brimscombe/Thrupp who would like to know more about certain aspects of gardening, and we need experienced gardeners and growers for this one! Ideally this would involve a 20-30 minute visit to the garden or allotment of a nearby neighbour to offer any tips or advice in return for a donation to BATCOM.

The topics covered could include:

  • composting (obvs!)
  • organic growing
  • pruning
  • planting for shade
  • fruit & veg growing
  • pond building & maintenance
  • planting for wildlife
  • garden design & troubleshooting
  • gardening in a small space
  • container growing
  • gardening for climate change

or any number of gardening-related topics you have experience of and feel you could offer advice about!

We are just putting this out there to see what kind of interest there might be – from people needing advice and also those willing to give it…. please email hello@batcom.org.uk or come to Thrupp Allotments on Sunday afternoon and speak to Alison to find out more.