Hello, Dear FOTA’s,

All here at The Dorothy Parkes Centre wish you and your loved ones well.  It’s been a while since our last update.  So, here goes.  We are very pleased to announce that we have secured grants from both the Sandwell Town Grant Fund and the National Lottery Awards for All, England Fund. 

We are extremely grateful to both these funding bodies.  As many of you know, it takes a lot of hard work to create a funding bid and we would like to say ‘Thank You’ to all who helped put the bids together and contributed in any way.  Special thanks go to Councillor Zahoor Ahmed (Town Chair for Smethwick), Santokh Singh (Neighbourhood Engagement Manager) and, Kara Pearce (Neighbourhood Engagement Officer).  They came to the Allotment and Cllr Ahmed posed with the lovely Rob (CEO Dorothy Parkes) and, myself.  Smiles all round!

These awards mean that we can now move forwards with the ‘Consolidation’ phase of the work at the Community Allotment.  We want to build a ‘Bus Shelter’ seating area for folks who just want to come and sit and enjoy the beautiful fresh air.  We’re also developing plans to create a ‘Play Plot’ for the ‘young uns’ to enjoy and learn about growing, planting and, having fun etc.  I’m now learning about ‘mud kitchens’!  Who knew!

We have recently ‘joined forces’ with the lovely Go Play Sandwell team who are working with us to develop a team made up of your good selves who will be trained and equipped to offer activities both in and out of term time.  We had a few folks interested in volunteering to be part of this team and, when we are through this difficult time, we would love more of you to come to our initial meetings to see if you would also be interested in being part of our ‘Play Plot’ Team. 

Details will be posted on the Dorothy Parkes website and Facebook pages.

We also want to encourage the new venture at Bearwood Community Garden, behind St Mary’s Church, Bearwood Road.  Another developing outdoor space for folks to be involved with and enjoy.  Well done, Ellie from your friends here at DPC.

As well as many things, we are, at heart, an allotment, and, ‘growing’, in many ways, is what we are trying to achieve and offer to the local community.  We would very much like to thank the staff at Arnold Laver Timber Merchants in Oldbury who have kindly donated a great deal of timber in order that we can construct really good quality raised beds for, guess what, growing veg in!  The generosity of people is amazing.

    

Well, Fellow FOTA’s, despite current circumstances, very best wishes to one and all.  Happy growing.

Onwards and upwards!

Karen

[email protected]

(07552 578117)