Lottery funding: SUCCESS!
We were delighted to receive news last week that our application for Lottery funding for the planned Community Space on plot 15 has been successful. We have been awarded a grant of £9,845.00 to construct the new building. Many thanks to Ian Potts, who led on the application, for all his hard work and vision. The next steps are for an action plan to be drawn up for progressing the project, which we will share in the next newsletter, together with more information on how people can get involved and contribute ideas and practical help. You can read the detail of our application to the National Lottery Community Fund on the Shepherds Hill website here. The above sketch is an artist's impression of how our new Community Space could look!
Slug control
From Spring 2020 slug killer containing metaldehyde will be banned in the UK for outdoor use. This is in response to growing concerns about the adverse effects on wildlife; creatures such as hedgehogs eating the pellets and/or eating slugs that have ingested metaldehyde. More info here.
Slug control containing ferric phosphate is recognised for use by organic growers. It works differently to metaldehyde with the slugs who ingest the pellets going underground to die. This can be misunderstood as the pellets not working as there are no visible corpses! The application rate is different too, so check the instructions on the packet.
We would like to encourage more tenants to switch sooner rather than later. If you have a part used container of metaldehyde slug pellets, bring it along to the Trading Shed where it can be exchanged for a tub of ‘Growing Success’ ferric phosphate slug control or a packet of ‘Vitax Slug Gone’ at a 50% discount. We will then dispose of the metaldehyde pellets responsibly.
Tips on chemical free slug control can be found here.
Recycle your plastic pots
Sunshine Garden Centre have told us that they will take back black plastic trays holding plants and also black plastic pots for recycling.
A reminder
We’ve had a few instances of soil and other bits and pieces being dumped on communal areas of the site. Please remember to keep things on your own plot or remove completely from the site.
The future of the trading shed
As reported in the April newsletter, our Trading Shed Coordinator (Julia) and Trading Manager (Lynn) will both be standing down after the last delivery of the year in September/October. We urgently need people to volunteer to take on the work Julia and Lynn have done for many years, otherwise the brilliant Trading Shed services we all benefit from will be at risk. It may be that current roles can be re-jigged and shared so if you think you could be interested in contributing to the running of the Shed please do get in touch, either by emailing info@shepherdshillallotments.co.uk or by talking to the one of the volunteers in the trading shed on Sunday mornings.
Yours
Julie, Annie, Trevor, Julia, Juliet, Gary, Jill, Ian, Lynn (co-opted - Trading Shed Manager) and Nick (co-opted - Treasurer).
The Site Committee, June 2019
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