Cambridge Growing Spaces

Minutes from Meeting on 17^th February 2016

1.Everyone introduced himself/herself. It was nice to meet so many new people!

2. City Council collaboration:

It is currently a very long process and we discussed about how to improve it.

– Toni is going to discuss arranging an easier process with everyone responsible in the city council. (TASK)

– We can propose short term trials (1 month to extend) on some spaces to get faster approval

3. Voucher scheme from the city council in exchange of taking care of their spaces:

– Do we want it?

– We could also try to register to a volunteer scheme to acknowledge what people are doing in growing spaces.

4. Vision (or ambition) of Growing Spaces

Sandra collected replies of everyone about what is growing spaces. She will send the summary to the group to get their opinion and include the improved version on the website.

The about page will be reorganized to include this, the current text and better photos. (TASK)

5. Grant:

Let’s see how much we will do over the next months before to decide if we need to apply for a grant.

For now soil and plants are easy to get for free.

We have to explore how to get wood for free for raised beds (TASK)

If we need money in the future we can raise it by ourselves at one of our events (abundance vegetable swaps, film showings at the missing socks…)

6. Tasks:

Toni made a list of who is doing what in the group. She will circulate it in the group to see if we can fill gaps (TASK)

7. Projects for 2016:

To continue with our activities and enjoy it

More events at our gardens.

> Gardening workshops at regular times, once every 2 weeks each time at a different space? Sandra to organise with space carers (TASK)

> Outreach events (abundance stall, art event …)

> Cycling tour of the spaces in summer (Marie)

> Making/showing films (Rosie with pivotal)

More involvement of the neighbours in each space: We need to enter in contact with them (fliers + events?)

More front garden spaces (blitz?)

8. Plants:

It is the time of the year to start sowing. If everyone could prepare an excess of a different plant, we would have enough of everything.

Rosie is going to send an email to the group to coordinate our effort and be sure we have enough of a variety of plants (TASK)

9. Newsletter:

We will make a trial of a very simple (mainly visual) newsletter, with links to our blog. It would be once a month to start with.

I am always spellbound when I see seedlings popping out. And you?

Present: Axel, Marie, Sandra and Toni

This meeting was an internal meeting and thus was not advertised on Transition Cambridge bulletin.

1. Edible Garden: We have been contacted by Yifan and discussed with Axel on how Cambridge Growing Spaces could help with the Edible Garden in Murray Edwards College.

We decided Growing Spaces will help promoting the garden by putting gardening session on our facebook page and sending them by email to the group.

TASKS: -Axel to send updates pictures to Sandra. Sandra to create a blog note about the Edible Garden and put it on the facebook group. Marie will post it in the student vegetarian and vegan facebook group.

– Marie to contact Takashi to exchange experiences in developing a community garden in a College and getting students being involved.

2. Rosie went to the workshop “Roots to success: a practical guide to support volunteer training in food growing groups”. It was a really inspiring workshop! Workshop material and other very useful links can be found here.

3. Spaces status

– TASK: Toni to create a file with the updated list of spaces and their status (with the name of the current carers?)

– Would be good to couple carers and communicators for each space. TASK: Toni to contact each space carer and see what they think about it.

4. Communication

TASK: Sandra and Toni to meet to work on the leaflet. Sandra to send the new version of the leaflet to Toni. Marie to see with Hannah for the new Transition Cambridge leaflet.

It would be good to have business cards for Growing Spaces that we could give more easily than leaflets. TASK: Sandra to send an email for volunteer.

TASK: Sandra and/or Toni should find a time to meet Wolfgang and Vanessa for blog training and taking pictures/videos at spaces.

5. Volunteers needed

There is a lot of skills volunteers can offer to Growing Spaces but we don’t know what people would like to contribute (beyond feedback from some volunteers that they prefer outdoor work over more time at the computer 😉 ).
TASK: Sandra to ask how every of us is willing to help growing spaces (gardening skills, IT skills, communication skills, gardening tools, car or van..).

6. Special Growing Spaces meeting in December to discuss goals, objectives and ways of actions of Growing Spaces. TASK: Sandra or Toni to send email in the group to prepare the meeting: “What is Growing Spaces for you?”, “What do you want for Growing Spaces?”…

7. Other

-Gardening tool library: If you have any ideas for needed tools, contact Rebecca or Growing Spaces and we will pass it on.