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Newsletter - Spring 2011 |
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AUTUMN/WINTER 2011 Hello folks and welcome to Dig This.
As usual we were indebted to the staff in Parks and Countryside Services for the work they put in to ensure tables were set up and put away and that the paperwork was up to scratch. What was particularly pleasing were the number and standards of entries in the kids section. Future allotment holders maybe? Talking about allotment holders many of you will have seen the recent article in the Chronicle about the contribution made by some of our less law abiding citizens to the diets of the homeless in Newcastle. A plot has been set aside in the St Anthony site run by the probation service and the produce is sent to the Cyrenians to help vulnerable people in Newcastle. The plot was derelict and only goes to show what can be done given some effort and commitment. BEES AND THINGS And now for something entirely different. Have you noticed that the only time a fuss is made about the situation of an animal/plant/ insect etc. is when it is at risk. Recently there has been press and TV publicity about the state of the red squirrel and hedgehog populations and for some time now there has been great concern about bees. The AWG has recently, with this in mind, set up a bee subgroup, chaired by Peter Whewell from Moorside Allotments. As a result the interest in introducing hives on allotment sites has mushroomed to the extent that we have purchased bee suits and have available a centrifuge honey extractor. Several sites now have beehives on site maintained by people who have received appropriate training. Whilst we would encourage the introduction of more beehives I would point out that there are several essentials. Having established that your fellow plotholders are happy to have the hive on site you must remember that you are introducing livestock and that you will need to dedicate about an hour a week or more to maintaining the hive. You must also have the appropriate training and insurance. The public liability insurance held by your site does meet the additional cover that our Council requires and you must be registered with the Bee Group to meet those needs. Peter will most willingly provide all the information you need as well as being able to let you see, first hand, what to expect. I know that this may sound a little daunting but we all need to remember that without bees we would not be able to feed ourselves and that we, as the dominant species, should be responsible for ensuring that our worlds diverse and wonderful inhabitants are given the help and support they deserve. As well as our own bee group you can use the internet for information and advice. Have a look at www.capitalbee.co.uk. If you want to help but do not want to keep a hive why not see what you can do to help our wild bees. There is much information on bumble bees on the internet. Have a look at www.bumblebeeconservation.org.uk. It is probably a bit late now to do much to see them through the winter but there is always next year and the weather will soon keep you out of the plot, if last year was anything to go by, so you can spend all that spare time building and setting up homes for them. And what about setting aside a bit of land for growing bee-friendly plants. Seed catalogues, now dropping through the letter box, will have some appropriate varieties. Please ensure that the area is kept as a credit to the association. An untamed dump is not acceptable within the terms of the Council's lease and will not serve it's purpose. Evening Chronicle Wish Tokens WAITING LIST SURVEY As you will probably already know the Allotment Working Group are tasked to fined new allotment sites. As part of that exercise we need to know where are the people who are currently on our waiting lists. Some sites have already supplied the necessary information but if yours is one of the sites still to do so please help us by sending it to Mark Todd. ALLOMENT WORKING GROUP Our research has shown that many allotment holders have little or no knowledge of how the AWG is set up, what are its aims and objectives and who are its members. Your site will soon receive a notice, for permanent display, so that all members are able to read who we are and what we do. That notice is for permanent display and will be amended as necessary. CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME
Contributions to this newsletter are welcome, whether they are news items about site activities or personalities, ideas, opinions or criticisms.
The Allotments Working Group is made up of elected and co-opted representatives from across Newcastle and operates under the auspices of the City Council.
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