Transition Town Tooting

Tag: volunteers

  • Rooting in Tooting update: TTT’s project with local refugees and asylum-seekers

    We’d like to update you on the Rooting in Tooting project: TTT’s joint project with the Tooting charity CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum-Seekers).

    In our past blog posts (view them here) we’ve outlined that we have a year of diverse activities planned with CARAS.

    Participant groups include the CARAS Youth Club and After-School Club, with families and the Women’s Group still to come.

    The project purpose?
    Threefold – to help develop teamworking and relationships while enjoying new activities, to help develop language and communication skills, and to help participants feel that they are joining in with the local community.
    We’re so proud that CARAS won a Team Community Hero award at the Balham and Tooting Community Association annual celebration of local contributions on December 10th.

    Working with the Youth Club
    This is the group with whom we did the pilot project in spring – and it’s typical of working in the refugee setting that the individuals and participant numbers have been changing all the time.

    In one session we were making models of the rain-fed growing planters that we hope to build for real outdoors – a fun and focused session with a dozen young people.

    In another session two dozen young people carved pumpkins, and in another we did more screenprinting using local photos of Tooting scenes. That day one or two lads were on still in their first few days in England…others translated and helped them join in.

    What else?
    We’ve embarked on measuring and preparing timber for some of the outdoor planter construction projects that will turn into flourishing gardens in the spring.

    In December we did a mighty evening session printing 70 cloth bags with nearly 30 young people and volunters, again using local leaves as stencils.  These bags went home as presents over the holiday season, and many others were exchanged for a donation to CARAS.

    The Youth Club designed and printed many different bags!

    Working with the After-School Clubs
    In November and December we joined the clubs, in four age groups from 4 to 11 yrs old. We designed and screenprinted cloth bags with each child, using local leaves as the stencils (..’rooting in Tooting’..!)

    The children were great – and hats off to their energy to join in until 7:30 on mostly wet Monday evenings after full days at school.

    What’s next?
    We continue with the plans and preparation for building flower and vegetable beds, and we’re developing a new strand: designing and making a mural for the site. We have the Women’s Group and family groups to meet. We’ll be planting, growing and harvesting with the 2016 Tooting Foodival in mind.
    The reality is that our project approach has to be very flexible and responsive…we’re learning about the best approaches, all the time.
    In parallel the participants have other activities – for example the Youth Club have support for their college studies and they cook and enjoy meals together. They are taking part in games and training to explore stress, sleeping well, and keeping fit – all those as part of CARAS’ own Happy Future Project.

    Who is supporting Rooting in Tooting?
    People like you! We’re all keen to learn and contribute to alleviating a global challenge that we can work with on our doorstep – thanks so much to all who have volunteered so far.
    In the spirit of flexibility and responding to change, we’re a group of a dozen – some of us do a lot of other things with TTT, some join just this project. We’re never all there at once; some do more time and some do less and we have a mix of skills.
    This has worked out well so far – and if you are reading this and feel you would like to contribute, please get in touch with Charles or Jenny by email at transitiontowntooting@gmail.com

    We’re very grateful for funding and materials from the Royal Horticultural Society’s ‘Greening Grey Britain’ campaign and from the Sir Walter St John Educational Charity.
    Further support is welcome!
    Thanks to all – Charles

  • Leo’s Garden: an oasis tucked above Tooting

    Tooting has a new and delightful asset!

     
    A new garden balcony for all the staff at the Tooting campus of South Thames College opened today in memory of Mumney Olusanya (or Leo, as he was better known). Leo was Facilities Manager at the Tooting campus, and died on the 31st October 2013. Leo’s Garden is a University and College Union initiative and was opened by Angie Birtill of the Trade Union Studies Centre.

    Angie raising a fizzy apple juice as a toast to Leo’s memory

    Spring bulbs were planted later today in memory of Leo, adding to the planting done over spring and summer this year – all funded by the volunteers themselves. As well as a memorial to Leo, the garden is consciously about health and safety – creating an attractive place for any college staff to boost their wellbeing during a busy day. 


    It’s an environmental project too: showing what can be done collectively by volunteers to make their surroundings at work come alive. Kate Turney from STC said the intention is “to support biodiversity by growing a mixture of flowers, vegetables and herbs which can turn a small concrete space into a greener cleaner wildlife friendly haven”.

    Cutting the cake: “I now declare Leo’s Garden open!”

    “This space is meant to be a green space in a very built-up area,” said Angie, “and it’s meant to be a place for the staff to relax. Leo was one of those people who made it good to come to work. He was kind, he was funny, he always did everything he could for you. When we sit here and we think of nice things, it’s Leo that we want to think about”.

    Artura West, wood and stone carving tutor at the STC Wandsworth campus, designed and carved the ash plaque.
    “If you look closely, you’ll see each “E” has a flowering motif, to keep the theme of the garden,” he said.

    The view from the supermarket carpark – you’d never know the garden is there.
    And look at the unusual views from the balcony (this one in July this year) – giving visitors a brand new new insight into Tooting.
    More photos online courtesy of Dave Mauger at Tooting DailyPRSS here.
    It was great to be invited to the opening of the Leo’s Garden – thank you!
    We’re sure that other groups may like to do something similar at work or in their neighbourhood. TTT has a brand new project called Growing Tooting which can offer support to beginners or experienced gardeners who want to get growing together. Please get in touch with TTT to explore how we can assist….we look forward to hearing from you!

    A new balcony for the staff at the Tooting campus of South Thames College opened today in memory of Mumney Olusanya (or Leo, as he was better known).

    Leo was the Facilities Manager at the Tooting Campus, and died on the 31st October 2013. The aptly named Leo’s Garden was opened by Angie Birtill of the Trade Union Studies Centre, and is a University and College Union (UCU) initiative. Bulbs will be planted later today in memory of Leo.
    The balcony has also been created as a green space, as demonstrated by the different flowers and plants dotted around the area
    – See more at: http://tooting-news.dailyprss.co.uk/tabs/blog/preview/2015/10/leos-garden-opens-at-south-thames-college-in-tooting#sthash.tDWV7sDv.dpuf

    A new balcony for the staff at the Tooting campus of South Thames College opened today in memory of Mumney Olusanya (or Leo, as he was better known).

    Leo was the Facilities Manager at the Tooting Campus, and died on the 31st October 2013. The aptly named Leo’s Garden was opened by Angie Birtill of the Trade Union Studies Centre, and is a University and College Union (UCU) initiative. Bulbs will be planted later today in memory of Leo.
    The balcony has also been created as a green space, as demonstrated by the different flowers and plants dotted around the area
    – See more at: http://tooting-news.dailyprss.co.uk/tabs/blog/preview/2015/10/leos-garden-opens-at-south-thames-college-in-tooting#sthash.tDWV7sDv.dpuf

    A new balcony for the staff at the Tooting campus of South Thames College opened today in memory of Mumney Olusanya (or Leo, as he was better known).

    Leo was the Facilities Manager at the Tooting Campus, and died on the 31st October 2013. The aptly named Leo’s Garden was opened by Angie Birtill of the Trade Union Studies Centre, and is a University and College Union (UCU) initiative. Bulbs will be planted later today in memory of Leo.
    The balcony has also been created as a green space, as demonstrated by the different flowers and plants dotted around the area
    – See more at: http://tooting-news.dailyprss.co.uk/tabs/blog/preview/2015/10/leos-garden-opens-at-south-thames-college-in-tooting#sthash.tDWV7sDv.dpuf

    A new balcony for the staff at the Tooting campus of South Thames College opened today in memory of Mumney Olusanya (or Leo, as he was better known).

    Leo was the Facilities Manager at the Tooting Campus, and died on the 31st October 2013. The aptly named Leo’s Garden was opened by Angie Birtill of the Trade Union Studies Centre, and is a University and College Union (UCU) initiative. Bulbs will be planted later today in memory of Leo.
    The balcony has also been created as a green space, as demonstrated by the different flowers and plants dotted around the area
    – See more at: http://tooting-news.dailyprss.co.uk/tabs/blog/preview/2015/10/leos-garden-opens-at-south-thames-college-in-tooting#sthash.tDWV7sDv.dpuf

    A new balcony for the staff at the Tooting campus of South Thames College opened today in memory of Mumney Olusanya (or Leo, as he was better known).

    Leo was the Facilities Manager at the Tooting Campus, and died on the 31st October 2013. The aptly named Leo’s Garden was opened by Angie Birtill of the Trade Union Studies Centre, and is a University and College Union (UCU) initiative. Bulbs will be planted later today in memory of Leo.
    The balcony has also been created as a green space, as demonstrated by the different flowers and plants dotted around the area
    – See more at: http://tooting-news.dailyprss.co.uk/tabs/blog/preview/2015/10/leos-garden-opens-at-south-thames-college-in-tooting#sthash.tDWV7sDv.dpuf

  • Volunteering Opportunities – Join the Foodival Team

    We’re starting to plan Foodival 2015 – Transition Town Tooting’s sustainable food festival – and we’re looking for people to join the team.

    Maybe you want to meet local growers? Or you love cooking? Maybe you’re looking for publicity experience? Or maybe you’d like to get involved on the day, making the event a success.

    Whatever takes your fancy, we’ve got a role for you.  You’ll meet some wonderful people, have the chance to shape the Foodival, and of course, get to eat some delicious food!

    Foodival takes place over the weekend of 12 – 13 September.

    How can you get involved?

    There are lots of ways you can get involved, either by joining the planning team, or helping out over the weekend.

    Head over to the Tooting Foodival blog to see what we’re looking for, and get in touch at transitiontowntooting@gmail.com if you’re interested, or know someone who can help.

    Or just pop in to the next planning meeting – Tuesday, 27 May, 7pm at the Kings Head on Upper Tooting Road.

  • The Great Greenhouse Build – we need your help!

    Our current outdoor learning project with Gatton School is to build a greenhouse in the community garden made from recycled plastic bottles (see picture below – this is what we hope the finished greenhouse will look like). The year 6 pupils come to the garden for an hour a week to work on this and despite lots of hard work on their behalf, it is slow going. After the Easter holidays, we have just two more lessons (ie two hours!) to finish the project. 
    Clearly this is going to be impossible – currently we have completed two side walls of the greenhouse (below), but we still have the back wall, the front wall with a door, two roof panels and two gable ends to make, and then we have to fit all the pieces together! Plus we have many more plastic bottles to cut.
    So we really need some volunteers to rally round and help out. At the first community session during the Seed Swap we had some great helpers and managed to build a wall of the greenhouse.
    Here’s how you can help:

    Because two more hours with 12x 10-year-olds isn’t going to be enough to finish the build, Sharon will be hosting some working parties in the garden in the Easter school holidays. Please come and help – we REALLY NEED YOU! There are tasks for all abilities so don’t feel you need any particular skills to make a contribution. If you have a hammer or a cordless screwdriver and can bring them along, even better.

    The drop-in sessions will be from 12pm-4.30pm on:
    Good Friday April 3
    Thursday April 9
    Friday April 10

    The Community Garden is at 5 North Drive, SW16 1RN.
    We’re tucked in behind the big red-brick house at that address, with entrance through the black fence to the left of the building. We’ll have a sign on the road.

    Bring your friends, bring your family (there’s even a playground for little kids to occupy themselves). And if you know anyone else who might be interested in helping out, please spread the word. The more the merrier. It really is good fun and hugely satisfying.
    If you would like to come along, or have any questions, please drop us a line at TootingCommunityGarden@gmail.com or the Tooting Community Garden Facebook page so we know how many people to expect.

    Hope to see you at the garden!