This is our monthly volunteer update post. To keep volunteers up-to-date with what's going on and what's coming up.
To book onto our volunteer sessions, make sure you have;
Read the Volunteer Handbook before attending any session here.
Register as a volunteer so we have your contact details and emergency contact (link available in handbook)
Book onto the doodle polls which you can access once you have signed up. If you can't access them, please contact us at volunteer@wearemud.org
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Hi everyone! Welcome to the MUD Volunteering Newsletter for July 2021. Sorry it's slightly delayed. The installation of the new polytunnel at Platt Fields Market Garden has set me back a few days. Hello to anyone receiving this newsletter for the first time, welcome to the Diggers! This one's gunna be a longy...
Platt Fields Market Garden
We have a lot going on in July, including some staff absences and holidays, so there's a few dates that regular volunteering won't be on/might be slightly different to prep for certain events. All available sessions are on the Doodle Poll below. The garden is blooming lovely after the recent heat wave and is looking great thanks to everyone's hard work so thank you all very much! July will involve lots of garden maintenance, watering and harvesting. Harvesting will be taking place on Fridays and Saturdays so if that's something you're interested in learning more about then book on those days. We'd also like to build a new harvesting station so there may be some woodwork/DIY needed. The new polytunnel is going to need a lot of work so if people would like to concentrate on that as part of our Greenhouse Guardians team then please let me know.
Greenhouse Guardians After the first successful day of covering things like watering the greenhouse and polytunnel, looking out for and dealing with pests, I've been struggling to fit in any more time to organise training days! So big apologies for that. Please let me know if you would like to concentrate more on these areas of the garden and I'll try and fit in ad hoc bits of training during regular volunteering days. I'll try and organise another training session as soon as possible and will post it on the Volunteer WhatsApp Group. Garden Hosts Again, massive apologies for not doing more with this role. I'd still love for people to spend time in the garden talking about what we do to the public, any suggestions of how I can organise this better are welcome. I thought about doing more doodle polls but then thought it would just be easier if we said that during our public opening hours (Fri-Sun 11am-4pm) any volunteers can come down and be garden hosts and I could assign leaders for each day if there are any people interested in becoming a Garden Host Leader and then I can train them up? Sort of a Garden Hosts Coordinator??? Some of our volunteer coordinators have since become employees of MUD by helping us develop new roles and projects and I think there is definitely scope to develop a community outreach role off the back of this.
Mona Street
Tuesdays 1-3pm
Things are really coming along at Mona Street Community also. We've planted up some salad, radish, pumpkins and other bits and bobs after weeding the all the beds. The raised beds are falling apart a bit but fixing them is probably a job for later in the year! We are slowly removing the slate from the side beds but it's definitely a good work out (for anyone interested in getting sweaty whilst volunteering). We'll be making some tables and benches soon as well to add some seating. Anyway lots to do so more volunteers very much welcome.
Pankhurst Plot
Thursdays 10-4pm
Come down an volunteer at Pankhurst plot, our new community garden in collaboration with Emmeline's Pantry. Help us create a community garden from the beginning. We'll be gardening, growing and creating a woodland play area. No gardening experience needed.
Friends of Platt Fields Park
Platt Hall Garden Project, Tuesdays 11-4
Brand new gardening project to create new gardens around the hall. All levels of skill welcome, tea and coffee provided. Come say hello.
Shakey Gardeners, Thursday 9-12
Join a small group of us working to restore the garden to it's former glory. Lots of garden maintenance work weeding, digging and mulching, and soon planting.
Volunteer Sunday, Sunday 20th June 1-4pm
Our regular once a month volunteer days. This month we'll be building compost bays for the Shakespearean Garden.
Follow facebook.com/plattfieldsvolunteering and join facebook.com/groups/fopfmanc for more information and updates.
FIRS
Tuesdays 11-3
Volunteer at an environmental and botanical research center, free glasshouse tours included!
Ryder Brow Community Allotment
One of our friends gardens is in need of some help!
Volunteering sessions currently run 3 days a week:
Tuesday 1-3pm
Friday 1-3pm
Sunday 1-3pm
To sign up just contact Marva, the allotment coordinator on ryder.brow@yahoo.com or ring 07735806188
The Lalley Centre Community Garden
Another one of our friends gardens is in need of some help!
Volunteering sessions currently run 3 days a week:
Wednesday 2:30-5pm
Thursday 12-5pm
Friday 12-5pm
Possible other times can be arranged with the allotment coordinator.
To sign up just contact Lad, the allotment coordinator on l.maluch@caritassalford.org.uk or ring the Lalley Centre office on 0161 205 2754 or visit our Facebook page: facebook.com/lalleyallotment
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I think thats about it for this months round up. Please chat to us on sessions about projects that you'd like to get involved in and we can give you more information. Thanks as always for all your help and involvement in MUD. We love you all! Mike x