RMUK (one of the Food Justice Grant Recipients) and Cllr. Juliet Campbell
New GFL Chair
We’d like to welcome Tariq Pir as the new chair of the Steering Group. See his bio at the end of the April newsletter. We’re together working on an individual pledge/charter.
Looking for GFL Volunteers & Members of the Food Growing Steering Group
We’re looking for a volunteer to help with GFL – to start as soon as possible. See the role description here: https://www.lewishamlocal.com/volunteer-opportunities/. Please get in touch if you’re interested and pass this on to others who may be interested – thanks.
Also on Environment Job here: https://www.environmentjob.co.uk/volunteering/96774-good-food-volunteer
Email: goodfood@lewishamlocal.com
We’re looking for more people to join the food growing Steering Group – you just need an interest in local food growing and some capacity to take on tasks.
Email: helen@lewishamlocal.com.
Next Quarterly Network Meeting & Community Gardens Tour 21st September
Save the date for our next meeting which will take place on Thursday 21st September. We’ll be starting with a light lunch at 1pm, then have the meeting 1.30 – 3pm – both at Pepys Resource Centre (Old Library, Deptford Strand London, SE8 3BA). We probably won’t have a specific theme for this meeting – we’ll have updates from the different aspects of the network – food justice, food growing, good food businesses, governance etc. We’ll get people’s ideas of what would be useful for the network to be doing.
North Lewisham Community Gardens Tour: We’ll set off from the resource centre to John Evelyn Community Garden (Windlass Place, off Grove Street, Deptford, SE8 3QH) and start the gardens tour from the garden at 3.45 – 5.45. We’re arranging the details of the tour – we’ll let you know as soon as possible and will share an Eventbrite link to sign up.
John Evelyn Community Garden
Two Community Events Calendars
We have two community events calendars – one on our GFL website main page. Please send us good food related events to add so we can have all these events in one place.
The second calendar is the broader community events calendar -
https://www.lewishamlocal.com/events/ - upload your event to our website using this link: https://www.lewishamlocal.com/events/community/add/. There’ll be a pause between you submitting your event and it getting approved so don’t worry if it doesn't appear immediately, you don't need to re-submit it.
Food, Folk & Fun in the Fields
We had our final summer festival outreach event on Sunday 23rd July at Food, Fun and Folk in the Fields. We collected pledges from people about all things good food and gave out free plants. People were really interested in what we’re up to.
FOOD JUSTICE UPDATES FROM GFL NETWORK
Community Food Justice Grants Update: Nearly £90k awarded to community groups
All the Community Food Justice Grants, launched by Lewisham Council and Lewisham Local earlier this year, have now been distributed, with 19 groups getting funding and working on a wide range of projects. There’ll be a new Food Justice Programme Manger and we’ll be building the Food Justice Alliance. See this article for all the information about the projects. And there’s a video here featuring some of the projects.
Third Food Giving Groups Roundtable
The third food giving groups roundtable will be held in early October at Evelyn Community Store. We’ll be confirming the date soon. We’ll be discussing fundraising case studies/tips and tricks/income mapping and linking groups to allotments so any surplus food from these can be given to food groups, as well as other topics if people want to broaden things out.
Please contact Emilio to register on emilio.scozzafava@lewishamhomes.org.uk.
Feel free to suggest topics for future sessions. We’re asking everyone to please invite a group or an individual who hasn’t attended one of these before. People who have attended have found them really useful, but it would be great if we could get more people there to benefit from all the mutual advice. We’d like to continue to organise these sessions but it’s only worth it people attend.
Kids Eat Free in the Summer Holidays
National Campaigns
The Trussell Trust and Joseph Rowntree Foundation is calling on the UK government for an ‘Essentials Guarantee’ to make sure that the basic rate of Universal Credit is at least enough to afford the essentials we all need, such as food, household bills and travel costs. Take action Guarantee our essentials - The Trussell Trust
Say Yes to School Food for All, Sustain: School Food For All | Sustain (sustainweb.org)
FOOD GROWING UPDATES FROM GFL NETWORK
Summer LL Funded Programme: John Evelyn Garden
A lovely event was held at John Evelyn Community Garden on Saturday 22nd July. There was a history talk about John Evelyn, Samuel Pepys and the history of the garden. Then a foraging tour of the garden and connected allotments, then a sowing session. It’s a really impressive garden.
We’re awaiting final plans and dates for the rest of the events. There’ll be one at Grow Lewisham’s Herbal Plot soon. Some nice recent photos from their garden here:
Funding to Green Evelyn Ward
Green spaces – parks and growing spaces – will soon be funded and developed in Evelyn ward. See the Greening Evelyn website and Time Out article for more information.
Eleven Community Orchards in Lewisham
The Orchard Project map of community orchards around the UK: https://www.theorchardproject.org.uk/orchards-map/
There are 11 in Lewisham, planted or restored:
Chinbrook Meadows Allotments:
De Frene Allotments:
Deptford Park / Folkstone Gardens:
John Evelyn Community Garden:
Hilly Fields:
Honor Oak:
Iona Close Orchard
(private garden - next to Ladywell Fields one)
Ladywell Fields:
Mayow Park:
Orchard Estate (Lewisham Central)
(On a housing estate)
Wildcat Wilderness: https://www.theorchardproject.org.uk/what-we-do/project-a-celebration-of-orchards/orchard-profiles/wildcat-wilderness/
Are you aware of any more?
Update from the garden at St Peter’s Church Brockley
Our garden is coming along nicely, for a first year! Growing lots of veg, and gathering a small-but-loyal group who are making it happen every week.
They meet every Thursday from 2-5pm and on the last Saturday of each month from 10am - 1pm. They’re looking for Brockley / hyper local based volunteers as they want to create community around Brockley.
Email: anne@stpetersbrockley.org.uk
Report from Sutton Community Farm
On 1st July they welcomed 300+ people to the farm, two thirds of whom had not been before. There was BBQ veg wraps, salads, cakes, fresh fruit and veg, farm tours, wild food walks, compost disco fun, games, and their first wildflower seed sowing rake-off.
“It feels important to host these events on our farm to welcome the public, and invite visitors to really engage with what our community farm is all about. Our team was cheered to receive this feedback at the end of the day.”
It reinforced to me the value of the VegBoxes, which is easy to forget in these difficult economic times.
Quotes in their recent survey from Lee Green's customers who migrated:
"Love everything about SCF! Great quality products and variety in the vegbox. Online shop is amazing with lots of varieties. Packaging is sustainable and caring to the environment"
"Good quality veg, generous quantities, flexible ordering and great to be able to pick up when it suits me, to not worry about having a suitable place for delivery."
Their continuing partnership with AFRIL is going well.
Their next big event is their Harvest Festival on Saturday 23rd September.
If people want to support their Veg for Charity initiative they can donate via our online shop or via paypal: http://suttoncommunityfarm.org.uk/online-shop/donate-veg-for-charity/
GOOD FOOD EVENTS HAPPENING SOON
Reminder of Children’s School Holiday Activities
Loads of exciting things happening at Wildcat Wilderness, CoCo Collective etc. – look at our previous newsletter.
Bank of Things Back to School Give Away Days
Plateful Café Tasters 19th August
Bridgehouse Gardens Events on 19th and 20th August and beyond
Sign up on Eventbrite here
Monthly Food Giving Zooms
Next monthly Zoom 7th September 1pm.
We’ll have Natalie Coates, Specialist Infant Feeding Health Visitor, attending to talk about the updated emergency infant formula milk pathway for babies aged 0-12 months which is due to be launched in September.
You can now sign up via Eventbrite here. You need to sign up to each one separately and enter you demographic details for each one if possible as this is useful for us to see if we’re reaching a wide enough range of people.
Hither Green Ward Assembly & Foraging Walk
Ward Assembly for Hither Green and foraging walk in Forster Memorial Park planned for Saturday 23rd September. Plants that are likely to be on the walk: nettle seeds, blackberries, jack by the hedge, mallow flowers, elderberries, dead nettle, tree spinach. Further details link to Theresa Webb’s (local foraging expert) website: www.littlemisstree.co.uk.
Forster Memorial Park Sensory Garden
Borage, Marigold, Strawberries
Besson Street Gardening Club
London Orchard Summit
Saturday 23rd September: https://www.theorchardproject.org.uk/events/london-orchard-summit/
LOCAL GOOD FOOD BUSINESSES
Autumn Good Food Business Networking Session at Badger Badger
Badger Badger (bar, kitchen and gaming café in Deptford) have signed the GFL business charter and are hosting the next business network meeting on Tuesday 3rd October 8.30 – 10am.
Good Food Business Directory
Did you know we now have a Good Food Business Directory where we are featuring all the businesses that sign up to our Charter? Good Food Businesses in Lewisham - Lewisham Local
REQUESTS
Volunteers Needed in Lewisham – Food and Other Community Groups
Lewisham Local general volunteers call out: https://www.lewishamlocal.com/volunteer-opportunities/
Lewisham Local food projects call out: https://www.lewishamlocal.com/support-local-food-projects-during-covid-19/
Lewisham Food Bank Need Drivers
Legendary Community Club Fundraising for their HAF programme
The Field Social Centre and Community Garden’s Fundraising
https://www.instagram.com/thefieldnx/
The Field social centre’s fundraising at the moment – they put on loads of events, give out food, have a community meal, community garden etc. They’re always in need of volunteers to help with cooking, gardening etc.
Lewisham Local’s VCS State of the Sector Survey
Lewisham Local State of the Sector Survey 2023 is to further understand the needs and aspirations of our Voluntary and Community Sector and of the communities you work with.
Your feedback will help to shape our longer-term grant making strategy, planning and accessibility of our grants and inform our wider programmes of work supporting voluntary sector organisations in Lewisham.
The survey is for voluntary, community and faith groups in Lewisham.
Deadline: 10th September 2023
Complete survey here:
TRAINING AND RESOURCES
GFL Toolkits
Did you know we have lots of useful resources and toolkits on our website? Toolkits | Good Food Lewisham
Capital Growth Trainings
Citizens Advice Training for Signposters
Citizens Advice run some great training for people who signpost. Helen the Food Partnership Coordinator has just completed their 2 day Advice First Aid course which is an introduction to CA, how to signpost, and a bit more detail on some areas e.g. types of benefit, housing rights etc. Once you’ve completed this, you then have access to their free online courses on specific topics e.g. homelessness, benefits rules etc. This is really useful learning for anyone needing an overview of how the advice sector works so people can get to good advice as soon as possible. Contact Maria on communications@citizensadvicelewisham.org.uk.
Resources & Reports
Unlocking Networks - Governance and Power and other resources: https://www.unlockingnetworks.org/handbook/governance-power/
Sustain Report - Debt, migration and exploitation
The seasonal Worker visa and the degradation of working conditions in UK horticulture: https://www.sustainweb.org/reports/jul23-debt-migration-and-exploitation/
Sustain Report – Bridging the Gap to climate and nature friendly food for all pilot in Cardiff: https://foodcardiff.com/bridging-the-gap-big-ideas-to-be-piloted-in-cardiff/
Sustain Resource Sheet - Donating surplus food from your community garden: https://www.sustainweb.org/assets/resource-sheet-community-harvest-jan-2023-final-May23.pdf
FUNDING
Lewisham Fundraising Conference
This is the big one! Come along to hear talks, meet funders and network. If you have a Cinema ticket for the talks you also get access to the Function room where the stalls are so no need to book both. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lewisham-fundraising-conference-tickets-637166862237
Friday Fundraising Club
Over August the latest topics for Friday Fundraising Club will be updated. Pick up fundraising ideas on a host of subjects. All Lewisham groups welcome. It runs 1-2pm over Zoom but if you can’t make it, sign up on Eventbrite and you’ll get any recording or slides if there are any. Check out the brochure for this and lots more.
47 potential funders for Good Food Related projects!
One of our Lewisham Local volunteers – Manisha – has helpfully put together a spreadsheet of Good Food related funders – have a browse here. Contact Karen for a more in depth chat: karen@lewishamlocal.com
OTHER NEWS
New Cross Learning Community Library
New Cross Learning are looking for volunteers to be able to stay open: https://newxlearning.org/volunteer-help-us/
Lewisham Local Network of Mentors and Advisors
Do you have skills and experience that could benefit charities or social entrepreneurs in Lewisham? If so, we want to hear from you! Lewisham Local is looking for mentors who can support and guide local organisations working to improve the lives of people in Lewisham. Whether you have expertise in fundraising, marketing, management, or any other relevant field, you could make a difference by sharing your knowledge and insights with those who need it most. As a mentor, you will have the opportunity to network with other like-minded professionals, learn from the challenges and successes of local initiatives, and contribute to the social and economic development of Lewisham. If this sounds like something you would enjoy, please email ron@lewishamlocal.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Lewisham Lottery – Good Causes
We are looking for good causes to join the Lewisham Community Lottery which raises money for good causes in Lewisham. Join the lottery and support your cause. It’s that simple! Tickets for the lottery cost just £1 a week. Each ticket has a 1 in 50 chance to win a prize each week, with a top prize of £25,000! If you would like to play or join as a good cause, please click here Lewisham's Community Lottery.
