Ruskin Park Community Garden – Launch party: Sunday, May 9th, 1-3 pm

First dig day: Sunday, May 2nd, 1-4 pm – Click this link above for the poster with more details - Ruskin Pk Com Gdn Launch

The Friends of Ruskin Park, Lambeth Council and Herne Hill Climate Action Network (CAN) are very excited to be able to announce the creation of a community vegetable garden in Ruskin Park. The mission of Ruskin Park Community Garden is:

We are very excited to be able to announce the creation of a community vegetable garden in Ruskin Park. The Friends of Ruskin Park, Lambeth Council and Herne Hill Climate Action Network (CAN) have worked together to make this happen.The mission of Ruskin Park Community Garden is:to create a community hub that is a source of education and enthusiasm for growing vegetables. Our aim is to encourage inner city gardening with a view to reducing the carbon output involved in food production and transport. We intend to host workshops for both adults and children to introduce vegetable growing techniques. We also intend to host several events each year to expose the wider community to what vegetable gardening looks like, to build a community of volunteers, and to have fun. Our ethos is sustainability – reduce, reuse recycle – and inclusiveness – we want garden users to reflect the diversity of the neighbourhood.Launch PartyThe launch will take place Sunday, May 9th, 1-3pm We will have live music, refreshments, and the opportunity to plant a seed in a recycled container to take home. Several local groups will be present to hand out leaflets about their activities. The launch is being co-hosted with the Friends of Ruskin Park and is timed to coincide with the Five Parks Walk http://www.dulwichfestival.co.uk/2010/event.asp?EventID=160.Dig DaysWe intend to hold open dig days every Sunday 1-4pm, starting May 2nd. We will eventually have tools for people to use but for now, please bring gardening gloves and a spade. This Sunday we will be staking out the raised beds and lifting the turf.Our plansIn the immediate future, we will be creating the first of the raised beds and planting out the containers donated by the Royal Hospital via Growing Southwark. We will be meeting with the 1 O’clock Club to plan activities for the children there. We plan to participate in the Ruskin Park Summer Fete and to combine a Harvest Festival with the Big Draw. We also will be organizing vegetable growing workshops. We need volunteers! If you know how to grow, organize, publicize, or just want to help, please get in touch.For more information and to sign up for our mailing list, please visit www.ruskinparkcommunitygarden.org. To contact us, please email info@ruskinparkcommunitygarden.org.We are delighted to have received grants from Capital Growth and the Lambeth Community Action Fund. We were nominated for funding under the Lambeth Community Action Fund 2009/10 by the Herne Hill Ward Councillors.How to