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The Butterfly Garden,
Bamfurlong Lane,
Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire.
GL51 6SL
01452 -713068
map
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BUTTERFLY NEWS SUMMER
2008
The days really have raced along since our last newsletter and
we have continued to be busy in all departments, with more students
and greater diversity than ever.
Land reclamation and repair has continued at a pace, with new
areas planted and totally transformed. The Cafe project is proving
to be very popular with the students and there is real competition
for places in the weekly rota. Under the watchful eye of Sue Totham
the team are turning out delicious fayre every Monday and often
there are customers at the door before opening time at 10. The
Flutterbuys student shop is also doing great things and a big
thank you must be extended to all who regularly donate. The shop
turns over useful money in support of the work.
And then there are the projects...........
BED TIME
Earlier in the year, we were approached by a group of apprentices
from Caradon Mira in Cheltenham. They had been set the challenge
of going out to look for a community project that needed help
and they landed on us. Over a week in April they cleared and prepared
an area on our allotments and constructed some amazing raised
beds for our students. The beds are serviced by a network of generous
paths and will make a huge difference to the provision for our
less mobile gardeners. Planting is already underway. The team
will be invited back shortly for the unveiling of a plaque. It’s
just a token, a small acknowledgement, but a huge thank you.
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WHAT DINA SAW..
Down in the wildlife area there are new signs of life. The
students decided this spring to start using their Willow
and have had a go at sculpture. A fine dinosaur some (fifteen
feet long) now graces the area. Whilst much of the weave
stands clear of the ground, the creatures legs have been
set into the soil and have rooted. It is our hope that the
beast will, overtime evolve and will come alive.
To celebrate his placement and to add a prehistoric feel
to his home, we are planting an ancient Woolemi Pine alongside
him. Only recently discovered in Queensland, this plant
is reckoned to be the oldest living tree and we’ve
got one.
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More Milestones.
It has been a joy this term to welcome back the students
from Milestones School to the Butterfly Garden, who join
us on a Monday. In fact this time we have not one but three
regular groups and what a delightful gang they are. The
students, all of whom are in their mid-teens are a pleasure
to have over. They gush with enthusiasm as indeed do the
staff that bring them.
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WATCHING OUR STEP
There is little doubt that the classroom provided some years ago
by Shire Hall has been invaluable to our work. It serves as classroom,
workshop, display area and canteen. It is well cared for and now
(thanks to the generosity of many) is well equipped, having chairs
and tables, cupboards, books and even a piano. However this autumn
ominous creakings were heard at its door and the ancient steps that
afford access started to fall apart. I am pleased to report that
a friendly carpenter was to hand and now a new flight and landing
in finest hard wood enhances our frontage. The shame is that it
makes the building look tired. Not that we need to worry, the plans
are at long last in for our Cabin workshop/classroom. Let the fund
raising begin !
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ROLLING STONES.
During recent excavations (one or two of our students having got
carried away when digging), we unearthed three enormous concrete
lintels. I can only guess at their weight, but they are each about
seven or eight feet in length and it was decided that we should
upend them as standing stones. On the face of it a fun idea, but
when it was agreed that they should be set in the wildlife area,
some 200 yards from the point of their discovery there was much
head scratching over the means of their transportation. Eventually
a roller system was devised using scaffold tubing and they were
painstakingly trundled over several days. Energy locations were
found by the team, using dowsing rods. If you’ve never had
a go, you should, it was quite amazing the way individuals all found
the same spot.
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A real buzz about the place.
One of the real high points of the spring has been in sharing in the
success of the Gloucestershire Colleges’ Young Enterprise Group,
who this year picked up an arm full of prizes in the County competition,held
at the Cheltenham Town Hall. The group, who call themselves the Beez Kneez,
do much of their practical work at the site.
They made a great impression with both the Judges and their fellow competitors
and scored so well that in June they will represent the county in the
south western finals.
We are now hard at work developing a new product for this event and the
team are all up for the challenge. Watch out south west. We sting !
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DUCKING IN AND OUT
In the autumn there was talk of our getting some ducks and indeed
we came very close, but it didn’t quite happen. Well, now it
has and we are delighted with them. Introduced as two week old ducklings,
they have grown rapidly and very soon will join the chickens in
having the freedom of the site.
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Full Charitable Status ? We are almost there.
We have for months been moving towards securing a full charitable
status for the project (having to date being declared as of charitable
purpose). The process has required much deliberation, but is seen by all
of us essential to the security of the work. With luck, when next we write,
you’ll see our number as a foot note.
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TOUR DE FORCE.
Our maintenance group have continued to work on the display beds at Staverton
Airport and put it a huge amount of work at the site to prepare for Cheltenham
Races. There is a massive movement of aircraft and helicopters during
the week of the Gold Cup Festival and the airport managers wanted the
place to look its best. The students set out some glorious displays of
primroses and brought a real spring atmosphere to the borders.
By way of a thank you, the team were given a guided tour of the airfield,
the highpoint of which was trip out in the Fire engine. The fire crew
were brilliant and gave us the works, even demonstrating the fire cannons.
Our commiserations to Alan Brown, who was totally convinced that the water
wouldn’t reach him.
Robin the noo !
It is regularly noted that our site is a happy one and that each
day will be punctuated by laughter, but rarely has the laughter
been quite as loud as it was on the day of Robins brief encounter
(or briefless depending on how much you know).
Robin, who is one of our regulars from Denmark road, found himself
in the company of a Scotish visitor one morning at the site and
happened to say that he’d been to Scotland and that he had
always wanted to wear a kilt. His words did not fall on deaf ears
and within a week, the visitor (a certain Mr Iain Willox) returned
with the full regalia. Together he and Robin marched around the
garden, Mr Willox playing his pipes and drawing all like the Pied
Piper. Soon a crocodile of cheering students and visitors were seen
trailing around the site and a party mood prevailed all day.
A big thank you Iain, it was so much fun.
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COUNCIL- ING THERAPY.
The Butterfly team have forged a link with Cheltenham Borough Council
and since last autumn have been involved in the Parks department.
A pilot opportunity offered in October (when the students were invited
to plant up daffodils in a local park) was a great success and now
each week we are linking with park staff at the borough nursery.
Some great work has been done and we look forward to the ongoing
development of this scheme.
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CHURCHDOWN TAME THE FINAL STRIP.
A big thank you must go out to the vocational groups from Churchdown
School, who have this winter worked tirelessly to repair the final
strip of derelict ground and what a difference they have made. Nature
never allows the job to be finished and ongoing maintenance is what
the site is about, but five skips of rubbish says a great deal about
their challenge and now we have total access.
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ADULTS EXPAND..
The demand for places at the garden seems to grow ever greater
. This spring huge numbers have been joining our groups. Our
Friday sessions in particular have exploded, with students
travelling in from all across the region. The gatherings are
always lively and with the help of volunteers we continue
to extend what’s on offer, with art proving a very popular
extra.
A few of the gang try their hand at painting a sculpture
and achieve some terrific work
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YOU CAN’T BEAT IT........but Chris Johnson can.
We must spare a space for talent and give special mention in this
edition to Chris, one of our regulars. He has a great ear for
music, and a terrific understanding of it. Lately he has been
entertaining all of us with his impromptu beat boxing. Wednesday
afternoons are a carnival.
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NEWS EXTRA…………The bits that continue.
Interact are back for another season, dispensing sound advice on growing
up. Our county fruit trees are planted and in leaf. We are off to Eden
again for work experience (our third trip) and the Planning application
goes in.
STOP PRESS..........Our best wishes to Leonard Cheshire Homes, wishing
you every success on the launch of your Radio Station and for the link
to our site.... Readers please check
them out here.
COMING SOON……The cabin campaign continues,
new groups sign up and full details of this years open day on June 19th available soon.. Please
e-mail us if you want to be sure you are on our guest list.
Watch the web !
The Butterfly Garden, Bamfurlong Lane, Cheltenham, Glos.
GL51 6SL
Tel: 01452 – 713068
www.thebutterflygarden.org
A member of THRIVE the horticultural therapy charity
Watch the web !
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The roll of honour....... THANK YOU…As usual people continue
to offer their time and support to our work, so this term a big thanks to
the wonderful Sue Totham and Gemma Winwood (who have made a dream a reality)Audrey
Stephenson and her group,The Maths group, Cheltenham Horticultural Society,
ASTAC, Hillary, Eileen, Zurich Insurance, Colin Walker, Paul Barnes, Joe
Tustin, Rich Thomas (our webmaster)Michael Hunt and Stuart Evans. Also to
Robin from Denmark Road, Graham (from Nailsworth) and Rob of Work Op’s
who have all been brilliant. and to all those who continue to support our
vegetable box scheme as well as those who keep our sales table stocked.
Liam and St Christopher’s Gardening Club. Danny’s pebbles
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