Wed 15 May – People’s Kitchen featuring FoodCycle Manchester at Procter’s

Posted on May 14, 2013 by greening

FoodCycle Manchester has proposed to cook at Procter’s Youth Centre on Wednesday, May 15th! FoodCycle has teams of volunteers across the country who collect surplus food from shops and supermarkets and turn them into hearty and nutritious meals for members of the general public.

Here in Manchester our team wants to establish regular community cafe events where anyone can come along. As most of the food is donated the costs are minimal so no one will need to pay. We do however have some costs, such as rent and canned goods, so small donations would be welcome to keep the project sustainable. This may mean we can come back and cook again!

We intend to have dinner ready by 8 pm and hopefully some dessert by quarter to 9. However, as this is the first time we’ll be cooking at Procter’s there may be a delay so please bear with us.

If anyone wants to help out then please get in touch at manchester.foodcycle@gmail.com and we’ll get back to you.

Please feel free to invite other people to what we hope is the first of many shared meals within the Hulme community.

The FoodCycle Manchester Team
http://www.foodcycle.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/events/325568434238169
https://www.facebook.com/pages/FoodCycle-Manchester/123854927683396

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Greening the Redbricks greeting and meeting the spring, this Tuesday

Posted on May 1, 2013 by greening

Green-Moss-and-Red-Bricks-669x272After weeks of sunshine and the new Hulme Street daffodils bobbing their heads about, maybe it’s time for a spring in our step (never mind the weather shortly changing or benefit cuts of course!)…

There’ll be a Greening the Redbricks meeting this coming Tuesday, 7th May at 6:30pm in the TARA office.  It’ll be a chance to catch up with the various bits happening around the estate, and see what people are up for doing in the future.

And don’t forget this weekend, there’s the Bentley Exchange, the Bentley Bike Club and Sewcialise – all doing their bit for us now (saving money in these hard economic times and bringing communities together and more), and for future generations and the planet!  Details on the calendar above or for more detail, see old stories.

Posted in Bentley Bike Club, Bentley Exchange, Greening the Redbricks, Hulme Street, Sewcialise | Leave a comment

Sewcialise – 4-5 May – ‘Home’

Posted on April 29, 2013 by sewcialise

Sewcialise - sandwich board - c Bryony Moore, Stitched UpThis month’s Sewcialise is happening 2-6pm on Saturday and Sunday. We’ll be doing cushions and curtains and blinds and other household stuff, but if anyone else wants to bring their own projects, that’s fine too.

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Letsby Avenue gardening events

Posted on April 19, 2013 by greening

Twelve month ago City South commissioned Hulme Community Garden Centre to maintain and plant the Avenue. Flags were removed, woodchip paths were created, woodland plants and spring bulbs flowers were established and pruning took place in winter. The pruning was taken back to HCGC and recycled into plant supports, fences and other uses. A lot of rubbish was also removed. The exhibition following the consultation twelve month ago can still be seen in the TARA on the office’s wall. Please go and take a look! Below describes the next 4 months of activities for Letsby Avenue and we are inviting you to get involved.

Wednesday 24th April 11.15am-3pm. Planting

The dense shade that the tree’s canopy creates means very little can grow below, besides shade-loving species. However there is a desire to see more colours and a more structured design to the area, while respecting the established ecosystem and the thriving habitats, and taking into account the dense residential area. We will be planting in Room 2 and create a path with wooden logs as stepping stones. The plants will be individually planted in small raised beds, similar to Room 3.

Wednesday 22nd May  11.30am-2.30pm Signage

Some willing residents are busy looking after pockets of Letsby Avenue, creating beautiful carpets of flowering bulbs, such as snowdrops, bluebells and tulips, shrubs such as cornus and euonymus, but very little else thrives. There have been attempts at growing hebes, rosemary and lavender and we would like to know who the plants belong to. Do they commemorate a loved one or an event?! Please come to let us know or ring the garden centre on 0161 227 8198 ask for Helene or Dave. Some plants are neglected and in need of tlc or removing. Drinks and biscuits provided.

 

Wednesday 26th June 11.30am-2pm Old plants

There are several ‘young loner’ plants, such as a willow contorta stem, a corylus avelana and several hazel suckers. It would be an idea to move these plants to one of the beds created with a path instead of being grown randomly alone. We believe that the willow will not thrive – it requires a lot of light, and water, and we fear it will not do well where it is. This is our chance to identify and gather the ‘lone plants’ together, which will be done in the winter when the plants are dormant.

Wednesday 24th July  11.30am – 2.30pm. Raised bed.

A wooden raised bed will be created in Room 2 with integrated seats to provide a further growing space (away from dogs) but also a place to sit and enjoy the woodland. Once the spring flowering bulbs have died down, wild flowers will appear. There will be a mix of brambles with nettles, dandelions and docks. We believe that these plants are necessary for the well being of the whole garden’s wildlife and only ‘taming’ large clumps is necessary. We have now stopped using chainsaws and leaf blowers, and we think the Avenue has very much benefited from it.

 

Refreshments, gloves and tools are provided as well as having the TARA office for lunch (12.30-1.15 – bring your pack lunch) and toilets. Don’t forget to take a look at the consultation done 12 months ago in the office. If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to contact Samantha Lennard at City South on 0800 840 1444.

Download or print leaflet

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Bike Club – not this weekend (7th), but happening next Sunday 14th instead

Posted on April 5, 2013 by greening
bikeyfaceDear All,
bike club this month will be happening on the second Sunday of the month (the 14th) rather than the usual first Sunday (i.e. bike club is not happening this weekend).
HOWEVER – on the 14th, bike club will be open for help with bike servicing between 10am and 1pm, and then followed by a family-friendly bike ride for a couple of hours in the afternoon!
So, if you’d like to get some fresh air and gentle exercise (weather depending, or perhaps stubbornness depending), please join us for the outing.
As usual the bike club will meet on Humberstone Avenue, either by the TARA office or in the underpass.
We hope you can make it!
For and on behalf of your local, friendly, Bentley Bike Club =)
Aidan.
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Letsby Avenue diggin’ – and Leaf Street this Thursday evening

Posted on April 2, 2013 by greening
We came… we dared… we did a bit of gardening…!
Thank you to all who came for your hard work and input today. We had a good days diggin’ and in a few hours we transformed a neglected strip of Letsby Ave/Hulme St into a fruity, bambooie, shrubbery boarder.
And thanks for the balloons, bunting and posters that someone else brought out – they were Fab!
There is loads of scope to plant some flowery annuals, interesting grasses and perennials if anyone want to help grow some from seed to plant later in the year? Windowsill donors sign up here…
In the mean time Leaf St needs a Dig In and as its officially sunset at 8pm now we have evenings too! Bring on the growing season…! Come down, meet friends and Dig In, 6-8pm this Thurs eve weather permitting.
The plan is to identify areas to be dug over, weed and look at potted plants and trees which need rehoming. Maybe even a warming spring bonfire? I’m totally up for working with people who want to garden for health and well being and also look sharing ideas such as at starting a home grown veg box and plant nursery scheme. Everyone’s welcome. Bring ideas, bring smiles, bring seeds, bring trowels – Dig In and get down (and dirty!)
If anyone has any questions or ideas drop us a line. :)
Thanks again everyone!
Georgina (for contact, subscribe to the ‘shout’ email list or ask about)
Posted in Greening the Redbricks, Leaf St Community Garden | Leave a comment

Bentley Bird Houses workshops 6 & 17 April

Posted on March 20, 2013 by greening

birdhouse workshop

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Bentley Bird Houses presentation Wed 13 March, 7-8pm, Tenants Office, 26A Humberstone Ave

Posted on March 6, 2013 by greening

bentley birdhouse

Bentley Bird House drop-in style workshops to follow later in March/April where residents can get involved in making the tiles for the bird houses and suggesting ideas for the text that will appear on the poles.

Posted in Hulme Street | Leave a comment

TARA Emergency General Meeting

Posted on February 11, 2013 by bentley-bike-club

Bentley House

Tenants and Residents Association (TARA) presents…

Love your neighbour!

Emergency General Meeting

THURSDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2013

6.30-7.00pm

To confirm the new TARA committee

Please come! 

FROM 7.00pm

A meeting to discuss the ‘Bedroom Tax’ coming into place from April 2013 and how it will affect you and your neighbours

Posted in General, Tenants & Residents Association (TARA) | Leave a comment

Bike storage progress

Posted on February 2, 2013 by greening

boy:bike-racks:floodInstead of the ‘Sheffield stands’ going in on half a street in a pilot, they’ve been rolled out across the estate. So you should have already seen 2-3 bike stands in your block, where there’s space to put them. Hoorah for some progress, finally!

However, there are a few issues that will be corrected! They are badly positioned – right against walls so you can get less bikes securely locked on them; not at an angle in the front of blocks or staggered in ‘pram rooms’, so they’re harder to get less bikes in and out; and the bolts haven’t been secured adequately. CSM are working on the contractor to get it right.

‘Pram room’ doors will all have a standard lock fitted (unless you already have an ’805′), and keys will be available from CSM. Ensuring all back doors are secure (i.e. replaced) will come next – in the meantime, if there’s any issue with your’s shutting, make sure you report it to CSM repeatedly till it gets properly sorted – this will hasten it being replaced!

The first cage hasn’t yet been launched – any teething problems have been identified, and we’re waiting for those to be corrected before CSM launch it. They will do this by delivering a leaflet to those blocks nearest it, as there’s lots without any room for stands in – only they will be able to have keys, which for a small deposit will give them up to a couple of keys, for flatmates if needed.

A second bike cage, for the other end of Hunmanby, will go in sometime after that. These two cages will also serve those flats on Hulme Street and Clarendon Street, who don’t have any space for bike stands.

If anyone wants to paint a bright mural on the walls inside these cages, contact us and we’ll forward your email to CSM, who will provide the paint/spray cans.

There’s talk of a third cage, either for Humberstone or Rockdove, depending on need and practicalities – only problem at the moment is though CSM have probably secured money for this cage, they haven’t got enough for it to be sheltered from the rain like the existing one on Humberstone.

To get involved or for more info, contact us at bike-storage AT redbricks.org

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