On Saturday, June 29 the community garden on Love Lane celebrated its tenth anniversary. The committee members and volunteers organised a fun afternoon with lovely food and soft drinks to which everyone was invited.
The ten years of planning and inventive planting transformed a flat bit of space near the allotments, into a thriving space with raised beds full of produce everyone is welcome to pick. A wonderful space has also been created for meetings: a circle of trees which were saplings when planted ten years ago.
A big thank you was expressed to the founder group present, who had the vision to make the garden into a viable area that many people enjoy now: Katherine Manning, Dominic Manning, Pip al-Khafaji, Rosemarie Bauchard, Jo Morphy, Susan Wilson, Nigel Jennings and John Archer.
Dena Ellis and the new committee would like to give a heartfelt thank you and express their appreciation for everyone who joined in the celebration on June 29 of the Rye food and wildlife garden:
“Your presence and support has made this milestone a truly unforgettable experience. A special thanks to you Mayor Andy Stuart for attending and sharing a few words that uplifted us all. Your support as well as our members, supporters, guests, your participation was invaluable. As Margret Mead wisely said: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.’
“A heartfelt thank you to Alize du Buck for your tireless dedication and hard work at the garden, especially to the lead-up of the event and on the day itself. You are an incredible inspiration to us all. Mike Pepler, your ability to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously was phenomenal and deeply appreciated. Thank you for being such a vital part of our team. We extend our gratitude to Dominic, Finn, Noah, Jenny, Nigel, Alize, Isabel and everyone involved in the vision, creation and installation of our beautiful, new signage for the event. Special thanks to Graham (juggler), Dave and Oriana (music) for providing a wonderful entertainment throughout the celebration. We are also grateful to the many hands that tidied up, set up and cleaned the garden, especially Seana, Mike, Alize, Noah, Graham, Sally, Emma, Keanu, Finn, Jenny, Mags and others. You ensured that the event ran smoothly.
“A big shout to our Rye Community Garden committee and Jim Howdley who worked tirelessly on this event. We also missed trustee Tracy Dighton and Jo McCurrie. Thank you to the local businesses – Cafe De Fleur, the Apothecary, Simon the Pieman and Cornish Bakery – for their generous donations of delicious cakes and pastries. Our mission has and always will be: To promote wellbeing through inspiring, educating and empowering our community, wildlife preservation and climate resilience.”
Image Credits: Heidi Foster .