News & EventsLatest NewsCalendar
Great community work marred by vandals

Great community work marred by vandals

Richard Nicoll27 Mar 2020 - 12:33
Share via
FacebookTwitter
https://www.northmiddlesexcc.c

Meals for NHS Staff; Patchwork Farm initiatives from NMCC contacts

Vandalism in nets

Chair, Steve Edwards was at the Midd last weekend and reports that “some vandals had cut their way into the nets at the doorway and emptied a wheelbarrow of grass cuttings and dirt, leaving the wheelbarrow in the nets.” Steve, his wife Carol and Oz between them have cleaned up and resecured the nets.

Really shocking to think that people could behave in that way. As a counter to that it’s great to be able to report on a couple of initiatives being led by North Midd contacts -

Meals for the NHS

Jess Varma, Will Nicoll’s girlfriend, has launched a service with a few friends to feed the NHS lifesavers who are faced with canteens closing at 5pm. This involves Jess’ team persuading local restaurants to produce meals at discounted prices. The meals are then delivered to local Hospitals, paid for from donations and given free to the NHS workers. Since this was launched earlier this week over £100,000 has been donated. Here are the links -
https://www.mealsforthenhs.com/
Twittter: @MealsForTheNHS
Instagram: @mealsfortheNHS

Any donations & follows greatly appreciated. Project likely to be featured on BBC shortly.

Patchwork Farm

Here is a message from Midd Legend, Ed Lake -

“In the current climate of COVID 19, we need to maximise the food grown locally and make it available within communities. My girlfriend, Chloë Dunnett, is establishing a patchwork farm in London and is looking for more land on which to grow food. Here is her appeal -

“HELP NEEDED – PATCHWORK FARM LONDON

Would you like a weekly supply of organically grown vegetables, salad leaves and fruit for free?

Would you like part of your garden or sports club transformed into a beautiful and productive space that benefits your local community?

Would you like to reduce your carbon footprint and enhance London's biodiversity?

As passionate believers in the transformative health, environmental and social benefits a more localised food system can bring, we are creating a new patchwork farm in London. Using organic growing techniques, we want to make use of underused land (back gardens, sports clubs and community spaces) to grow fruit, vegetables, salad, herbs and flowers and deliver weekly boxes of seasonal produce at affordable prices within the local area. As the Covid-19 pandemic escalates fresh food supplies will become increasingly critical.

We are now looking for additional space in which to grow. If you have a back garden that could be put to use, or know of underused community space or other available land, we'd love to hear from you!

We will provide all the labour and materials. In exchange for access to your land you'll receive a share of the weekly seasonal produce, and the knowledge that you are helping to build a more local, resilient, environmentally-friendly food supply.

Given the ongoing crisis of Covid-19, we are committed to ensuring that a proportion of each weekly harvest goes to those most vulnerable and in need of fresh food supplies. At this time, land which has private access (e.g side gate/ back entrance) would be particularly welcome for social distancing/ hygiene purposes.

If you think you might be able to help with land, please get in touch at chloedunnett@gmail.com.
If you don't have land available but are interested in supporting this enterprise (volunteering, or financially) we'd also love to hear from you. “

Here is Chloe with some of Patchwork Farm's produce -

Further reading