We kicked off the month with a team planning meeting on 1st February, discussing our actions for the next 12 months. You’ll be hearing more about these as we work on developing the ideas!

We had a full house for the Plague and Fire workshop on 8th February. The group looked at some of the strange ideas people had about the cause of the terrible disease known as the Black Death, and also some of the even stranger things used by people at the time to cure it. These included strapping toads and chickens to the buboes (the swollen lumps), eating ten year old treacle, using roasted onions, and eating crushed emeralds!

Julie next to a workshop attendee trying on the Plague Doctor’s outfit!

A Black Death themed cake. Yum!

As Julie’s history themed workshops are proving very popular we have arranged more on the theme of the history of medicine. The first of these is on Saturday 26th April. See the event listing on Facebook for details or the poster below.

Julie’s history of medicine workshops

On 11th February we headed to Wallasey Village Library and Community Centre to hold a Sustainable Fashion workshop. We talked about the environmental impacts of fast fashion and then got on with the job of planning the Clothes Swap at the library on 1st March.

Some of the sustainable fashion workshop group

We held more nature events this month, where attendees have taken away information packs on gardening to support wildlife, and creating homes for different animals, such as frogs, insects and hedgehogs. At the Planting for Pollinators talk, we gave away packets of wildflower seeds. The bird feeder making workshop produced some great results as attendees learnt how to weave willow twigs to produce feeders that will hold fat balls. We have had anecdotal reports that birds prefer using these structures to shop bought feeders!

Great results at the willow bird feeder workshop!

Next month’s nature events include a demonstration of how to make a solitary bee hotel on Saturday 15th March and a Gardening for Wildlife and Food talk on Friday 28th March. To book a place on either of these events, please text or call Raya on 07761 475886 or email raya@la21.net

We are looking for volunteers to work on nature projects with two new groups – one at our Environment Centre in Wallasey and one at the Green Hub at St James Community Garden in Birkenhead North. Meet new people and socialise over tea and a biscuit, whilst also connecting with nature and helping local wildlife. There are a range of tasks you can get involved with at each site and any ideas for improving local wildlife are most welcome!

The volunteer group at the Green Hub will meet on Thursdays (time TBC) and the Wildlife at WEN group will run from 10am – 12pm on Fridays. If you would like more information, please email raya@la21.net

Volunteer to help Wildlife at WEN on Fridays

We were back at The Quirky Community Hub in Hoylake on 15th February for another Clothes Swap Cafe. Huge thanks to the volunteers for making the event such a success and creating a fun and welcoming experience. Thank you also to everyone who came to the event. We had 34 visitors bringing 44 bags of clothes. Lots of donated clothes were then given new homes.

 

There is another Clothes Swap Cafe at Quirky on Saturday 22nd March. We had multiple requests to hold the clothes swap here on a regular basis. If you would like to volunteer to help, please register your interest here: https://www.thequirky.uk/volunteering/

The next Clothes Swap Cafe at The Quirky Community Hub

The Clothes Swap Cafe returned to WEN on 22nd February, this time in collaboration with Veronika of Recreational Wardrobe CIC and Siobhan from Zero Fashion CIC. 20 bags of clothes were donated and Siobhan encouraged lots of swapping to take place. Veronika’s talk delivered plenty of interesting information about textiles and their environmental impact and led to discussions about how we can make more sustainable clothing choices. We had some great ideas from attendees for more projects that reduce textile waste, which we aim to follow up on.

Siobhan brought lots of fabulous pre-loved clothes from the Zero Fashion stocks and kept the swapping running smoothly

Veronika from Recreational Wardrobe gave a talk about how to take a more sustainable approach to our clothing

Watch a video with more photos from the day here.

Our Clothes Swap Cafe project ends next month, with the final event at Indigo in Rock Ferry on 28th March. However, if you would like to run your own Clothes Swap, please get in touch with us by emailing wen@la21.net. We can lend you rails, stands and hangers, and provide a project pack. You can also find advice and guidance on the Zero Waste LCR website.

Indigo Spring Clothes Swap

The knitted Easter chicks, lambs and bunnies made by the Crafters

Planters made by the members of the Reclaimers woodwork course

This term’s gardening courses reached their half way point in February as the learners welcomed the first signs of spring’s arrival and got ready for the new growing season. If the thought of longer hours of daylight and (hopefully) warmer temperatures are tempting you to do more in your own garden but you feel you need a bit of help to know how to make the best of what you’ve got, there are some places available on the summer term of the Practical Gardening course.

Practical Gardening Course
Wednesdays, 9.30 – 11.30am
Starting Wednesday 23rd April

Discover and practice practical tasks you can do in your garden at this time of year including taking cuttings, what to sow in summer for autumn/ winter/ spring colour, pruning, creating a summer flower border, general maintenance tasks, looking at YOUR garden for the summer season and much more.

Cost: £60.00 for each 10 week term, 20 hours.

For more information, or to book on the course, phone Carol on 07932 355742 or email carol.seery1@btinternet.com

Sign up for the Practical Gardening course, starting in April

The Falkland Road Organic Gardeners (FROG) have also been getting ready for spring now the polytunnel has been restored.

Primroses are in flower – a sure sign of brighter days ahead – and the sweet peas are growing well. The gardeners have been getting dahlia tubers and begonia corms ready for planting too and looking forward to them blooming in the summer. There’s also a supply of willow branches for weaving into plant supports.

Membership of FROG is open to anyone who has completed a gardening course at WEN. For more details about FROG or gardening courses, please phone Carol on 0151 639 2121 or 07932 355742, or email carol.seery1@btinternet.com

Primroses in flower – spring is on its way!

Dahlia tubers and begonia corms