A catch-up post comprising newsletters sent by email to members during the rest of 2023

---

Newsletter: Autumn at the Groves (sent on 3 October 2023)

Dear Grove members and supporters,

it’s been a while since our last newsletter, here’s an autumn update for you

This spring we celebrated our 10th Anniversary of The Grove.
We had a really lovely if somewhat chilly get together with many people when we also blessed
the apple trees in Lucy’s memory.
In those 10 years so many members of the community have passed through the gardens and
enjoyed growing and socialising. When it was founded as a meanwhile, temporary garden,
nobody could have envisaged that it would last this long.
We had been expecting to leave the site at Fountainbridge at the end of this year, but now we
have had a reprieve from the Council until next Spring, so we can all enjoy the autumn and
winter together. We will find plenty to keep us busy and happy.
At Grove in the Park and the Grove Orchard things have grown well, despite the unpredictable
weather over the summer. They are always on the lookout for new, enthusiastic gardeners for
their Saturday morning sessions.
A new temporary garden at the old Phoenix Club, also in Shandon has given up many
treasures, lost under brambles and nettles and is now a productive space. Planting in the
ground, even if only temporarily is very satisfying.
At Viewforth, our year has been slightly overshadowed by the thought of having to move away,
but we have gardened away and produced some harvests despite that, and have always
enjoyed our sessions together. We have also gardened at Edinburgh Printmakers and will
continue to do so.
Some of our members have been joining the sessions run by the FCCT Green group, which is
identifying small, and some not so small green spaces, along the canal around Fountainbridge,
ripe for planting. Work has already begun to garden these spaces, with council approval.
As we have been tidying and sorting at Viewforth, items/plants have been identified to go to
other gardens/gardeners. We have done this in the past when we have moved from one site to
another. We have already had one Grove ‘Giveaway’ day and there will be others over the next
few months to minimise what is left on site when we eventually have to vacate.
Spare soil has gone and is still going to St Crispin’s school; soil and planters are going to
Boroughmuir High School for their gardening club; stones and bricks have been donated to
Bridgend Farmhouse.
Some plants will be relocated to Grove in the Park, Fountainbridge Green and Edinburgh
Printmakers.
We are still hoping (but it is a very faint hope) that we might be allowed to stay on a little corner
of land while the site is being redeveloped, but don’t hold your breath.

Dates for your diary
Thursday October 19th Giveaway Day 4-6
Followed by apple snacks and a fire (weather permitting)

Saturday November 4th approx
Flotilla of Light organised by FCCT along the canal approx 7.00
Followed by snacks and bonfire at Grove Viewforth approx 8.00

Best wishes

from the Grove committee

(Wendy Lord, Shannon Miller, Kate Tasker, Ann Burgess, Vimala John, Umbreen Khalid, Trudi Dorr, Tatheer Fatima and Dave Leslie)

---

Grove 10th birthday celebration – Saturday 29 April 2 – 4 pm (sent out 23 April)

Dear Grove members and supporters,

Ten years since our first garden opened on 22nd March 2013!

We’ll be putting up the bunting and celebrating next Saturday afternoon, 29th April, 2 – 4 pm, please join us!

We’ll also be marking the planting of four Scottish heritage apple trees in memory of Lucy Munro, who contributed so much in the early years of the Grove.

Music, courtesy of Stan Reeves and friends, and refreshments

Best wishes

from the Grove committee

(Wendy Lord, Shannon Miller, Kate Tasker, Ann Burgess, Vimala John, Umbreen Khalid, Trudi Dorr, Tatheer Fatima and Dave Leslie)

---

Update on AGM – Important! (sent on 23 March 2023)

Dear Grove Members,

when we got together for our AGM on Tuesday evening, there were 11 members in attendance, one short of the number required for the meeting to be quorate according to our constitution.

Rather than immediately cancelling and rescheduling the meeting for another day, we decided to go ahead with the business of the meeting as per the published agenda, and then seek agreement of all our members.

The draft minutes of the meeting are here (also appended below for quick reading). If there are NO objections, the meeting will be deemed to have been valid, but if there are ANY objections, a new meeting will have to be called.

If you wish to raise an objection to this proposal (to deem the meeting to have been valid), please do so by emailing grovefcg@gmail.com by Friday 31st March at the latest.

Best wishes

The Grove Committee

The Grove – Fountainbridge Community Garden
Twitter: @GroveEdinburgh
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheGroveFountainbridge/
E-mail: grovefcg@gmail.com
Website: www.grovecommunitygarden.wordpress.com/

——————————

The Grove Fountainbridge Community Garden 

Draft Minutes of the 9^th Annual Gathering & AGM

Tuesday 21st  March 2023, 7.15 pm at North Merchiston Club. 

1. Apologies and Introductions 

Wendy welcomed everyone to the AGM. 

In attendance and apologies: see separate list

Eleven members present, so the meeting was one short of being quorate. It was decided to proceed with the business of the meeting, and to ask members afterwards if there were any objections to the meeting being deemed valid.

2. Approval of minutes of the last AGM (22 March 2022). 

The meeting approved the minutes (proposer Ann Burgess, seconded by Jane Hamilton). 

3. Chair’s report on behalf of the Management Committee 

Wendy referred to the previously circulated comprehensive annual report. No further comments.

4. Approval of Treasurer’s Report and Statement of Accounts 

The Accounts were formally approved (proposer David Leslie, seconded by Trudi Dorr). 

5. Election of Management Committee 

According to our constitution the whole committee stands down at every AGM.

All except Lorrane Borwick were available for re-election, although position regarding Tatheer Fatima to be checked with her, as we haven’t heard recently.

There being no other candidates, it was agreed to re-elect the committee en bloc (proposer Rona Brown, seconded by Isla Ross), so the committee now comprises:

Chair Wendy Lord 

Vice Chair Shannon Miller 

Treasurer Kate Tasker

Secretary David Leslie 

Committee members: Ann Burgess, Tatheer Fatima, Trudi Dorr,  Umbreen Khalid and Vimala John.

6. Any other business

• Thanks to Lorrane, stepping down from the committee after several years
• Special thanks to Wendy for her on-going contribution and commitment as chair
• Upcoming events:
  – supporting the FCCT event canalside on 25 March
  – Dirty Weekenders (Edinburgh uni students) are coming to GiP on April 2nd
  – 10th birthday party on 29 April, from 2 – 4 pm

The meeting closed at about 7.45 pm. 

————————–