Apple Gleaning starts in October

Great Gleaners of Kent,

Orchard season is upon us and we're preparing for another busy season gleaning wonderful fruits (and some fabulous veg too) across Kent, and we need your help to glean it all for charity!

Kent Gleaning Network is currently coordinating the following gleaning days. We warmly invite you to sign up for these events in advance and will send out further details in the week running up to each event.

Additional gleaning days will be added as we learn of more crops across the county in need of rescue. We aim to give 1-2 weeks notice of gleaning events but this is not always possible.

Monday 7th October: 3pm -5pm (exact times to be confirmed): We'll be gleaning potatoes from a farm near Wingham.

Due to the short notice of this glean please contact us directly at kent@feedbackglobal.org to join in. Minibus lifts will be available from Folkestone.

Thursday 9th October: 3pm-6pm (times to be confirmed): We'll be gleaning apples and/or pears from a farm near Sandwich.

Monday 14th October: 11am-4pm (times to be confirmed): Gleaning apples and/or pears from a farm near Sandwich

The rescued fruit & veg will be donated to local charities and other organisations that feed people across the region, which means that the healthy fruit will avoid waste and instead enter a supply chain supporting people in food poverty.

Ready to get gleaning? Fantastic! **Sign up here** to provide us with a few basic details. It’s really helpful if you can sign-up ASAP, as this gives us an idea of numbers and drivers. You'll be sent info in advance of the gleaning day including travel information. We will try to organise lift shares or collection from nearby train stations for as many people as possible if you sign up in good time.

If you do sign-up and later realise you can’t make it, then that's not a problem, just please email me to cancel at Carrie@feedbackglobal.org so we can plan accordingly. Last-minute drop-outs can sometimes have knock-on effects, so please just say if your attendance is in doubt. 

Expenses: Travel expenses for fuel or public transport can be covered for those travelling from nearby – just check with us first (we cover up to £12 per gleaner per day or £6 for half day gleans).

Do get in touch by email if you have any questions and I hope to see you out in the orchards over the next few weeks!


Best & beetroot,



Carrie

Kent Gleaning Network Coordinator (07920404546)

Deal With It - October Events

Deal Cycle September

Deal Town Council's has a series of rides and cycling events for 'Cycle September' 

Full details at https://www.deal.gov.uk/Deal-TC/cycle_friendly_deal_project-13564.aspx

Walmer Beach Clean with Wayne+Koda

Thank you everyone who came on today's Community Beach Clean on Walmer Beach - it was a hot one!

We had over 60 volunteers who collected nearly 32kilos of litter including some 7 kilos which we could recycle.

It was great to see colleagues from Litter Picking Watch Romney Marsh joining us as well Wayne Dixon and Koda who are walking the full UK Coastline litter picking as they go! They will be in the town for the next couple of days so say hello to them

Big thanks to Nigel and the O'Brian family for helping to organise and Pete and the Sea Café for hosting us.

Our next clean is part of the MCS 'Great British Beach Clean' on Sunday 22nd September Deal Pier 9:30am. All Welcome

#KentGleaning - 1.5 tons of Cherries in July/August

We have spectacularly gleaned right to the very end of the cherry season. 

This week's gleans saw us rescue 187kg on Monday at Selson farm and another 155kg at Newmafruit on Wednesday. I know I've said this before, but this really does mark the end of cherry season- the farms have removed their nets and the rain expected tonight will spoil any final remaining fruits (although I suspect the wasps will have got in their first anyway). I want to thank you all for your spectacular efforts to rescue as many cherries as possible.

I thought you'd like to know that in total this year we have gleaned 1541kg cherries in Kent. That is a serious amount of fruit which has now been devoured by some of our regions most vulnerable people. A 'portion of fruit (according to the "eat 5 a day" campaign) is 80g for an adult, so we have gleaned sufficient cherries this year to feed 19,262 people a portion of the finest Kentish cherries! And if that doesn't sound impressive enough- Newmafruit (one of Kent's largest growers and importers of fruit) harvested 50 tonnes of cherries from their orchards this year and they considered 2019 to be a very good year, so the fact that a group of considerably less experienced pickers managed to glean over 1.5 tonnes on only 8 partial days of picking (including some seriously hot days plus having to do a lot of quality control on some of the varieties) is amazing. Thank you all very, very much!

The next glean we have planned is on the 14th August starting at 3pm. This will probably be leafy veg and potatoes near Wingham but farms are now harvesting plums and Newmafruit has offered us there's when they're finished picking so keep an eye on your email inboxes, there may be some more dates added any day. It's also now early apple season, but I don't expect there to be a rush for these any time soon (I hope!). If you'd like to sign up for 14th you can do so here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSepc_2RUNhtEuNgOjcoPvfOFe8wslY0feeCLkaoi12V9CcFoA/viewform?usp=sf_link


And if you're not already on the Gleaning Network mailing list and would like to receive emails when we have gleaning days scheduled you can do so here:

https://actionnetwork.org/forms/join-us-in-the-fields-its-time-to-get-your-hands-dirty/

Finally, we were chatting about the British sugar industry on Wednesday's glean and I thought some of you might be interested in reading Feedback's exploration into the UK sugar industry and it's impact on our soils. It was truly a shock to most of us when it was shared amongst the team: https://feedbackglobal.org/campaigns/sugar-beet-and-soil-depletion/about/ there's plenty more campaigns, research and studies on different aspects of the food system on The Feedback Website, if you're passionate about sustainable foods I do suggest giving it a browse when you have the time.

Once again, thank you so much for joining us on the final week of cherry gleaning, it was a true pleasure to see you all out in the orchards and I look forward to seeing you again soon on one farm or another.

Best and beets,


Carrie

Last Cherry Glean Date is Monday 7th August at 3pm nr Eastry

The Last cherry glean organised by the #KentGleaningNetwork will be on Monday 7th August at 3pm to 6ish at a farm near Eastry

You must register on the link below if you intend to come.....


https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSepc_2RUNhtEuNgOjcoPvfOFe8wslY0feeCLkaoi12V9CcFoA/viewform


There will be other gleans throughout August usually on a Monday and Wednesday  at farms with potatoes, cabbages and Cauliflowers (not all of these are suitable for kids)

Sandwich Bay 'Cuddle Earth' Beach Clean 28/7/2019

Thank you to 65+ volunteers on the 'Cuddle Earth' Sandwich Bay Beach Clean - we collected nearly 70 Kgs today. 

Well done to Cuddle Earth ( a local Sandwich Toy Company), Ollie from 100tons of Plastic and our Deal With It Volunteers for organising today … Rose, John, Sonja and Steve.

Our next DWI Community Clean is at Walmer Beach on Sunday 25th August at 9:30am meet at the Sea Café

Gleaning near Sandwich this week

📣 GLEANING CALL OUT! Please share far and wide! We’ve just discovered a huge crop of cherries going to waste on a farm near Sandwich in Kent. This fruit is perfectly delicious but the farm are unable to harvest all of the crop and those wonderful cherries are too good to waste. So we're setting out to save as many as possible – and we NEED YOUR HELP. The more volunteers we have, the more food we can save!

On Wednesday 17th July from 3pm and on Friday 19th July 11am-3pm, we'll be gleaning at a beautiful farm near Sandwich. The fruits will then be donated to charities and other orgs feeding vulnerable people throughout our region. We warmly invite you help us get Kent's finest cherries to those who need them most. We can cover some travel expenses from surrounding towns –just check with us first. To join us on the glean, sign up here:


https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSepc_2RUNhtEuNgOjcoPvfOFe8wslY0feeCLkaoi12V9CcFoA/viewform You will then be sent more info about the gleaning day including travel coordination. We are also keen to hear from community groups, churches and other orgs that may be interested in running gleans of their own, helping distribute produce in local communities or making use of gleaned produce within their existing activities. If you'd like to discuss any of these please join us on a glean or send an email to carrie@feedbackglobal.org. Hope to see you in the orchards soon!

Deal With It July 2019 Diary

DWI July 2019


Saturday 6th July – Open Day at the Captain’s Garden @ Deal Castle
Supporting National Meadows Day – open 11am to 3pm

Sunday 7th July – Deal Beach Clean 9:30am meeting at Sandown Castle Community Garden

Monday 8th July – DEMAIN (Tomorrow) At Deal Film Club Astor Theatre £8??
Adrian Sullivan from Deal With It and East Kent Climate Action Introducing Film 7pm

Tuesday 9th July – Captain’s Garden Volunteer Session 10am to Noon

Thursday 11th July – Captain’s Garden Volunteer Session 10am to Noon

Thursday 11th July – Deal Station Clean Up Crew 4:30pm to 5:30pm

Monday 15th July – Dover Repair Café, Biggin Hall Dover

Tuesday 16th July – Captain’s Garden Volunteer Session 10am to Noon

Thursday 18th July – Captain’s Garden Volunteer Session 10am to Noon

Thursday 18th July – Deal Station Clean Up Crew 4:30pm to 5:30pm (then every two weeks)

Thursday 18th July – Deal Hop Farm Monthly meetup
Smugglers Café Sandwich 6:30pm

Tuesday 23rd July – Captain’s Garden Volunteer Session 10am to Noon (then every week)

Thursday 25th July – Captain’s Garden Volunteer Session 10am to Noon (then every week)

Sunday 28th July – Sandwich Bay Beach Clean Cuddle Earth/DWI 10am
No Charge for access for beach cleaners.

Wednesday – 7th August – Plastic Free Deal meet up – Landmark Bar 6:30pm

Monday 12th August - Dover Repair Café, Biggin Hall Dover

Saturday 24th August – BEEFEST + Seedy Saturday at the Landmark Garden 10:30am to 12:30

Dover Beekeepers + Bee products + Plant Swap 

Sunday 25th August – Walmer Beach Clean 9:30am meet at Sea Café

Thursday 29th August – Deal Hop Farm – Harvest Briefing Meeting at Landmark 7pm

Sunday 22nd September – Great British Beach Clean meet at Deal Pier 9:30am
National Marine Conservation Society recording clean

Sunday 22nd September – Open day at the Captain’s Garden 12-4pm
National Heritage Day in Deal

Sandown Castle Beach Clean 7th July 2019

Thank you to our 40 volunteers on today's Beach Clean at the Sandown Castle end of Deal Beach. About 20kgs collected today with about 4kgs of cans and spent Barbeques.

We also found 6 inflated ballons which can do a lot of damage. 

Special beach clean  at Sandwich Bay on 28/7 at 10am + next after that Walmer 25/8 

we also found some keys on todays clean

Sandown Castle Beach Clean Sunday 7th July 9:30am

Captain's Garden Open Day 6th July 2019 - #NationalMeadowsDay

Deal Beach Clean 23rd June 2019

Thank you to our 45+ volunteers on today's Community Beach Clean at Deal Pier.

We collected some 31kilos of rubbish with 6kilos of stuff that can be recycled. This is a great total given that DDC had done thorough job early this morning. 

Our next clean is two weeks time 7th July at 9:30am meeting at Sandown Castle end of the beach to support the work of the community garden there.

Deal Community Beach Clean - Sunday 23rd June

Our next beach clean is Sunday 23rd June at 9:30am meeting at Deal Pier. All welcome

Wildlife Open Garden - Hacklinge

Sue and Adrian Sullivan have another of their popular open garden/studios sessions in June. A lovely garden designed on wildlife friendly and permaculture principals plus art, a bit of music and lashings of cake. Well worth a visit - Profits goes towards local environmental initiatives and trees for life

Deal With It receives the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

 

Deal With iT – Transition Deal, Deal’s local green community group, has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

Deal With It, which celebrated its 12th birthday earlier in the year organises the regular community beach cleans, supports the community gardens at Deal Railway Station, The Landmark Centre and Captain’s Garden at Deal Castle, Seed Swaps, green energy events, Bee festivals, tree planting, town litter picks, and has initiated a number of campaigns such as Plastic Free Deal and projects such as the Deal Hop Farm (a patchwork farm of 250 gardens & allotments in and around the town growing hops and producing beer with local brewers).


It is also the local partner for a number of national/regional charities such as Surfers Against Sewage, Marine Conservation Society, Kent Wildlife Trust’s Guardians of the Deep and English Heritage.

Deal With iT – Transition Deal is one of 281 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year, which is the equivalent to an MBE for a organisation.

The number of nominations and awards has increased year on year since the awards were introduced in 2002, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Winners are announced each year on 2nd June – the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.

Representatives of Deal With iT will receive the award from the Viscount De L'Isle, Lord Lieutenant of Kent later this summer.

Victoria Nicholls, Deal With iT’s Secretary and one of the founding members of the group said “We are very fortunate to live in a town which is fuelled by the energy, commitment and creativity of so many voluntary organisations and people who want to make a difference to our community.

We are delighted that our small contribution to local environment and community has been recognised by this award; we see it as a tribute to all those have played a role in our various projects, events and campaigns over the last twelve years and especially the hundreds of people who have volunteered their time on beach cleans, community gardens, green energy events, making the town plastic free, seed swaps and even growing beer in the town!

Last year our various projects and events produced some 5,368 volunteer hours with some 1,902 volunteers involved – its great to think that all those local people can lay claim to small part of a shared MBE.

We would like to thank Dover District Council for nominating us for the award and the great support from Linda Ford at Sandown Castle Community Garden & Mark Brent from English Heritage at Walmer Castle in supporting the nomination.

Given the linked challenges of the mounting climate crisis, the tide of plastic in our seas and endangerment of so much of our animal and plant life, it’s so important that we take urgent action at every level, especially here in our local community.”


The next Deal With It event is the community beach clean on Sunday 23rd June at 9.30am meeting at Deal Pier.

Goodwin Sands become next Marine Conservation Zone

After a long campaign by many environmental organisations including our local Goodwin Sands SOS and the Kent Wildlife Trust the government has announced today that the Sands will become the next Marine Conservation Zone .

This does not immediately stop the dredging of the sands by the Dover Harbour Board and Goodwin Sands SOS have a judicial review of the decision to allow dredging under way. They need more funds for the case, please see their most email below:

Dear Goodwin Sands SOS supporter,

We appreciate that we have only just written to you but we thought you would like to know that the Goodwin Sands have been included in the third and final tranche of Marine Conservation Zones, announced today by DEFRA.

This is excellent news for the Sands in general and a very positive step forward for the campaign, coming as it does just days before the Judicial Review on 5th June. However, unfortunately it does not mean that we have won our case to prevent Dover Harbour Board from dredging.

What it should mean is that the Judge will review all evidence with extra care and attention before arriving at a decision about quashing the licence. This is now a national test case about the robustness of the Blue Belt initiative and its effectiveness in face of the Government’s economic Blue Growth agenda.

Our fund raising appeal stands at just over £2,000 short of our £20,000 target. Please give generously; we need to ensure the Marine Conservation Zone programme is worth the paper it is written on! Donations can be made easily at http://www.goodwinsandssos.org or if you would like us to claim Gift Aid on your donation please email us directly at goodwinsandssos@gmail.com. Please note we cannot claim Gift Aid on CrowdJustice donations.

Many thanks for your continued support.

Full Details at : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/marine-conservation-zones-goodwin-sands

Walmer Castle Community Beach Clean

Thank you to our 40 volunteers on today's Walmer Castle Beach Clean. 

30kgs collected with over 13kgs of recyclable cans, bottles and plastic. 

Our next community clean is on Sunday 23rd June at Deal Pier at 9:30am

May Diary for Deal With It

DIARY

Wednesday 8th May Deal Climate Emergency meeting Dealability from 6pm

Saturday 11th May – Deal Climate Emergency Stall Deal High St from 10:30am

Tuesday 14th May – Captain’s Garden Community Garden Group Volunteer time 10-Noon (every week)

Wednesday 15th May Deal Climate Emergency meeting Dealability from 6pm TBC

Thursday 16th May – Captain’s Garden Community Garden Group Volunteer time 10-Noon (every week)

Monday 20th May – Dover Repair Café – Biggin Hall 6pm

Friday 24th May – Local Schools Climate Action (Deal Town Hall 11:30am)

Saturday 25th May – Spring Seedy Saturday 10:30 -12:30 Landmark Garden

Bank Holiday Monday 27th May – Walmer Castle Beach Clean, 9:30am Prom nr Car Parks

Tuesday 4th June – Plastic Free Deal meeting Landmark Bar 6pm

Thursday 6th June – Clean Up Crew Deal Station 4-6pm Deal Station

Wednesday 12th June – Deal Hop Farm meeting 6:30pm venue (TBA)

Monday 17th June – Dover Repair Café – Biggin Hall 18:30pm

Sunday 23rd June – Deal Beach Clean – 9:30am Deal Pier

Sunday 30th June – Landmark Garden National Garden Scheme (NGS) Open Gardens

Saturday 6th July – National Meadows Day – Open Day at Captain’s Garden

Sunday 7th July – Sandown Castle Beach Clean meet at 9:30am

Monday 15th July – Dover Repair Café – Biggin Hall 6:30pm

Wednesday 31st July – Get Buzzing at Betteshanger County Park 11am to 3pm

August (Date to be confirmed) – Walmer Beach Clean meet at Sea Café 9:30am

September 22nd – Great British Beach Clean (MCS) Deal Pier 9:30

Lots of visitors at the Captain's Garden on Easter Monday

Thank you all our visitors at today's Open Day at the Captain's Garden.

We owe a big thank you to Time & Tide Brewing for not only producing two excellent beers but organising the canning of the ESB today (it arrived at about 11:30 if you missed it) as well the casks tasters

A massive thank you also to all the volunteers from Deal With It, Deal Hop Farm , Eilnor's mini-café and Ben from English Heritage for making it all happen

We think at least 750 people came today and many thanks for £140 in donations for plants 

Volunteer times in the garden are Tuesday and Thursday 10am to Noonish - for more info in getting involved please email info@dealwithit.org.uk