It’s VOLUNTEER WEEK and we could not exist without all the amazing people who create and maintain the Garden, organise events, run activities, help with play schemes, gardening, building, educating, drafting publicity, delivering newsletters, baking cakes, chatting, taking photos, and being such a lovely bunch to be with! Thank you so much, everyone, for all your past and ongoing help.
If you would like to join us and leave your mark at this ever-changing space, that exists for the local community only, every little bit helps – and it is fun, too!
In the photo, captured by Craig, is Condessa, a long-standing volunteer, who is a force of nature!
CALDMORE VILLAGE FESTIVAL ARE LOOKING FOR AN EXTERNAL EVALUATOR FOR CALDMORE COMMUNITY GARDEN AND OUR “GARDEN FOR ALL” PROJECT
Role: External Evaluator
Fee: £6,000.00 to £7,000.00 for the full engagement period (paid in two annual installments).
Engagement period: July 2022 – February 2024
This is freelance self-employed post, spread over two years.
Place of work: Remote working and visits to the project in Walsall
We are looking for an evaluator who has experience in the arts and participation to carry creative evaluation of our flagship project – Caldmore Community Garden with activities and events funded as a part of Reaching Communities’ “Garden for All” project. If you do not fit all the criteria but do have relevant experience that could make you a great candidate, we would still love to hear from you and encourage you to apply. We welcome applications from people with a range of experiences and skills.
We promote equality, diversity and inclusion throughout our projects and our workplace. We actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply. We aim to make the application process as accessible as possible.
To apply, please email your CV and a one page cover letter to: Anna Webster – caldmoregarden@gmail.com by Friday 24th June.
Please note, applications will be reviewed as they come in as we are looking to appoint this post as soon as possible.
Join us this Saturday 12-4pm for chocolate madness at Caldmore Community Garden – the hunt will start at 1pm and will be over around 1.20, so please be there on time if you don’t want to miss out! There will be two zones – one for toddlers who must be accompanied on the Hunt by a parent and one for children over 5.
There will also be lots of other attractions – tombola, face-painting, Easter arts and crafts, Garden stall, and hot drinks and homemade cake at our community cafe!
Planning what to grow, when to grow it, and how to arrange it all often seems like the most bewildering choice both for new growers and even those with more experience.
Successful organic growing, in particular, is all about good planning. In this course you will learn how to plan your plot organically, with a focus on crop rotation, preventing pests and diseases, maximising harvests and planning for the year ahead.
We will guide you through the steps, giving you a fundamental understanding of the planning process so that you have the confidence to make your own personal plan.
Session will cover:
How to assess and plan your growing space
How to design a rotation
Choosing a range of crops that suits you
Designing a cropping calendar so you know what to do when
Making an action plan
Healthy Soil, healthy plants – 22nd March 2022
Healthy soils are the basis for healthy plants and the building block for any organic garden. This course will examine what makes a healthy soil and consider methods for testing it in your own gardens or growing spaces. We will also discuss the practical steps you can take to improve your soil using organic methods such as composts, green manures and no dig methods.
Session will cover:
An introduction to the importance of soil health, soil life and the components which determine a ‘healthy soil’.
Discovering the properties of your soil; how to test the health of your soil.
How to manage your soils organically, including an overview of no dig methods.
The function of plant nutrients and how to recognise deficiencies
Wildlife gardening – 24th May 2022
The importance of gardens as wildlife refuges for all sorts of life, not just beneficial insects is becoming widely recognised, and we’re all being encouraged to be more wildlife friendly in our gardening practices. But how does this translate into reality in a small urban garden?
Can you really have a wildflower meadow co-existing with football-mad children, for example? And won’t that big brushwood heap become a home for less welcome wildlife such as rats? Find out how to really make your garden work for wildlife – and you!
What wildlife will there be likely to see in summer in urban settings? and hence what is worth trying to encourage
Plants, trees and practices which will help wildlife thrive
Common-sense water in the garden
Do’s and don’ts
Pests and diseases – 19th July 2022
As a new vegetable grower, you may feel everything is out to get you as you watch one row of seedlings after another succumb to some nameless grot, or be munched by unseen foes.
Feel you have to reach for a spray but don’t want use toxic chemicals on your food? You don’t have to. Learn about the insects out there who are on your side, as well as methods of control for almost every garden problem. We’ll help you identify what you can do in the way of prevention, cures and controls, as well as methods for minimizing the most common pest and disease problems.
The session will cover
Physiological problems: dealing with weather extremes – what you can plan for and what you can’t. The importance of soil health and composting in disease control, including what dead plants can you safely compost?
Identifying common pests and diseases
Barriers, traps & deterrents
Natural predators
Permitted Organic applications as last resort
Planning for resistance and diversity
Seed saving – 20th September 2022
Seed saving might seem like a dark art but once you get into it you realise how satisfying it can be to take one step further towards self-sufficiency in your growing. This course will introduce you to the rationale behind seed saving and give plenty of practical examples of the process. We will also introduce you to some of the fascinating varieties within Garden Organic’s Heritage Seed Library.
Session will cover:
Reasons for saving seed saving
Extracting seed from key crops
How to improve the purity of your seed
Storing seed
Successful composting – 22nd November 2022
Home composting has always been a no brainer. With each compost bin, you are saving 125 kg of waste having to be taken away from home, and instead turning it into a great product that will benefit your soil, your garden and everything you grow.
However, there is a bit more to it than just throwing it all on a heap and hoping it will make lovely compost. This course will help you to fine tune that process, so that you have a better idea of how it all works. It will give you an understanding of the basic requirements for composting to take place and the various influencing factors giving you a much better degree of control and confidence.
Session will cover:
Successful composting including what and how to compost
Recognising the biological life involved in producing compost in your bin
How to deal with problem compost heaps
A basic knowledge of how to use compost in the garden
Trainers
Anton Rosenfeld has been with Garden Organic for 18 years. His work has ranged from projects with commercial field-scale growers to small-scale community gardens and allotments. He has worked as a grower, runs many training courses and regularly writes for Grow Your Own and Kitchen Garden magazine. He has a passion for soils, composting and growing veg from a wide range of cultures and horizons.
Sally Cunningham has spent a lifetime as a professional gardener, and has always been fascinated by creatures that she finds in the garden: what they are, what they eat and how they live. She has worked with Garden Organic for over 20 years and has encountered almost every horticultural problem. Sally reckons a well-adjusted garden should wriggle, crawl and squirm as well as sing…
About Garden Organic
Garden Organic is the national charity for organic growing. We have been around since 1958 and have over 20 000 members. Our goal is simple – to get people growing organically. We do this in lots of ways: • Working with communities providing them with support in their growing • Providing horticultural advice to gardeners • Campaigning on topical issues such as the use of peat or pesticides • Preserving traditional and heirloom varieties in our Heritage Seed Library • Researching into organic gardening techniques
We also have an organic demonstration garden at Ryton on Dunsmore just outside Coventry, where you can book onto to tours and workshops. For further information visit: www.gardenorganic.org.uk
The course is a part of our Garden for All project funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.
Job Title: Caldmore Community Garden Assistant Community Development Worker
Contract Type: 2 years with potential extension subject to funding.
Start Date: February 2022 (subject to references and DBS checks)
Salary: £24,000 per annum plus employer contribution pension
Closing Date For Applications: Noon on 5th January 2022.
Interviews to take place on Wednesday 19th January 2022.
Caldmore Village Festival Ltd (CVF) is seeking to appoint a dynamic Assistant Community Development Worker to work alongside our Caldmore Community Garden Project Manager and team of volunteers. This is a fantastic opportunity to join CVF at an exciting time. You will be a motivated self-starter who is able to use initiative and have experience in administrative work. This post is a 2 year fixed term contract.
Key roles include:
To support the work of Project Manager and other team members and volunteers at Caldmore Community Garden.
To provide administrative support to Project Manager and Management Committee.
To promote the work of Caldmore Community Garden and House by communicating with the public via phone, social media, newsletters, etc.
To ensure that the Garden responds to the needs and demands of the diverse local community.
To work with the staff team and Management Committee to:
Plan and implement a programme of events, activities and learning opportunities associated with the Garden and House.
Build on existing and identify new areas of development work.
Recruit and support Garden’s volunteers.
You will:
Have previous experience in a community orientated role.
Be an active team member in relation to projects and events.
Have flexible working which includes working some evenings and weekends.
Report to Project Manager and CVF Management Committee.
Caldmore Village Festival Ltd based in Caldmore, Walsall, has the following vacancy for enthusiastic and experienced play scheme lead worker:
Lead Play SchemeWorker
Hours:
7 hours per day, 6 days a week during three half – term holidays, Easter and Summer school holidays (10 weeks in a year).
Salary: £14 per hour
Start date: February 2022 (3 year contract).
Place of work: Caldmore Community Garden, Carless Street, Walsall WS1 3RH.
Ideally applicants will have a relevant Level 3 NVQ or diploma, preferably in Playwork or Youth Work, but we will consider other equivalent qualifications. Applicants must have experience of working with 7 – 13 year olds in a play environment.
Experience of working in a supervisory capacity is essential.
All posts are subject to receipt of a satisfactory enhanced DBS disclosure for a regulated activity and reference checks.
If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your CV and cover letter to Anna Webster at caldmoregarden@gmail.com.
It is time to get in the festive mood – join our Christmas celebrations at Caldmore Community Garden! Santa will be waiting for children in his Grotto – there will be free presents and free professional family photographs! George Northall will play Christmas and seasonal songs on a saxophone, we will be making Christmas cards ready to be posted to your loved ones. Take part in Christmas tombola, try a mince pie and our home-made cakes, and have some mulled apple juice at the Cafe! It’s time to be together again!
A week of creativity, music, poetry and performing arts in Caldmore to light up all the community.
MONDAY 1st November
6PM LET THERE BE LIGHT – SWITCHING ON CALDMORE COMMUNITY GARDEN ILLUMINATIONS
Time to turn on the lights! Infamous Arts have been working tirelessly to light up the Garden and the Alleyway and open the celebrations of our Festival of Lights! Come and admire the secret wonder of Caldmore – let’s reclaim the night!
6:30PM – FIRE PERFORMANCE WITH HELTER SKELTER
An incredible fire performance by Helter Skelter Arts that will light up the Garden with its flames and daring stunts! A great show for all the family. (Keep an eye out for the duo around the Garden as well, as they paint patterns and images in the air with their amazing LED props!)
TUESDAY 2nd November
4-6PM PAGE, STAGE, DIGITAL AGE WORKSHOP – Make your own animated spoken word poem
Bring your gmail, your laptop and your yearning for spoken word development into the digital age. Live spaces at venue workshop and also zoom places for the live workshop webinar – to register e-mail caldmoregarden@gmail.com.
6:30PM – OPEN MIC POETRY
7PM – POETRY MINI SLAM – 4 poets leading to 2 head to head final 3 minutes each
7.30PM – WORKSHOP POETS SHOWCASE
8.15PM POETRY PERFORMANCE – DREADLOCKALIEN
We are calling all poets and word mischief-makers to take part in Poetry workshop, Open Mic and Slam at Caldmore Community Garden! The event will be led by DreadlockAlien – the slam and performance poet and former Birmingham poet laureate as well as a host of BBC Radio 4 Slam Poetry – and will finish with DreadlockAlien performing his own verse on the Garden stage.
WEDNESDAY 3rd November 7PM – LIVE MUSIC – RSVP BHANGRA BAND
Veterans of Glastonbury, WOMAD and Boomtown – and now performing at our Festival of Lights – RSVP Bhangra’s unique blending of Punjabi Indian music with dance beats and mainstream pop has created a new and irresistible sound that audiences everywhere love and keep on coming back for!
THURSDAY 4th November
10am – 1pm LANTERN WORKSHOP WITH SAM HALE – for all ages
Come and help us make lanterns for our Lantern Procession on Sunday! We will be working with artist Sam Hale to create willow structures covered with decorated plastic – everyone is welcome.
7PM – LIVE MUSIC – NOT QUITE DEAD YET
Not quite Dead Yet have been described as “a tin of Punk Rock Sardines spilling onto the stage” – it’s a bunch of punks, old and young, playing a mix of their own songs and old favourites on ukuleles. What a treat to see them return to Caldmore Community Garden after a few years’ break!
FRIDAY 5th November
5PM – LANTERN WORKSHOP WITH ARTIST SAM MACE
Join us for a creative lantern making workshop delivered at the Garden in partnership with New Art Gallery Walsall. Drop in, no booking necessary.
6:30PM – A STRING OF LIGHTS WITH PETER CHAND AND FOX & ROCHA
As the nights stretch out and a chill fills the air, join us for a very special evening mixing storytelling, music, and song.
At the time of Diwali, what better way to celebrate light and brightness with an amazing and lively event for the whole family. We will be mixing incredible storytelling with beautiful singing in various languages, and the magical sounds of harp, diatonic accordion, and a host of interesting percussion instruments. Join us as we celebrate the light and warmth that is all around us, even at the darkest times.
SATURDAY 6th November 6:30PM – MY SHADOW AND ME – SHADOW THEATRE WITH DREW COLBY
My Shadow and Me is like a cartoon created live out of nothing but darkness and light. One person (and his shadow) meet and go on an imaginative journey where creatures emerge, engage and transform beautifully. Little encounters between characters are explored and tiny stories unfold. Many are funny, some are sweet. The ever fascinating and adorable hand-shadow bunny makes an appearance as part of a simple magic trick, and the show ends with a colourful and impressive finale in which multiple shadow characters appear all at the same time – made with just two hands!
SUNDAY 7th November
4PM PUPPET OPERATING WORKSHOP FOR CHILDREN by The Fetch Theatre Company
Join us for 4pm to learn with The Fetch Theatre how to operate scrunch puppets made by pupils at Caldmore Primary Academy to join in with the evening performance.
LANTERN PROCESSION (5:45pm meet at the Garden)
Meet us at 5:45pm at the Garden to join in with the Lantern Procession to Caldmore Green and back to show the beautiful lanterns made by children from Caldmore Primary Academy, Garden holiday play scheme, and people from all the community. We will light up the streets of Caldmore and invite everyone to accompany us on our way back to the Garden.
6:45PM PUPPET SHOW WITH THE FETCH THEATRE COMPANY
The Festival of Lights culminates with a bespoke puppet performance by The Fetch Theatre.
This brand new performance that doesn’t yet have a name will be inspired by their previous show, Insect Safari, performed here at Caldmore Community Garden back in August. Expect creatures that might that creep, crawl, fly, flutter and buzz, all inspired by a wealth of fascinating insect facts and international stories that voice myths and folklore of insects from the farthest reaches of the globe.
Doors open half an hour before performance time – café will be open with drinks and refreshments.
Caldmore Community Garden 