Suffolk Community Forum Eco Club

04/14/2019

Gillian Sykes was left with no support after she was diagnosed with cancer and had to quit work as a supply teacher.

01/15/2019

THE TRUTH ABOUT WELFARE REFORM
Sinn Féin and the DUP voted to allow welfare reform into the North. At the time, they sold it to us as a good deal. But everyone in this community and beyond knows the welfare system they agreed to is a disaster. The fact that they voted for it is bad enough. But the reason they voted for it is even worse!
Both Sinn Féin and the DUP wanted to cut tax on big corporations. But the Tories told them they wouldn't be allowed to cut tax on the rich unless they introduced welfare reform.
Why was this the case? Because the cut to corporation tax was going to cost hundreds of millions of pounds. And maintaining the old welfare system would cost hundreds of millions of pounds. So they picked corporations and the rich over ordinary people. Imagine that... our local politicians gave the Tories welfare cuts so the Tories would give them the power to cut tax on the rich.
The big political parties are going into overdrive to try and complicate the origins of welfare reform. But the truth is a simple and age old story. Robbing the poor to pay the rich. Shameful stuff.

06/02/2018

I haven’t posted for ages because there’s only me working for Suffolk at the Forum. It’s summer. Please please help out in the community garden. It needs watered and Michael McCorry would really appreciate help. The garden is there for all the Suffolk community and needs to be used. Remember if you don’t use resources you lose them.

05/17/2018

07/27/2017

Well, after more than two years, the Suffolk poly tunnel was recovered this week. I've fought so hard and so long for it I can hardly believe it. Although in truth, I believe it was Michael McCorry's interventions on our behalf that finally made the difference.

Now my next crusade is for a bigger container with a toilet & kitchen in it. I secured some funds from Awards for All which allowed me to purchase a gas ring and a table & chairs so people can sit & have a cup of tea, a rest and a chat.

Now all we need is more of the community to get involved in the garden. You'll have fun, fresh air, a laugh and fresh food you've grown yourself. Please do come to the garden and join the other growers because now we have the poly tunnel we'll be planting winter veg and some late variety spuds that can be picked for Christmas.

I keep saying this but you get out of something as much if not more than you put in. The community spirit only really grows when the community works together and has fun together for common goals. I can get as much money as you like but that's no use unless the community plays it's part.

So come to the garden. We need you.

03/24/2017

Hello Suffolk

Today was a great day for the garden. I put out a plea for people to help in the garden and several of you responded. Thank you Rhona, Vicki, Peter, Stuarty, Mark. 4 beds have already been allocated. If ive missed anybody oit i apologise Bulbs were planted today and so were seed potatoes.

Michael is wanting those who are engaged in the history course and any other interested parties if they'd like to go down to the City Cemetery with him when he'll show you and tell you the stories relating to many of the graves.

Another visit you might want to consider is to the Colin Allotments which might give you ideas for our garden and you're likely to get pizza for lunch cooked in their pizza oven. By the way we are going to build a clay over and barbecue for the garden.

I secured £10000 for the garden and will be fitting it out with a gas ring, a heater, table & chairs and sundry equipment. It'll also pay for the clay oven and barbecue. So please help us complete the garden so that all the community can enjoy it and the produce over the summer.

03/01/2017

It's a long time since I've been on here but I've been so busy with other community projects there's not enough hours in the day.

Thanks to Michael McCorry and help from Jamie Garland, Mark Mc Williams and Stuarty the garden is taking shape. But Michael is worth his weight in gold I'm still pursuing the Council to get the poly tunnel recovered and I'm told it's been ordered. But it's a matter of pestering them as much as possible.

The garden is being divided into 'beds' and if anybody wants a bed to grow food for their family please let me know. I already have several names and once we have all the beds done Michael has vegetable plugs to help get people started.

I've secured just over £7000 to get stuff for the garden, gas ring & heater; table & chairs for the container; tutor costs; volunteer expenses which cover lunches and sundries like gloves, waterproofs etc

Michael is going to build us a clay oven & barbecue so we can have some community festivals using the garden and Colin Allotments have invited us up for lunch - pizza from their clay oven. It would be great if we could start a mens she'd in the garden and I could probably secure funding for that.

Anyway that's a brief update except to say that we need as many people as possible to help finish the garden. And remember, as a community you will get out of any project including the community garden as much as you're willing to put into it.

11/18/2016

I haven't had time to update this page. Just to say that the garden is being put together again and people are being asked if they want a bed or two to grow veg for their families. I'm asking people to come to the garden and get it ready for the beginning of the year so we can start growing.
I've applied for funding to put a gas heater, ring and table and chairs in the container and for tools etc. I've also included a clay oven and barbecue in the request. we've got a brilliant Council worker Michael McCorry who is making it his business to help us all he can so we at least need to meet him half way. You'll find ongoing information on the Suffolk Estate page. Just remember funding is hard to get so everybody needs to pull together to get stuck in and participate in the projects I get funding for on your behalf. But the ideas need to come from you and you all need to get involved. I promise you you will enjoy it and community life will get better.

09/29/2016

If anybody is interested in coming together to discuss whether they'd like to be involved in a Celebration event around the content posted on this page and what it might look like Helen, Liliandonaghy Hosick and I and others have set times to meet.' You can come along to the community centre from 10.30 - 12.30 this coming Wednesday or else at 6.30 - 8.30 same day. The Big Lottery is offering up to £5000 for celebrating communities and it would be a way of valuing and preserving the photos, the memories and maybe other artefacts people have. We need to protect this important social history. Come along and get involved and have a bit of fu n as well.

09/22/2016

The community garden is being refurbished. But it needs one last push. Michael McCorry the Council worker can't do it on his own. He needs help in the final garden layout of the need.

Anyone who wants to work their own bed in the community garden please contact Caroline in the Forum office - either call up or phone on 90308198.

Those who would like their own bed I'm asking to help Michael get the last stage sorted. There's time to plant some winter vegetables and I can provide some tools. Michael also has some plug plants for everyone. Michael is also happy to provide some training for garden novices.

It's taken a long time and a whole lot of work to get the garden fences and returned. And we are getting the poly tunnel recovered.

Please support us in the garden project. It's yours and you can use it to grow free food for your family and have a bit of fun at the same time.

11/01/2015

You may have noticed that the memorial garden is looking much better. Thanks go to Norman McCleery. He's looking after it and my project is supplying money for things that are needed in the garden. Sammy & Stewarty said they would power wash the paths today. On Norman's advice the trees will be topped and shaped in August because they've got much too big and are touching the power lines. So at last the memorial garden will be well looked after & more respectful to the memories of loved ones remembered in it as well as remembering the brave men who fell at the Somme. I think I'll throw some poppy seeds down in the springtime or if anybody else wants to I think it would be nice.

11/01/2015

We've now got the fence up around the garden and Stuart has patched the poly tunnel up so we can use it until the Council recovers the whole thing which is what they're going to do. Stuart & I are meeting Council tomorrow afternoon to discuss the refurbishment. Stuart has been talking to some community members & he's come up with ideas based on their suggestions. We are hoping that people who want to can have their own space to grow stuff themselves.
If anybody is interested but doesn't know a lot about growing food they can come up and see me. I have a small gardening library in the office & we can photocopy bits of it for anybody who wants it.