Open Collective
Open Collective
Loading
November update
Published on November 28, 2023 by Marta Lomza

What have we been up to in November?
In November, we had another three fun events in the park. Despite the morning rain, nearly 30 intrepid walkers of all ages turned up for a bird-spotting walk with Nick (see the photo above). We saw little grebes, shelducks, goldfinches, goldcrests, a redwing, and a great spotted woodpecker, and heard bullfinches and jays. The weather improved as time went on so we all had a great time!
Another work party in the orchard saw six volunteers help out with the regular maintenance tasks. We also had a community brunch in the pavilion in the park, in partnership with the Oxford Food Surplus Cafe and the Oxford Food Hub. A delicious meal was cooked by our wonderful volunteers, and those who came along enjoyed making a felt robin with Rosie, a nice way to celebrate this cheerful bird seen in our gardens and parks all through winter.
We enjoyed attending the Lights Festival in the park, which is always such a great opportunity to connect with the whole community. We also opened our membership offer, which you can read more about here.
Our ultimate goal remains to take on the lease of the greenhouses and turn them into a community hub. While we’re tackling the various administrative processes, we want to keep organising fun events for our community, helping people connect with nature and each other. As our present funding is about to reach its end, we are seeking more contributions from different sources. Everyone can make a contribution from as little as £1. Follow the link below if you’d like to make a donation so we can keep organising events and working to secure the lease on the greenhouses.
Make a donation

What’s on in December?
Nature Walk in the Park: Sunday 10 December, 10-11amBird and wildlife spotting walk led by local bird expert Nick Boyd. Meet by San Remo Cafe. (Drop-in, no sign up required.) Wear weather appropriate clothing and feel free to bring a flask of tea and a snack.
Community Orchard Work Party: Sunday 17 December, 10am-12pmVolunteer to help us maintain the young fruit trees and bushes. Meet in the orchard (by the Cutteslowe allotments). Drop in - no sign up required. Sturdy shoes and gardening-appropriate clothes recommended. Do bring your own gardening gloves if you can. Tea served at the end of the session but bring your own snack & water.
Community Lunches - Volunteers Meeting: Sunday 17 December, 12pmWe need your help! We’re looking for a team of 4-5 people to take on the organising of future community lunches in the pavilion. Come to this meeting to find out how it all works and how you can help. Location tbc. Please sign up using this link to get an update on where the meeting will take place.

How can I help?
Join our growing pool of local volunteers.Make a donation so we can keep organising events for the community.Email us to suggest other nature & wellbeing events we could organise.And finally, help us spread the word about the project through following us on Facebook and Instagram and sharing our posts with your friends.