SWGN meetup at Gothelney Farm

Welcome to the South West Grain Network 2025 kick off! 

We’re excited to gather in person for the first time this year to collectively envision the future of our network in 2025. 

This will be a moment to come together, recap last year and make some key decisions about how we move forward as a network.

The South West Grain Network is in an exciting position to receive funds to support our aims via our new account with The Social Change Nest. 

The gathering will be a time to give voice to our thoughts and feelings on this key development, what it means for the network and crucially how we make decisions over how funds are spent and how we are governed. 

This is an important gathering and we hope as many of you as possible can attend.

Every in-person gathering strengthens the bonds of friendship within our community and provides a space to share both the challenges and triumphs of building an alternative food system. 
 
This event is open to all, and we warmly welcome newcomers to join us as we grow and evolve the South West Grain Network.

Event Schedule 

10:30–11:00 | Registration
Meet us outside the entrance to Field Bakery to sign in and say hello.
 
11:00–11:45 | Welcome & Check-In
We’ll kick off with a group check-in, inviting everyone to share why they engage with the network then we will map the outline of the day and what we hope to achieve going forward.
 
11:45–12:00 | Comfort Break
Hot drinks and sweet treats provided - please bring your own cup.
 
12:00–13:30 | Plenary Session
Discussion: How does the South West Grain Network make decisions, come to agreements, raise funds and allocate those funds?
 
13:30–15:00 | Lunch
Lunch will be provided — please bring your own cup, plate/bowl, knife and fork.
If you have specific dietary requirements, email Rosy at [email protected]

15:00–16:00 | Wrap-Up & Next Steps
We’ll discuss how to turn our ideas into action and confirm the date and venue for our next gathering. 

 Tickets

• The cost of the ticket is to directly cover the cost of providing lunch, which will be a simple one pot meal. The ticket price does not cover prep time, venue hire, prep and cooking for lunch, cleaning and pack down.

• If you would like to contribute additional funds to the activities of the network you are very welcome to do so.

• If the cost of the ticket is prohibitive to your attendance please email [email protected] and simply let us know - we do not want funds to be a barrier to anyone's attendance.

Volunteering on the day

• We’d love to hear from you if you’d like to volunteer on the day. 

• We have space for about 14 volunteers to help with activities such as registration, organising the refreshments table, note taking, time keeping, lunch prep and clean up. 

• If you’d be interested in helping out please email [email protected] or make yourself known on the day.

• We are also accepting donations for refreshments and if you'd like to contribute let us know what you will bring via this spreadsheet or email [email protected]

Parking and directions 

• Please lift share where possible - we have created a lift share doc to help facilitate this. 

• The address of the farm is: Gothelney Hall, Charlynch, Somerset, TA5 2PQ 

• Satnav successfully takes you to the farm 

• Please follow signs for parking 

• Bridgewater is the closest train station and you can use the lift share document to organise a pick up and drop off to the station if you are travelling by train

 

Additional Information 

• Please be aware that this is a working farm and we sadly cannot have guests bringing dogs to the farm. 

• If you have any access needs which we need to be aware of please email [email protected] 

• We will be gathering in an open sided barn and sitting on straw bales. These conditions can be uncomfortable for those who need back support or who feel the cold, please feel free to bring camping chairs, cushions and blankets for your own comfort. 

• There will be hot drinks available in the break and at lunch but please bring a bottle of water and any additional snacks you may want for the day

 
 We can’t wait to kick off 2025 with you. See you there!