Ridgeline Trust - Live Music Fundraiser
On Thurs 1st March, we have what has become our annual live gig fundraiser. After the sold out success of The Quotes last year, we are very pleased to welcome young talent from Komodo Krimes and Daniel James. We hope to see you at South Street Arts Centre, Reading. Doors will be at 8pm and it is an age 14+ (with adult), 16+ show. Refreshments including alcoholic drinks for those over 18 years can be purchased from the bar. Tickets are £6 in advance (£8 on the door), and can be purchased here
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Bottomline Technologies Walk for Ridgeline
On Sat 18th Feb, Bottomline Technologies will be starting "part one" of their three part walk to eventually cover the full 87 miles of the Ridgeway National Trail. The walk takes in stunning scenery and ancient landscapes. Part one covers 22.3 miles and commences Saturday 18th February with a planned start at 8-9am at Overton Hill. At the half way (11 mile) mark there will a lunch stop, and for those who want to, this is also an alternative start for the last 11 miles so then everyone can finish together.
Family, friends & pets are welcome! If you would like to sponsor the event, please use our this Virgin Money Giving page event link. If you would like to take part in the walk please reply to this email (ridgelinetrust@hotmail.com). For those who are interested, we will provide more information such as grid references/post codes, and we would encourage Ridgeline supporters to lift share for the event. If you would like to take part, but do not feel up to the full distances planned, please let us know also.
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Bottomline Zapper Challenge - CDs / DVDs / Books
Bottomline Technologies are collecting unwanted items including CDs, DVDs, Books and Games in January. They are then holding a sale of these items in February, with all proceeds going towards our new building fund. Any items that are unsold will then be shipped to the website Zapper who will buy our remaining stock (at a lower price). We would like to encourage all Ridgeline supporters to donate any unwanted items for this sale. Any items in reasonable condition are gladly accepted. Please contact us at ridgelinetrust@hotmail.com if you have any items you can donate.
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We now have paths at the garden!
A few weeks ago local contractor Smallwoods came onto the garden to install the first phase of Hannah Genders' garden design plan - we now have a path running around the garden!
The material used for the paths is a self-grading material called "Hoggin". As the paths have been installed in the wet conditions associated with winter, the paths will harden as we approach the warmer, drier weather. The paths represent a big move forward for Ridgeline as we approach being fully accessible to wheelchair users and others.
The material used for the paths is a self-grading material called "Hoggin". As the paths have been installed in the wet conditions associated with winter, the paths will harden as we approach the warmer, drier weather. The paths represent a big move forward for Ridgeline as we approach being fully accessible to wheelchair users and others.
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Woodland Trust and M&S donate 105 trees for hedging
Thank you to the Woodland Trust and Marks & Spencer for the donation of 105 hedging trees. Ridgeline volunteers have used them to plant new hedgerows to screen a composting area, provide a safety barrier around the greenhouse and complete the garden’s perimeter hedging. Marks & Spencer's Christmas Card Recycling Scheme helps fund woodland creation projects nationwide, inconjunction with the Woodland Trust.
Gill Grainger, Client and School Liaison Officer at the Ridgeline Trust, said: “We’ve had a tree donation from the Woodland Trust in the past and applied again this year to further improve the garden. We are all very excited as the trees are going to provide lovely new hedges for us and for the people who use the garden – and more homes for wildlife too.
Gill Grainger, Client and School Liaison Officer at the Ridgeline Trust, said: “We’ve had a tree donation from the Woodland Trust in the past and applied again this year to further improve the garden. We are all very excited as the trees are going to provide lovely new hedges for us and for the people who use the garden – and more homes for wildlife too.
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Bottomline Technologies have now raised around £5000
We are extremely grateful for the continued hardwork and support from local firm Bottomline Technologies who have so far raised total donations and pledges of around £5,000 through their activities including Walk to Work and marathon swim - and we are delighted they are still planning further fundraising activities, with an overall target of £10,000 towards our building fund !
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New Loo Shed Now On Site
Thanks to Peter & Stephen for their help in putting up the new loo shed, to Celia for the curtains and to Robbie for his help in the fit out of the interior. Although basic, the new facilites are providing welcome relief!
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Thank You Thames Water Volunteers
Thanks to the Thames Water volunteers who helped us rescue various plants from the route of the new paths, which are currently being laid according to Hannah Genders design. Here they are pictured with new watering cans, donated by the company along with a trigger hose, water retentive gel and two large water butts ready for water-efficient gardening next summer. Thanks also to our student volunteer Neil who also helped with more plant rescue and marking out the line of the paths.
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Our Best Harvest Fete Yet!
Thanks to all volunteers, visitors, and everyone who donated for our best Harvest Fete yet! Around 300 people attended over the course of the day and £900 was raised!
The Reading Chronicle ran a large feature on the event in their Thurs 29th Sep edition, which featured Emily Meunier and Rupert Shute on the frontpage of the newspaper and a large number photos from the day on pages 12 and 13.
The Reading Chronicle ran a large feature on the event in their Thurs 29th Sep edition, which featured Emily Meunier and Rupert Shute on the frontpage of the newspaper and a large number photos from the day on pages 12 and 13.
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Harvest Fete - Sun 25th Sep - 1pm to 4pm
Our annual Harvest Fete takes place on Sunday 25th September between 1pm and 4pm. There will be produce on sale from the garden, pottery, cakes, jams, a book sale (including bring and buy), a plant sale, fun games for all, live music, a BBQ and refreshments and more! All welcome - please spread the word in your area. Flyers & posters can be collected from one of our Trustees if you would like to help.
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Reading in Bloom 2011 - GOLD Winner !
We are absolutely delighted to say it was GOLD for the Food 4 Families /Surestart "Children's Garden" entry in this year's Reading in Bloom competition! Congratulations to everyone for all their hard work! Opposite is a photo of Carla, Tori and one of the judges.
The Garden itself has also made it to the finals of the competition for the Communal Gardens Category.
This is formal recognition of all our volunteers hard work and achievements during the 2011 season! The final judging takes place on September 26th.
The Garden itself has also made it to the finals of the competition for the Communal Gardens Category.
This is formal recognition of all our volunteers hard work and achievements during the 2011 season! The final judging takes place on September 26th.
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Bottomline Technologies raise a generous donation!
We are extremely grateful to receive a very generous donation of £973.50 from the Reading based IT business support firm Bottomline Technologies, its employees and suppliers Concept 4 via their recent sponsored Bike to Work week.
Pictured here are Bottomline’s Andrew Scarborough (middle) and Rachael Winfield (far right) handing over the cheque to members of the Ridgeline team at the garden.
This sum will be mainly set aside for the improvement of facilities at our Therapeutic Wildlife Garden, and also a small portion will be used to set up a Ridgeline Trust "Virgin Money Giving" donation page. We look forward to a fruitful and enjoyable partnership with Bottomline over the coming months.
We are also looking forward to Bottomline's sponsored swim at Reading Lakes on 25 August. For more information on Bottomline visit the link below:
www.bottomline.co.uk
Pictured here are Bottomline’s Andrew Scarborough (middle) and Rachael Winfield (far right) handing over the cheque to members of the Ridgeline team at the garden.
This sum will be mainly set aside for the improvement of facilities at our Therapeutic Wildlife Garden, and also a small portion will be used to set up a Ridgeline Trust "Virgin Money Giving" donation page. We look forward to a fruitful and enjoyable partnership with Bottomline over the coming months.
We are also looking forward to Bottomline's sponsored swim at Reading Lakes on 25 August. For more information on Bottomline visit the link below:
www.bottomline.co.uk
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Ridgeline Welcomes Age UK to the Garden
We would like to formally announce the recent introduction of a new gardening group for the over-50s which was set up jointly by The Ridgeline Trust and Age UK Berkshire (as part of its ‘Fit as a Fiddle’ campaign).
Members of the Age UK group have their own dedicated plot where they grow a variety of flowers and vegetables but they also contribute to the maintenance and development of the garden as a whole.
A regular Ridgeline volunteer said, “We are really delighted to have older members of the community using the garden. Some are experienced gardeners already and bring a wealth of horticultural experience with them which they enjoy sharing with other members of their group and with other Ridgeline groups. We find this really valuable. Other, less-experienced members of the Age UK group enjoy the pleasure of gardening together and are glad to take away ideas they can use in their own gardens. We are always pleased when Age UK members share their life experiences and reminiscences with us and – in their turn - benefit by keeping up to date with the doings and capabilities of our younger garden users. We couldn’t hope for better inter-generational communication ... and in such a lovely garden setting!”
The sessions currently take place on Tuesdays from 10.30am, and we really welcome new faces all the time! If you would like to attend please get in touch with Holly Baker for more information below: hollyb@ageukberkshire.org.uk
Members of the Age UK group have their own dedicated plot where they grow a variety of flowers and vegetables but they also contribute to the maintenance and development of the garden as a whole.
A regular Ridgeline volunteer said, “We are really delighted to have older members of the community using the garden. Some are experienced gardeners already and bring a wealth of horticultural experience with them which they enjoy sharing with other members of their group and with other Ridgeline groups. We find this really valuable. Other, less-experienced members of the Age UK group enjoy the pleasure of gardening together and are glad to take away ideas they can use in their own gardens. We are always pleased when Age UK members share their life experiences and reminiscences with us and – in their turn - benefit by keeping up to date with the doings and capabilities of our younger garden users. We couldn’t hope for better inter-generational communication ... and in such a lovely garden setting!”
The sessions currently take place on Tuesdays from 10.30am, and we really welcome new faces all the time! If you would like to attend please get in touch with Holly Baker for more information below: hollyb@ageukberkshire.org.uk
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Award for our student volunteers!
Our Reading University student volunteers have won the top community award at their university for their hard work and generous efforts in giving their time to help us on the garden. Congratulations to Neil Cummins, Jessica Scott and Stacey Telford who became joint winners of the 3rd Student Community Award!
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Zumba Fitness Fundraiser - Fri 8th July @ 6.45pm
We are very pleased to say that the organisers of the East Reading Festival have nominated Ridgeline as their chosen charity for a Zumba party fundraiser!
Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance fitness program originating from Colombia during the 1990s and involves dance and aerobic elements. Unlike a typical dance class where counts are used, Zumba involves following the music with repetitive movements. The music comes dance styles such as: Salsa, Mambo, Flamenco, Chachacha, Belly Dancing, Hip Hop, and Tango.
The Details:
Friday 8th July - Doors open 6.15pm for 6.45pm start (1hr)
The Warehouse, 1a Cumberland Road, RG1 3LB
Entrance is free - donations are greatfully received.
Free Parking available in Car Park / Buses 17, 13 14,190 (Arthur Hill Stop). Don’t forget to bring water & wear a splash of something “bright”
Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance fitness program originating from Colombia during the 1990s and involves dance and aerobic elements. Unlike a typical dance class where counts are used, Zumba involves following the music with repetitive movements. The music comes dance styles such as: Salsa, Mambo, Flamenco, Chachacha, Belly Dancing, Hip Hop, and Tango.
The Details:
Friday 8th July - Doors open 6.15pm for 6.45pm start (1hr)
The Warehouse, 1a Cumberland Road, RG1 3LB
Entrance is free - donations are greatfully received.
Free Parking available in Car Park / Buses 17, 13 14,190 (Arthur Hill Stop). Don’t forget to bring water & wear a splash of something “bright”
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Our Garden Designer Hannah Genders on TV!
Our garden designer Hannah Genders was on TV recently - on Gardener's World. Click here to see the clip on BBC iplayer, and if you scroll to 18mins 25 secs this is where the short feature begins. Hannah is seen discussing her Gold Medal winning garden design with one of the presenters. Lets hope her winning streak continues with her design for our garden! Check out Hannah's website here
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RidgelineTrust would like to thank ..........
The
Trust would like to acknowledge the gift of a beautiful, brand new lawnmower
from one of Ridgeline's most loyal client gardeners, Anthony Sigl-Dunn.
Anthony has always enjoyed mowing the vast expanses of grass in the Ridgeline Garden and recognising the need for a new lawnmower decided to buy us one! The Trust is tremendously appreciative of this very generous gift. Thank you Anthony!
Anthony has always enjoyed mowing the vast expanses of grass in the Ridgeline Garden and recognising the need for a new lawnmower decided to buy us one! The Trust is tremendously appreciative of this very generous gift. Thank you Anthony!
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Portaloo now on site thanks to a generous RBC grant
We are very pleased to be announce a portaloo toilet will be on site for the next eight weeks thanks to a generous grant from Reading Borough Council. Please let us know your feedback and thoughts on the new facilities!
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Thank You! SOLD OUT show raised over £400 !!
Thank you to everyone who came and supported our fundraiser event at South Street Arts Centre. The Quotes and Wrong'uns provided the entertainment on the night, and we are extremely grateful to those bands donating their time for a worthy cause. South Street provided the perfect setting for the event (see picture opposite).
Over £400 was raised on the night and it seemed like everybody had a great time enjoying the music!
Stay tuned for further information on the next show!
Over £400 was raised on the night and it seemed like everybody had a great time enjoying the music!
Stay tuned for further information on the next show!
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Garden Designer Appointed !
Thanks to a grant from the
Co-op Community Fund, we have been able to appoint Hannah Genders (www.hannahgenders.co.uk)
as our garden designer. Hannah will be working with us over the next few
months to ensure that we get the most out of our garden, and that it is fully
accessible to our current and future users.
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Ridgeline on Reading 4U Community Radio
Early December Graham and Shane went in to local community radio station Reading 4U, where they chatted with presenter Eddie Winship on his daily two hour morning programme "Community Matters" about our achievements to date and plans in 2011.
You can tune in to the radio station on this link below:
http://www.reading4u.co.uk/
You can tune in to the radio station on this link below:
http://www.reading4u.co.uk/
Introducing our new Development Officer
The Ridgeline Trust is very pleased to announce that following a number of strong applications for our Development Officer position, we have appointed Shane Daunt for the part time role, funded from the Grassroots award we received from Berkshire Community Foundation.
Shane’s role will be to help The Ridgeline Trust in:
*Designing, establishing, and helping to run a programme of activities for users of the Ridgeline Therapeutic Wildlife Garden
*Building new networks with the community and community groups
*Organising events such as open days at the garden
*Publicity to potential users, sponsors and the wider community
*Fundraising and grant applications
Shane has a background in civil & structural engineering and more recently running his own company in the music industry. The mix of skills he has acquired in these fields will be a great asset to The Ridgeline Trust in helping us develop our plans for the new building. Shane is also a keen gardener and has been involved in a number of charity fundraisers whilst also sponsoring environmental and charities for the disabled.
We look forward to posting more good news over the coming months!
Shane’s role will be to help The Ridgeline Trust in:
*Designing, establishing, and helping to run a programme of activities for users of the Ridgeline Therapeutic Wildlife Garden
*Building new networks with the community and community groups
*Organising events such as open days at the garden
*Publicity to potential users, sponsors and the wider community
*Fundraising and grant applications
Shane has a background in civil & structural engineering and more recently running his own company in the music industry. The mix of skills he has acquired in these fields will be a great asset to The Ridgeline Trust in helping us develop our plans for the new building. Shane is also a keen gardener and has been involved in a number of charity fundraisers whilst also sponsoring environmental and charities for the disabled.
We look forward to posting more good news over the coming months!
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Planning permission for site building
We are pleased to announce that we now have planning permission for a pavilion style wooden building on the site. The pressure is on to raise the rest of the money we need to be able to put it up.
Awards and grants - We are delighted to announce the confirmation (February 2010) of a grant of £5,000 from the Earley Charity.
Community gardening - Every Weds 11am - 4pm. Click for more information.
