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0 Autumn newsletter 2022

  • by Fern Towers
  • 16-01-2023
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Dear friends 

Welcome to our Autumn newsletter! We have lots to fill you in on after an incredibly busy summer. We've just come to the end of our National Lottery Community Fund project, ‘Growing Together/ Tyfu Gyda'n Gilydd’. We want to say a big thank you to the Lottery for enabling us to run such a fantastic 3-year project, which included an inspiring range of workshops and trips, and two drop-in sessions per week for our wonderful volunteers. While we reflect on the successes of this project and plan for the future, we’ve got some highlights of 2022 so far to share with you in the meantime …


Volunteering
Volunteers have had a busy summer helping us to maintain a wildlife-friendly but accessible garden.

While we work on securing new funding, we have reduced our weekly drop-in sessions to Thursdays from 1pm-4pm. Our autumnal tasks ahead include things such as pruning, seed-saving, path maintenance and planting ahead for spring. If you would like to join us, you are most welcome!
     
One of our volunteers takes a breather after doing a fabulous job of restoring paths with woodchip.


BioBlitz
We are very grateful to have received funding from the Ashley Family Foundation, which allowed us to run a 24-hour BioBlitz in June, followed by a series of nature-based art workshops to celebrate our wildlife. The event attracted over 150 visitors, who came to learn how to identify a range of species with help from experts in: mammals, moths, bats, birds, lichens, flowering plants, honeybees, mosses and liverworts, invertebrates, hymenoptera, butterflies and trees. A grand total of 342 species were recorded! To read more about the day click here.




Over the summer, artists were hired to continue this celebration of wildlife, and help participants to make nature-inspired art. This featured graffiti for teenagers with Nicky Arscott, Drawing with Pip Lewis, Clay creatures for kids with Helen Ingham, and relief carving with James Davies and Bodge.

Look out for some amazing new sculptures we also now have, co-designed and made by volunteers and sculptors James Davies and Bodge, pictured below…



Workshops 

This summer we enjoyed a final line-up of workshops as part of the Lottery project, including whittling, scything, wildlife-pond construction, and bridge building for teenagers.



Gardening session for refugees
As part of refugee week in June, we welcomed a group of refugees from Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan to the gardens, to take part in a knowledge exchange event organised by Aberystwyth university. This was funded through the University’s ‘World We Want hub’. Participants helped us to make a mini wildlife pond, experimented with dyeing fabrics, and most all had fun sharing food and stories with our volunteers. To read more about the day, click here.


And we are happy to say that the pond is now occupied by a resident frog!



Summer school
During the summer, a 6-week project called ‘Come to your Senses’ was hosted at the gardens, to engage young people from the town in nature-based crafts, skills and arts. Thank you to Powys Teaching Health Board for providing 3 years of funding for this project, and to all of the volunteers and instructors who took part.



Trips
As part of our Lottery project, we took volunteers on a range of trips this summer to gain inspiration and knowledge about gardening, wildlife and the wider environment. In July we took volunteers and members of our kid’s group to Cors Dyfi to admire the ospreys, and got some incredible views of sunbathing lizards. In September we visited CAT to learn about wider environmental issues and how we can garden in a more climate-friendly way. Our final trip to the Botanic Gardens provided a wealth of inspiration for how we might alter our site in future, including gravel gardens, drought-tolerant planting and unusual sculptures!



Site plans
As many of you know, we had to remove our wooden shelter in May due to damage and old age. We know that this was a highly valued space for the community, and so have spent several months consulting with volunteers, visitors and community members to plan how we will redesign the area and make an exciting new space for everyone. We are really grateful to have been awarded funding from Tyfi Dyfi to get started on re-developing the area, including a new community shipping container, a pergola, a cooking area and lots of lovely new edible plants and trees. We will let you know in our next newsletter about any updates (and possibly ask you for help with our constructions!).



Donate to support our work

We now have a convenient PayPal button on our website's homepage, which allows you to set up a monthly or one-off donation to support our work. We would be incredibly grateful for any amount you can spare. Click here to find the button. Thank you!



Join our committee
We are delighted to welcome two new members to our committee, Donna Pybis and Jeanette Gray. Their diverse skills and insights have already been an enormous help to us.

Would you also like to help your community gardens? If you have an interest in running community groups, fundraising, admin, events/catering, or would just enjoy listening and offering your perspective in our meetings, then we would love to hear from you! All that we ask is for committee members to attend one monthly meeting, lasting for 2 hours. Other than that, you’ll only be expected to offer as much time per month as you have available to help us crack on with the ‘behind the scenes’ running of this project. Contact fern@gerddibroddyfigardens.co.uk to find out more or express an interest in joining.  


And finally, come to our Winter Warmer!

To say thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers and supporters, we will be hosting a Winter Warmer event on Saturday 3rd December. Come and make some nature-inspired clay decorations with Carine Van Gestel, enjoy some music with Arising Choir and lots of yummy seasonal food and drink, and much more!




We hope to see you soon.

Gerddi Bro Ddyfi Gardens Team
https://www.gerddibroddyfigardens.co.uk/





Annwyl ffrindiau

Annwyl gyfeillion, Croeso i gylchlythyr yr Hydref! Mae gennym ni lawer o wybodaeth i’w rhoi i chi ar ôl haf hynod o brysur. Rydym newydd ddod at ddiwedd ein prosiect Cronfa Gymunedol y Loteri Genedlaethol, 'Tyfu Gyda'n Gilydd'. Hoffem ddweud diolch yn fawr i’r Loteri am ein galluogi i gynnal prosiect 3 blynedd mor wych, a oedd yn cynnwys ystod ysbrydoledig o weithdai a theithiau, a dwy sesiwn galw heibio yr wythnos i’n gwirfoddolwyr gwych. Wrth i ni feddwl am lwyddiannau’r prosiect hwn a chynllunio ar gyfer y dyfodol, mae gennym rai o uchafbwyntiau 2022 hyd yn hyn i’w rhannu gyda chi yn y cyfamser…


Gwirfoddoli
Mae gwirfoddolwyr wedi cael haf prysur yn ein helpu i gynnal gardd hygyrch sy’n gyfeillgar i fywyd gwyllt.

Wrth i ni weithio i sicrhau cyllid newydd, rydym wedi lleihau ein sesiynau galw heibio wythnosol i ddydd Iau o 1pm-4pm. Mae’r tasgau sydd o’n blaenau’r hydref hwn yn cynnwys pethau fel tocio, arbed hadau, cynnal a chadw llwybrau a phlannu ar gyfer y gwanwyn. Os hoffech chi ymuno â ni, mae croeso mawr i chi!

Un o’n gwirfoddolwyr yn cymryd hoe ar ôl gwneud gwaith gwych o adfer llwybrau gyda naddion pren.


BioBlitz
Rydym yn ddiolchgar iawn ein bod wedi derbyn cyllid gan Sefydliad y Teulu Ashley eleni, a ganiataodd i ni gynnal BioBlitz 24-awr ym mis Mehefin, a ddilynwyd gan gyfres o weithdai celf natur i ddathlu bywyd gwyllt yr ardd. Denodd y digwyddiad dros 150 o ymwelwyr, a ddaeth i ddysgu sut i adnabod amrywiaeth o rywogaethau gyda chymorth arbenigwyr mewn: mamaliaid, gwyfynod, ystlumod, adar, cennau, planhigion blodeuol, gwenyn, mwsoglau a llysiau’r afu, infertebratau, hymenoptera, gloÿnnod byw a choed. Cofnodwyd cyfanswm o 342 o rywogaethau! Dysgwch fwy am y diwrnod yma.

Dros yr haf, cyflogwyd artistiaid wedyn i barhau â’r dathliad hwn o fywyd gwyllt, ac i helpu cyfranogwyr i wneud celf wedi’i hysbrydoli gan natur. Roedd hyn yn cynnwys graffiti ar gyfer pobl ifanc yn eu harddegau gyda Nicky Arscott, Arlunio gyda Pip Lewis, Creaduriaid Clai i blant gyda Helen Ingham, a cherfio cerfweddau gyda James Davies a Bodge.
Chwiliwch am rai o’r cerfluniau newydd anhygoel sydd gennym ni nawr hefyd, wedi’u cyd-ddylunio a’u gwneud gan wirfoddolwyr a’r cerflunwyr James Davies a Bodge, yn y llun isod…




Gweithdai
Yr haf hwn fe wnaethom fwynhau cyfres olaf o weithdai fel rhan o brosiect y Loteri, gan gynnwys naddu, pladurio, adeiladu pyllau bywyd gwyllt, ac adeiladu pontydd ar gyfer pobl ifanc yn eu harddegau.



Sesiwn garddio i ffoaduriaid
Fel rhan o wythnos y ffoaduriaid, croesawyd grŵp o ffoaduriaid o Wcráin, Syria ac Afghanistan i’r gerddi, i gymryd rhan mewn digwyddiad cyfnewid gwybodaeth a drefnwyd gan brifysgol Aberystwyth. Ariannwyd hyn drwy ganolfan 'Y Byd a Garem' y Brifysgol. Helpodd y cyfranogwyr ni i wneud pwll bywyd gwyllt bach, arbrofi gyda lliwio ffabrigau, ac yn fwy na dim cafwyd hwyl yn rhannu bwyd a straeon gyda'n gwirfoddolwyr. I ddarllen mwy am y diwrnod, cliciwch yma.


Ac rydym yn hapus i ddweud bod y pwll bellach yn cael ei feddiannu gan lyffant preswyl!



Ysgol haf
Yn ystod yr haf, cynhaliwyd prosiect 6 wythnos o’r enw ‘Dewch at eich Synhwyrau' yn y gerddi, i ennyn diddordeb pobl ifanc o'r dref mewn crefftau, sgiliau a chelfyddydau seiliedig ar natur. Diolch i Fwrdd Iechyd Addysgu Powys am ddarparu 3 blynedd o gyllid ar gyfer y prosiect hwn, ac i’r holl wirfoddolwyr a hyfforddwyr a gymerodd ran.



Teithiau
Fel rhan o'n prosiect Loteri, aethom â gwirfoddolwyr ar amrywiaeth o deithiau'r haf hwn i gael ysbrydoliaeth a gwybodaeth am arddio, bywyd gwyllt a'r amgylchedd ehangach. Ym mis Gorffennaf aethom â gwirfoddolwyr ac aelodau o’n grŵp plant i Gors Dyfi i edmygu’r gweilch, a chael golygfeydd anhygoel o fadfallod  yn torheulo. Ym mis Medi buom yn ymweld â'r Ganolfan i ddysgu am faterion amgylcheddol ehangach a sut y gallwn arddio mewn ffordd fwy cyfeillgar i'r hinsawdd. Rhoddodd ein taith olaf i’r Ardd Fotaneg gyfoeth o ysbrydoliaeth ar gyfer sut y gallem newid ein safle yn y dyfodol, gan gynnwys gerddi graean, plannu planhigion sy’n gallu gwrthsefyll sychder a cherfluniau anarferol!



Cynlluniau safle
Fel y mae llawer ohonoch yn gwybod, bu'n rhaid i ni gael gwared ar ein lloches bren ym mis Mai oherwydd difrod a henaint. Gwyddom fod hwn yn ofod gwerthfawr iawn i’r gymuned, ac felly rydym wedi treulio sawl mis yn ymgynghori â gwirfoddolwyr, ymwelwyr ac aelodau’r gymuned i gynllunio sut y byddwn yn ail-ddylunio’r ardal a llunio gofod newydd cyffrous i bawb. Rydym yn aros am ganlyniadau ceisiadau am arian ar gyfer hyn, ac felly byddwn yn rhoi gwybod i chi yn ein cylchlythyr nesaf am unrhyw ddiweddariadau (ac o bosibl yn gofyn i chi am help gyda'n gwaith adeiladu!).



 
Ymunwch â'n pwyllgor
Mae’n bleser gennym groesawu dau aelod newydd i’n pwyllgor, Donna Pybis a Jeanette Gray.
Mae eu sgiliau a'u dirnadaeth amrywiol eisoes wedi bod o gymorth mawr i ni.

Hoffech chi hefyd helpu eich gerddi cymunedol? Os oes gennych chi ddiddordeb mewn cynnal grwpiau cymunedol, codi arian, gweinyddu, digwyddiadau/arlwyo, neu os hoffech chi wrando a chynnig eich persbectif yn ein cyfarfodydd, yna byddem wrth ein bodd yn clywed gennych! Y cyfan a ofynnwn yw i aelodau’r pwyllgor fynychu un cyfarfod misol, sy’n para am 2 awr. Ar wahân i hynny, dim ond cymaint o amser y mis ag sydd gennych chi y bydd disgwyl i chi ei gynnig i’n helpu ni i fwrw ymlaen â chynnal y prosiect hwn 'tu ôl i'r llenni'. Cysylltwch â fern@gerddibroddyfigardens.co.uk i ganfod mwy neu i fynegi diddordeb mewn ymuno. 


Gobeithio’ch gweld chi yn fuan.
 
Tȋm Gerddi Bro Ddyfi
https://www.gerddibroddyfigardens.co.uk/