Are you a Manchester based community project or charity that requires a little financial help? What could you do with £500?

ALL FM and Barclays have joined forces to launch to first Community Awards. They want to reward some of the good work and vital services you provide to your community by offering you the chance to receive a £500 cash grant to support your project. Entering couldn’t be easier, just fill in the form on their web-page. http://www.allfm.org/public/barclays.php

The deadline for ALL FM and Barclays Community Awards is Wednesday 25th April.

Vandals visited the site last week and caused damage to sheds and polytunnels on several plots.
They broke open several sheds and knocked a hole in the side of one shed, other sheds had their locks ripped off and in one case a shed was burnt down.
This shed was next to two polytunnels, one was slightly damaged but the other was quite badly damaged, see photo, several other tunnels were slashed in several places.
All the cases of vandalism were reported to the police to build up a file of events in the area, the phone number for reporting crimes is 872 5050.

There has been more progress in preparation for this year’s crops, protection frames have been made and erected for carrots and brassicas.
These are timber frames covered in plastic and covered with fleece or enviromesh for carrots to stop carrot fly. The brassica bed uses mesh to stop pigeons eating the growing plants.
Vandals have been on site and caused damage to the shed and polytunnels, both have been repaired.
The seeds that were sown a few weeks ago are now ready to be planted into modules to grow on.

For a guide to composting, wormeries and substitutes to using peat, then click on English Nature to be taken to a ‘pdf’ of a useful booklet published by them.

5th to 15th October 2007

Date for your diary… the 10th Anniversary Manchester Food and Drink Festival!

The 2007 Manchester Food and Drink Festival will be the landmark 10th year of this nationally established event, so expect a Festival that is bigger, better and more creative than ever before.

MFDF are delighted to announce that this year’s Festival will take place from the
5th – 15th October and the line up of activity will be stronger than ever.
The Manchester Food and Drink Festival is the largest and most exciting event of its kind in the UK.

The Festival is totally unique, encompassing the whole of Greater Manchester.
There will be a pitch on St Ann’s Square Local Produce Market to enable societies to take turns to sell their produce and also young food plants.