***NOTE: Entrance to the community garden is at the south east corner of Brooklyns Avenue and Trumpington Street

Come and share the beauty and community spirit of a very special public garden. This winter fireside party for the whole family includes acoustic music, storytelling, a talk on Peak Soil by sustainable gardening enthusiast Charlotte Synge, a polytunnel art exhibit and the unveiling of a new shed mural by artist Rebecca Lindum Greene.

Empty Common Community Garden is a perfect example of how schemes that protect and enhance the environment can also benefit the community.  The land, which is reached by walking past the allotments at the corner of Brooklands Avenue and Trumpington Road, was given to the community in 2014. Once allotment land, the section had become boggy and infested with Horsetail (Equisetum arvense).

With help from the City Council, community members cleared the land and have transformed it into productive fruit and vegetable garden plus Forest Gardens, wildlife areas and community spaces for relaxing and socialising.

The garden has attracted a wide variety of community users, including short term residents, familes with children, people facing mental and physical challenges, and folks who just want to learn or improve gardening techniques.

The Empty Common Community is rightly proud of what they have accomplished, and look forward to welcoming the public to their peaceful space in the middle of the city.

Free Event - All Welcome

Please bring a folding chair if you have one - stumps available!

NB:  Toilet facilities will be available in the vicinity at the time of the event, details available on the day.

Schedule:

From noon, the unconventional gallery: accompanying the soil and seeds we plan to have the Polytunnel filled with artworks by local artists on the subject of climate and social change for you to view at your leisure until dark/4pm.

At 12.30 Charlotte Synge of Verdant Earth and Empty Common Gardener will be giving a talk about Peak soil and Permaculture; soil isn't just dirt, it's a living thing!

Then at 1.30 the Serendipity Sessions will commence with Kate Swindlehurst, a short story writer and novelist who was formerly Writer in Residence at the Botanic Gardens Cambridge,  poet Elaine Ewart who helps to organise Fen Speak and participates in Allographic activities, and freelance writer Clare Crossman. Followed up with tales told by 'Yarn Spinner' Mal Faloon, then from 3pm and opportunity to share your own music/poetry in an Acoustic Open Air (mic) session around a cosy fire with mulled apple juice and good cheer, whatever the weather!

Map: http://pininthemap.com/fd7b426336c3b043d