THE REDEVELOPMENT MOVES FOWARDS!
After extensive consultation we are now close to submitting plans for the redevelopment of the outdoor area into a wooded play area that will be secure, enticing and magical. With something for everyone from the smallest child to our most senior citizens it will be a space to encourage playfulness, creativity, respect for nature and peaceful contemplation. A big well done to Zoe and Emily for pushing ahead with this, lots of meetings, designs & working with contractors and the council to move this along!
Alongside this we are now in the process of submitting planning applications for the accessible toilet & storage as part of our building extension plans.
MAKE DAY SUCCESS!
A lovely group of volunteers assembled on April 28th to set about a big tidy up and sort out of the OL.
Tremendous work was done to sort out the carousel area, kitchen, cafe and store cupboard. Around 15 people came along, including families, friends, neighbours and kids, and work was also completed outdoors including starting building the missing fence area and some good garden tidy up.
To top it all we even managed some new painting. Come and check out the new blue! Big thanks to all who helped, especially Sue whose weeding of the paths was amazing!
YOUR NEW FRIDAY EVENINGS – THINK TANK?!
Thinktank, an arena for people to share their passion, knowledge and stories, got off the ground with a documentary called the Rivering celebrating the joys of whitewater. A well-attended night enjoyed the inspirational film. Check the website and Facebook for further Thinktank activities.
June 1st – THINKTANK – 7.30pm – ‘Who am I? Where am I? Part 1 – Steve Smith
These questions have troubled thinkers through the ages. Steve will explore 3 major eras in the history of ideas, each compelling in its time.
July 6th – THINKTANK – 7.30pm ‘Who am I? Where am I? Part 2 – Steve Smith
Biblical thought is largely ignored in the modern era. Steve revisits some fascinating themes and with fresh insight asks the question ‘How then should we live?’
CAFE & PUBLIC OPENING DAYS
The cafe continues to prosper on Wednesday and Friday. We’ve got some lovely new cakes on board, including a “Rhubarb and Gin” and our delightful Stem Ginger Flapjack! We would love to be able to reopen on Monday, or start a 1 monthly Saturday opening for the summer, possibly selling some sandwiches and ice creams that went down really well last year! Plus one later opening during the week for after school meet ups – If you could help with this then please let us know.
Hazel has done some fine work with the team sorting the stock and general set-up. All café crockery now includes a “dot” on the base.
Refresher training for volunteers is soon to be launched along with an updated Volunteer handbook. We’ll also be restarting up a regular volunteer meet up and a cafe volunteers refresher… plus time for us all to meet and socialise together. The Wifi now only requires 3 fields, which should make life easier.
Rodney is now contact person for Wednesdays and David & Maria for Fridays, so for current or new volunteers, or wanting to know about what’s on that day, please do give them a shout when you pop in!
An effective solution for our heating needs is being considered presently and we hope to resolve this promptly. This will involve either boxing in the current system, or putting in a new one. In addition we have agreed that we do not currently need internal CCTV but this will be revisited in 6 months time.
OUR BIG COMMUNITY PICNIC & GARDEN PARTY
For the 2nd year, we’ve having a lovely laid back afternoon for us to celebrate our beautiful garden in the sunshine, on the 9th June!
Bring a picnic, family & friends, games, instruments, hoops & suncream & lets get outdoors and have fun together with our neighbours! We’ve some sacks to do sack races, and we will put some tables up in the garden, so if you want to bring along a dish, cake, drinks or some nibbles to share with others too, then please do!
This lovely gathering is on the day of the “Get Growing Trail 2018”, where we are included in the trail, so do pop on down before hand from 10-12 during our community gardening morning, to help us make the garden glow… plus the Lord Mayor has requested to visit us from 12.30!
NEW DIRECTORS & ROLES
The new director team, David, Emily, Maria, Rodney, Lucy and Jim have met three times now and are working hard to establish robust systems for bookings & hire, finances, development projects and volunteer support. Our main focus as directors is to ensure policies & procedures are solid, including data protection & privacy (all that GDPR stuff), health & safety, financial stability and overall management of the project – of course, all of us are also volunteers in other capacities too, so have lots of other roles we are working on alongside all of you and the other volunteers at the same time.
Whilst the director team are working on ensuring projects, finances and processes are thoroughly in place and adhered to, the full team of volunteers (whether regular or ad-hoc,) are more key now than ever, with growing activities & events & more visitors meaning more hours open, more maintenance, more volunteers, more admin and more fundraising… if you are able to give a little time, have ideas for fundraising, or can help organise an event or manage a particular role you think needs doing, please do take it on board!
A notice board checker and updater, internal sorting & organising, help with social media & online promos, helping in the cafe, tidying, decorating, sorting & cleaning, leaflet deliverers (to homes or to other groups & community spaces), painting & gardening, baking & soup making, and people to help with keyholding and hiring are just a few of the many activities that need help right now!
THE OLD LIBRARY FILM CLUB – It’s Tarantino Season!
Jim is continuing to provide a fantastic selection of films this Summer for our neighbourhood to enjoy. Please share the word with friends and neighbours and come and join in watching films on the big screen in the Old Library! If you have any particular requests that you and your friends may enjoy, get in touch with Jim who would love to hear your ideas for the next series in the Autumn!
Friday May 25th 7.30pm – RESERVOIR DOGS – Quentin Tarantino’s blistering debut!
Friday June 22nd – 7.30pm – PULP FICTION – Tarantino’s foul-mouthed masterpiece.
Friday July 27th – 7.30pm – TRUE ROMANCE – Lesser known, but hugely entertaining!
OTHER EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
June 23rd – PUNKS NOT DEAD!! FUNDRAISER – 7.30pm featuring Jim’s band “The Mutoids” (moved from May 19th). Licenced evening. A celebration of Punk with film PUNK:ATTITUDE, quiz and live music!
July 13th – Henry V: A Librarian Theatre Production – Part of the Bristol Shakespeare Festival, we are welcoming the Librarian Theatre again (those who ran Alice in the Cuckoos Nest last year) for a showing of Henry V. 8pm, £8 adults, £5 children. Book tickets here >>
Board at the Library – Every 2nd Tuesday – 7.30pm – board games, all welcome
Quiz Night at the OL – Every 3rd Tuesday – 7.30pm – bring a friend!
Circle Dancing – Every last Tuesday – 7.30pm – Gentle dance from around the world for all abilities. Meet friends, get your joints moving, no partner needed.
Gardening Club – Every 2nd Saturday – 10am-12 noon. Dig & grow, ample tea!
