Cherry Tree’s Twentieth Birthday celebrated; major fundraising appeal launched

On 15th April, Cherry Tree reached the twentieth anniversary of starting work at the nursery site. Many old friends and supporters joined us, in the marquee hired for the event, to hear Rob Buckley and Adam Slatter from the Dorset Centre for Rural Skills describe the sustainable buildings we hope to be able to build. These would replace the decaying portacabins we have endured for so long. The special day was marked by the launch of our fundraising for this badly needed project. The building proposal is attached; we have so far raised £80,000. Please contact us if you can make a contribution, no matter how small.

Our NEXT PLANT SALE will be on Saturday 10th July!!

The Bolivian band will be playing again, and all the usual stalls will be there, with the addition of Mexican jewellery this time! We have even more plant varieties this year!
There will be free tea and coffee, and plenty to interest everyone.

Volunteers to undertake sponsored run/walk

Cherry Tree volunteers are anxious to participate fully in the fundraising for the new buildings. They have organised a sponsored walk (or run, depending on fitness!), which will take place on Thursday 15th July, from Southbourne to Bournemouth and back. The volunteers are seeking sponsorship as a group; please call in the nursery if you are able to sponsor them!

Potathon 2010

We are having a less ambitious Potathon this year, with four teams hoping to complete up to 20,000 plants potted on Wednesday 19th May from 8am. This is a very motivating event in which the whole nursery takes part. Our record stands at over 28,000 plants potted in one day! After the Potathon, all the workers have the opportunity to go on a coach trip, held in memory of Harry Roffey, our late trustee, who initiated this annual outing. This year the trip is to Staunton Country Park near Havant.

Very successful spring plant sale

Our spring plant sale was an enormous success. We decided to put the profits into the Sustainable Replacement Building Fund, which benefited to the tune of £7,969.65. The Bolivian band came to play for us again, we had crafts, books, home-made cakes, greeting cards, herbal teas and other delights on sale and a happy day was had by all.

Penny Serenaders

The singing group the Penny Serenaders performed a musical entertainment, singing and dancing, at the Barrington in Ferndown recently, in aid of Cherry Tree. A party of volunteers went along and joined in with the fun. James and Christina from the group visited the nursery and presented a cheque for £350, which will go into the new building fund. Many thanks to them for all their support.

Weymouth holiday 2010

A group of volunteers enjoyed a wonderful sunny week in three caravans in Weymouth at the end of April. We took them down in the minibus, and picked them up at the end of the week. They walked all the way to Portland, went by bus to Bridport, went crabbing, went out for a meal, and visited the Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens.

Secure future for Cherry Tree Nursery
This is a link to a press release from Bournemouth Council regarding Cherry Tree Nursery, issued on Friday 29 January 2010. This celebrates the marvellous news that Cherry Tree is to be granted a 21-year lease of our nursery site. This now enables us to start planning for our new buildings.

SWOP named Dorset Charity of the Year

The Sheltered Work Opportunities Project was voted 'Dorset Charity of the Year' at the Dorset Business Awards annual dinner held in Poole on Friday 11th December 2009. Chairman of SWOP trustees Martin Stewart welcomed this honour on behalf of everyone involved with the charity.

One World Week 18 - 22 October 2010

We were asked to host this annual event for the first time at the end of October 2009, in recognition of our volunteers’ contribution to water projects in Latin America. Displays were set up in the shop, the barn and the function room, and a fascinating series of films and presentations took place each afternoon. This event will be repeated in 2010, during the week 18-22 October.

Stour Valley Festival 18-19 September 2010

This country event takes place in the field next to the nursery, which opens for the entire weekend. This year, in addition to having a stall at the festival, we will again be holding a children’s art and planting event, on Saturday 18th September from 10 till 3.

Annual Bob Anderson Camping Trip

We were all deeply saddened by the death in June 2009 of long-time volunteer Bob. As not everyone could attend his funeral, we held a gathering in his memory, following which we discussed how best to remember him. It was unanimously agreed to hold an annual camping trip in his memory, and to put all the donations made by his friends towards this. The second trip will take place at the end of July, in the Purbecks.

New minibus acquired

Our old minibus was purchased in 1994-5 and had become very unreliable, so following a request from our sister project at Chestnut Nursery, we started a fundraising campaign to replace it. Thanks to the wonderful kindness of many of our supporters, after just over two months we were able to purchase a second-hand Ford Transit replacement from U-Drive. We would like to thank all who contributed to our minibus appeal, and look forward to having a more reliable vehicle for trips, outings and educational visits.  A special event to thank everyone was arranged, and photos taken of the donors with the volunteers in the new vehicle.

Winter activities for volunteers

Volunteers have been on a number of outings in the new minibus, including visits to Salisbury market, Montacute School, to see the reindeer at Stewarts, and to Chestnut Nursery. They have had a pudding day, a hot soup lunch, and a quiz here with Chestnut Nursery volunteers. They have enjoyed a series of talks, films and presentations including ‘how to make a hazel chair’, ‘’dinosaurs’, and .a farm for the future’. The Senior Lecturer in Psychology from Bournemouth University has given a very interesting presentation on the research work to be conducted here over the next three years. Volunteers also like to participate fully in the shopping and wrapping for the annual Christmas party.

Courses

We started a Numeracy Course in 2009, something we haven’t had for many years, but is now back again due to popular demand. There has been a very interesting course on herbs, including a session making teas and lip balms and a visit to a local herb garden.

Sustainable Building Consultant helping us

We are delighted that Rob Buckley, from the Dorset Centre for Rural Skills, has joined us to help plan new buildings to replace our leaking and decaying old portacabins. Everyone is very excited at the prospect of planning sustainable, low-energy, living buildings for Cherry Tree’s next twenty years (see future plans).