Sweet Talks 2016

 May was Sweet Talks time again for Friends of the Farm- our annual catch up with our community to provide an update on our work and seek feedback for the coming year.  In addition to eight Friends, this year 31 local residents participated 18 of whom had been to previous Sweet Talks and 13 newbies. We also received a number of apologies. Those arriving early had an opportunity to hear more about our Household Waste Pilot, thanks to our wonderful new recruit Jane Gravestock, who delivered a fantastic presentation, drawing a crowd and signing people up on the spot!  

 

To kick off the formal part of the evening, Janine Nillesen gave a run-down on Friends’ activities over the past year, which have included some of our now signature events (Goodbye Godwits, the Easter Scavenger Hunt, farm and foreshore working bees and support with waste reduction at community events), as well as some new initiatives (Mangere Bridge Household Waste Pilot, Mangere Bridge community picnic, activities at Bridge Court, Mangere Bridge annual calendar of events, and Kids’ Sweet Talks).  Many of these new initiatives have sprung from ideas generated at previous Sweet Talks.

Janine then painted a picture of what’s on the horizon for us, including a Barn Dance, community orchard planting, preserving workshops, a new website and storytelling project, a Mangere Bridge calendar of weekly/monthly events, a Mangere Bridge community group directory and an everyday soft plastics collection point.

Next came the “sweet” part of the evening, where the barn was transformed into a café, complete with table decorations, waitresses taking drink orders and platters of goodies to nibble on while we discussed these questions; What can Friends of the Farm do over the next year to encourage a more caring community? How can Friends of the Farm make our events and activities more attractive to a wider range of people/ families/ groups in the community? What’s one thing you can do over the next year to make Mangere Bridge a more caring, connected and wastewise community?

As with previous Sweet Talks, there were plenty of great ideas for Friends of the Farm to chew over.  Our task now is to prioritise these and see what’s achievable, making sure we stick to our motto of “Keep it Simple”.  It was fantastic to see, once again, the community spirit and enthusiasm amongst the group, and the willingness of everyone to contribute to making Mangere Bridge a more caring, connected and wastewise community.  Thanks to all those who attended and to everyone who contributed to the smooth running of the evening.   We also thanked Council for its ongoing support of our Wastewise initiatives in the community.