The Community GreenHouse

The Community GreenHouse

As you can see we haven't been letting the grass grow under our feet - we've been planting it on the roof instead!

It was all a real scramble to get the construction team out before Christmas so the carpets could be laid and Carl and Sue could move in as soon as possible in the New Year. In the midst of it all (Christmas Day to be precise) we rather needed this rainbow promise to keep us going. 

The building is now complete, but we still have £45,000 to raise to finish off the appeal.  

Thank you to our Friends for all the massive support you have given so far. Over £30,000 raised by Friends towards the £350,000 construction total. Thanks as ever. 

Here are a few photos from along the way. 

Would you like to give?

The Farmhouse and South Wing

Step two in Project Community Re-organisation was to carry out spring cleaning, minor repairs and redecoration in the Farmhouse. Hillary moved along the landing from the South Wing and took up residence in her new flat in part of the old Farmhouse on 23rd January.

The Farmhouse Parlour is just becoming a cosy central meeting room and social space for the Community. We have yet to discover how it fits our lives and how our lives fit it - ask us again next year...

Step three is currently underway with refurbishment of Hillary's old flat ready for Jan to move across the landing in the middle of February. 

Getting confused yet? We certainly are! Every few days there is a long list of things to be moved from A to B (and sometimes back again).

Once Jan has moved, the remaining 3 rooms in the Farmhouse/South Wing will be set up for use by hospitality volunteers until such time as we are joined by another Alongsider. 

Offices

Sarah had the office next to Reception for many years which suited very well in her Administrator role. Now that Hilary Todd is getting settled into the Administrator role, she needs that office and Sarah has begged half of Carl's office in the Great Barn Annexe. She hopes that will help her be less distracted by the comings and goings in Reception (but secretly she'll miss that). Carl is worried that it's all a ploy to check he is working hard in his new role as Lay Chaplain! Meanwhile, over in the Housekeeping office where Jan is learning her new responsibilities and Deborah and Kathy are using the computers more as part of their housekeeping assistant roles, we've created another desk and computer workstation to make sure they always have access when they need it. 

So we've been moving quite a lot of furniture and playing with the patch panel to get phones and computers working properly in all the right places. What was that you say? Two new people joining the team this summer? Yes, we'll be needing to share desk space with them very soon...