On Thursday 21 May, TTW welcomed 11 volunteers from the National Lottery’s South West team. Taking a break from their desks and getting outside and stuck in to some practical work was something they had all been looking forward to. They had travelled from all over the southwest, from Bristol to Falmouth, Gloucester to Poole, and arrived keen to help out at Fox’s Field forest garden.

Anita Roy gave them a potted history of TTW and the principles of agroforestry, and then then they set to work, prepping haybales with coffee grinds and chicken manure pellets, barrowing 35 loads of compost from one end to the other. After a lunch break at Braziers, the team returned to the field to plant squashes and beans in the bales and along the fence, and do as much watering as possible on this very hot day – and in anticipation of the record-breakingly hot weather forecast to come.

Anita Corbin kept the team on track, sustained by our famous TTW apple juice and mint tea from the herb garden, and her legendary Anzac biscuits, while Adrian shared his scything skills with willing volunteers.

Thanks to everyone for having grown all the plug plants ready for the NLF team to plant.

Sonya wrote to us later from Cornwall saying, “Thank you for the insight into the brilliant work you are doing in Wellington and the positive affect it’s having on your local community; for sharing your skills, knowledge & expertise; and for giving us all such a wonderful team day.”

There are photographs of the day on the events page.