Monday 6, December 2010

*Firewalk Spectacular* Your WEN Needs You!

In just FIVE days time a courageous group of women and men will be walking across 20ft of wood embers burning at a mega 1200 degrees Farenheit; all to combat their fears and help raise money for Women's Environmental Network!

The group includes WEN staff, trustees, volunteers, and long-time supporters, as well as three very brave food-growing trainees from WEN's recent 'Spice it Up' courses.This will be the biggest joint fundraising event WEN has ever held, and our firewalkers are both excited and terrified!

Will you sponsor these courageous folk in their stroll across the coals? We're aiming to raise a massive £10,000 which will allow WEN to continue its Local Food and Climate Change projects, and will help to develop new and innovative campaigns.

WEN depends on the support of people who care about the issues we do, so a massive thank you for any support that you can offer!

Please SPONSOR our fabulous food-growing women today, by visiting our secure JustGiving page here! 

Cheques may be sent payable to Women’s Environmental Network (Please address the envelope: WEN Firewalk Challenge 20 Club Row, Ground Floor, London E2 7EY)
For an individual list of firewalkers to sponsor, visit: http://www.justgiving.com/charity/search.aspx?cid=75699

Firewalk spectators welcome!

You are invited to join us for mince pies and hot drinks on Friday 10th December, as WEN firewalkers take to the coals! The firewalk will kick off at 8pm on the dot, but doors will open from 7.30pm.  The venue is the exclusive Rochelle School, Arnold Circus, London, E2 7EY. The nearest tubes are Liverpool Street and Shoreditch High Street Station.
Let us know if you'll be joining us by emailing fundraising@wen.org.uk or calling 0207 481 9004, and please wrap up warm as the entire event will be outdoors. We look forward to seeing you!

Greening the East End of London

WEN's organic food-growing recruits have been spicing up the East End by planting apple, pear and plum trees at a community garden in Mile End. Once mature, the fruit trees will provide a wonderful screen from the busy main road which borders the garden.  The fruit trees will also add to an abundance of vegetables and salad crops currently being grown in raised beds throughout the year, all lovingly tended by a group of women from the Ocean Somali Community Association.
The garden is currently being used as a demonstration site for WEN's Spice It Up food growing course, now in its third enrollment. WEN trainees have also enjoyed field trips to the inspiring Cable Street Community Garden, Winterton House Organic Garden, and Spitalfields City Farm.

Our next course will begin on Monday 24th January at Zacchaeus Project, Bethnal Green, London. Participants receive four weeks’ free training (six hours per week) in organic food growing skills; a certificate of achievement; a free food-growing starter kit; and a chance to become a Local Food Ambassador.

You don’t need to have experience of food-growing to join the programme; the only requirements are an interest in food-growing and regular attendance at the training sessions and volunteer placements.
Priority for places is given to women living in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Childcare can be provided or reasonable expenses reimbursed if arranged beforehand.

Participants must contact WEN in advance to arrange booking, as spaces are limited: Call the Local Food team on 020 7481 9004 or email food@wen.org.uk.

Culture Kitchen

WEN celebrated World Food Day with a Culture Kitchen event in October. The day was wonderfully organised by the South East Essex WEN group in Southend-on-Sea.

Culture Kitchen brought together an array of foodies from different cultures to share their ideas and experiences of food and enjoy a shared meal together. Attendees learned about and enjoyed a tantalising array of world dishes, followed by a live apple pressing demonstration. The day ended with an inspiring trip to the WEN local group allotment. WEN would like to extend an enormous THANK YOU the whole SEEWEN team, including Eileen, Sharon, Carol and Jo. We would especially like to thank Eileen Peck for all her generous work over the years, and for being a truly amazing WEN woman!

Our next Culture Kitchen celebration will be held on Tuesday 8th March (International Women's Day) in partnership with St Hilda's East Community Centre, London, E2 7ES. Sessions will include wildlife gardening, seed swapping & planting, make your own beauty products, herbalism, reflexology, reiki, financial literacy, gender and climate change. Watch this space for more details nearer the time.

WEN Leads the Way to a Greener Borough

Local growers, gardeners and greenfingered residents celebrated food-growing and forged stronger partnerships at the launch of the Tower Hamlets Food Growing Network on 18th November.
The event, in partnership with Capital Growth, featured workshops on container growing, involving volunteers, selling produce, and included a trip to award-winning Winterton House Organic Garden.  WEN is spearheading the network, and we will be organising exciting events in the new year. In the meantime, start a new conversation about food growing on the Project Dirt page.

Thank You!

If you've made it this far down the newsletter and you haven't already sponsored the WEN firewalkers, then please head over to our secure JustGiving page and donate generously today. All proceeds will be used to strengthen WEN, and will help to ensure that  women lead the way to environmental equality, now and into the future. Thank you!