News from Avon Gardens Trust

The latest news and updates from AGT.

Autumn Colours of South Kelding

Autumn colours at South kelding

A garden visit on 20th October 2018 at 2pm South Kelding in Upton Cheyney is a young 7 acre garden set on a hillside with stunning panoramic views from its upper levels. There are herbaceous and shrub beds, prairie-style scree beds, orchard, native copses and a small arboretum grouped by continents. Beyond the arboretum lie a large wildlife pond and a boundary stream which runs through woodland featuring shade and moisture-loving plants. Autumn colour features …

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AGM and Talk

Caradoc Doy

Saturday 6 October 2018, 1.30pm at The Jubilee Pavilion, Long Ashton Community Centre, Keedwell Hill, Long Ashton, Bristol BS41 9DP. A talk by Caradoc Doy followed by the Annual General Meeting of the Avon Gardens Trust Light buffet and refreshments will be served between the talk and AGM. Free for members of Avon Gardens Trust (but booking essential); £5 for guests Please confirm your attendance by email – [email protected]  

St John’s Church of England Primary School

Ideas for a school garden

The school moved to its present site in 1960 and now caters for over 240 pupils. Once known as Keynsham Parochial School, the school was founded in 1857, making it the oldest educational institution in Keynsham. In April, the school applied to the Trust for a grant towards the creation of a Spiritual Garden designed by the pupils around a Friendship Bench. Both the bench and the gardens were in memory of a former pupil …

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IntoUniversity

Growing at IntoUniversity

IntoUniversity is based at The Withywood Centre in South Bristol where they work with a range of schools to support students with their education. One of the most effective programs run is the Academic Support afterschool club held on Tuesdays and Wednesday for primary school pupils. Their application was for a tumbling composter which besides helping to tidy up the site would also help enrich the soil. The Trust was delighted to award £100 to …

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Primary School Grants in 2018

Learning at IntoUniversity

Primary School Grants in 2018 This year, Avon Gardens Trust has been delighted to award four grants totalling £700 to schools in our area – two in South Gloucestershire, one in Bristol and one in Bath and North East Somerset. Although we usually encourage grant applications from primary schools only, this year we made an exception as we were so impressed by the achievements of a secondary school in our area.

Tortworth Forest Centre

Rug making craft at Tortworth April 2018

TORTWORTH FOREST CENTRE – AN UPDATE Grey clouds for their April Open Day did not deter families, especially those with young children, from coming out to enjoy the space. Space with activities, forest trails, the goats to talk to and a big cook pot with a delicious stew cooking on the camp fire. Rebecca Cork and her helpers had put together a fun day. Dating from the 1890s Tortworth it is an important heritage site. …

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Blaise Community Garden

Victorian Greenouse in 2013

Blaise Community Garden Avon Gardens Trust has made an award of £1,200 to help with the restoration of a Victorian greenhouse in Blaise Community Garden. This walled garden was originally the garden for Blaise House but since then had been used by several organisations including Bristol City Council to grow bedding plants and Cannington College teach students about horticulture. For ten years, the garden was in disuse but in 2013, the Friends of Blaise and …

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Page Park Drinking Fountain

Page Park drinking fountain 2018

The Drinking Fountain in Page Park The Trust has recently made an award of £1,000 towards the restoration of this Edwardian drinking fountain. Situated in the Staple Hill area of Bristol, nineteen acres of land for a public park was donated in 1910 by Arthur William Page, a local solicitor. In the last few years, with help from South Gloucestershire Council, the Big Lottery Fund, and the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Friends of Page Park …

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Primary School Grants in 2017

This year, Avon Gardens Trust made a donation to Culverhill School, a special school in Yate that caters for 135 pupils with ages ranging from 7 to 16 years. As the pupils at the school have complex learning difficulties, tasks are broken down into small steps with lots of visual and tactile clues. As part of this learning process, the school wanted to build raised accessible beds so pupils could take part in the growing …

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AGT Supports Downend School Garden Project

A vital part of AGT’s vision is to encourage future generations to enjoy and participate in gardening. What better opportunity than to support school gardening projects. “This project has helped me understand plants and the conditions they grow in.” Avon Gardens Trust will be making an award of £250 to Downend School in South Gloucestershire to help pupils purchase materials and plants for a garden they have designed themselves. The school, a co-educational secondary school …

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