July 2020

We’ve spent a lot of time working out how to return safely to growing on the streets and how best to continue to develop Bootle’s growing corridors.

Thanks to Steve Morgan Foundation support, we have organised health and safety Covid-19 training for Taking Root Community Garden Co-ordinators and we invited MSC Safety and Welfare Consultants to come along and tell us what we need to know! At the end of the session we had comprehensive risk assessments and a big list of things to do, but we feel confident that we can get growing again safely.

Getting prepared, deliveries have arrived for our new PPE bags for our community gardeners! Everyone will get a bag containing hand gel, face masks, gloves, their own hand tools, a first aid kit, wipes and most importantly a flask and a thermos mug.

This means that no-one will need to share tools but most importantly we still get to have a brew together!

Big thanks to Steve Morgan Foundation for the funding to make this happen and to Letty Draper our Asda Community Champion for donating the cleaning wipes!

After dropping off a bag to one of our growers Jay said: “This bag is incredible – thank you!”

As we start back, we’ll be working in small team bubbles of six people, so please let us know via social media if you want to join us as it’s no longer possible to just turn up.

We’re getting ready for a return to growing and it feels good!

In Bloom may have been cancelled this year, but that doesn’t stop us planning ahead for 2021, so we’re going to get on with expanding our green corridors along the In Bloom judges’ route, picking out ideal spots for planters, brightening up untidy plots and greening up Bootle as we go.