Wednesday 19 April 2023, 7.30pm
All welcome to join us at our AGM where we will review our activities over the last year, as well as undertake nomination and election of group officers.
The AGM will take place at Caroline Street Social Club, Saltaire.
Please email hello@vegontheedge.org if you would like to attend so we can ensure adequate seating for all.
The ever popular Potato Day is back to kickstart the growing season at Shipley College on 11 February 10am to 2pm.
Hosted by West Yorkshire Organic Group, Potato Day is a friendly event with 40+ varieties of seed potatoes on sale, many of which people cannot get from anywhere else.
Veg on the Edge will also be holding our usual Seed Swap during the event. Bring along some seeds to swap with ours, or donate extras to be grown in our community veg beds. If you don’t have any seeds to swap you can still join in the fun and ‘pay as you feel’ for any seeds you fancy.
As we look ahead to the next growing season, we want to thank you for your continued support for Veg on the Edge over the last year.
2022 was a year of consolidation after the turmoil of the previous couple of years. In January we received a £500 Community Chest Grant from Shipley Area Committee (Bradford Council). We used this money to help install two new beds at the Baker Beds. Our thanks, as ever, to Bradford Works (Shipley College) for constructing these.
The new growing beds were up and running in time for a good crop of courgettes and squash. Unfortunately, our newly installed water butts at this site went missing. Luckily, we had the funds to replace them, and we managed to fill them before the hosepipe ban kicked in. Watering was probably the biggest challenge in 2022 and the volume and quality of some produce suffered as a result. However, we did have some bumper fruit crops; pears and, in particular, mulberries.
We were delighted to, once again, take part in the Arts Trail (May), Saltaire Festival (September), the Christmas Tree Lights Switch-on Event (November). It was such a pleasure to meet with and chat to old friends and new and we are immensely grateful for the donations we receive which make what we do possible. It is worth saying here that you can now donate to Veg on the Edge online via Givey.
In June we arranged a picnic at the Baker Beds as part of the Eden Project Big Lunch, but also to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. Our very special guests were the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Martin Love and the Lady Mayoress, Mrs Helen Love.
We were also pleased to play a part in Shipley Town Council’s submission to the Yorkshire in Bloom competition. The judges visited our sites and seemed interested in what we are doing noting it was “good to hear the Veg on the Edge group have created five areas around Saltaire on former sites of buildings that formed part of the Model Village”. We were delighted to find out in December that Shipley in Bloom received a Silver for the Small Town category.
During the year we signed up with Plastic Free Shipley who are campaigning to reduce the use of single use plastics. You can find out more about Plastic Free Shipley by following them on Facebook and Twitter.
Veg on the Edge is always keen to work with other community groups and local organisations. This year we were pleased to visit Sapgate Gardens in Thornton; give a talk to the Women’s Fellowship group at Saltaire Methodist Church; support the Bradford and Shipley Travel Alliance consultation event at the Kirkgate Centre in March. We contributed to Shipley College’s Horticulture Employer network event, and Leeds City Council’s Green Month. We were also involved in a very interesting session in July run by the Saltaire History Club on Allotments in Saltaire.
So, to 2023. This year Veg on the Edge is 10 years old. Quite an achievement! We are planning to celebrate this over the first weekend in June to coincide with the next Eden Project Big Lunch. We will keep you posted on details.
This year also heralds the need for some remedial work at our sites. You may have noticed that a number of beds at the Sunday School Garden and Platform 1 need restoration, and we are in the process of fundraising for this work.
During the winter months we continue to get together outside on the first Sunday of the month at 11am, meeting in the Sunday School Garden, Caroline Street. If you fancy getting your hands in the earth or just want a chat, do join us. Happy growing!
***UPDATE: Saltaire Festival is now postponed for two weeks***
Saturday 10 & Sunday 11 September 2022
We are pleased to once again be taking part in Saltaire Festival. Our growing spaces are part of the Open Gardens Trail over the opening weekend, 10 and 11 September.
Members of our group will be on site at the Sunday School Garden (Caroline Street car park), over the weekend. Drop by to say hello, treat yourself to some homemade goodies, take a look at what we’ve been growing, and find out how you can get involved.
All donations made at our pop-up stall will help fund the ongoing maintenance and development of our five public growing sites across village.
Other highlights of the opening weekend include West Yorkshire Organic Show, Art & Photography exhibitions, special events, heritage tours, and pop ups in village houses.
Click here to download a guide to the Open Gardens and the opening weekend.
Wednesday 21 September 2022, 7.15pm
All welcome to join us at our AGM where we will review our finances and activities over the last year, as well as undertake nomination and election of group officers.
The AGM will take place at Salts Bar on Bingley Road.
Please email hello@vegontheedge.org if you would like to attend so we can ensure adequate seating for all.
Veg on the Edge will be running a stall at The Big Consultation: Shipley Choked on Traffic at the Kirkgate Community Centre on Saturday 5 March, 10am to 4pm.
The event, jointly organised by Shipley Town Council & Bradford-Shipley Travel Alliance, aims to raise awareness and highlight possible solutions to the pollution, climate and health issues connected to high traffic levels in Shipley.
There’ll be a range of free community stalls, craft activities, and refreshments to enjoy, and opportunities to share what you think of the proposed ideas for less traffic, beating pollution, and a Shipley that’s easy to get to and easy to get around. Families welcome.
Veg on the Edge will be there to promote our policy of growing locally – saving transport costs, unnecessary packaging, food waste – as well as the community support, health and wellbeing aspects of our group.
We’ll be running our ever popular Seed Swap on the stall – bring some of your own seeds to swap with ours or donate any extras for us to grow in the community veg beds. If you don’t have any seeds to swap you can still join in the fun and ‘pay as you feel’ for any seeds you fancy!
We’ll also be raising funds for our local growing activities with a selection of plants and handmade items available for a donation.
This is a drop in event, but you can book onto timed sessions happening throughout the day on the Clean Air Zone, better buses, measuring air quality, climate change, Bradford Council’s plans, and transport campaigning.
Read more about the consultation event and Bradford Shipley Travel Alliance at https://bsta.org.uk/shipley-choked-event-march-5th/
Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 September
Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September
12.00pm to 4.30pm
After a two year hiatus (we won’t mention why), we are delighted to once again be taking part in Saltaire Festival. Our growing spaces will form part of the Open Gardens Trail on the opening weekend, 11 and 12 September.
Members of our group will be on site at the Sunday School Garden, Caroline Street car park, over both weekends. Drop by to say hello, treat yourself to some homemade goodies, take a look at what we’ve been growing, and find out how you can get involved.
You can also pick up a copy of our vintage recipes and household tips sourced from local newspapers published in the late 1800s to early 1900s. This is perfect if you want to know how to cure earache with an onion or use tomatoes to remove stains (!) All donations made at our pop-up stall will help fund the ongoing maintenance and development of our sites in the village.
Other highlights of the opening weekend include West Yorkshire Organic Show, Art & Photography exhibitions, special events, heritage tours, and pop ups in village houses. Click here to download a guide to the opening weekend.
Saltaire Inspired, Saltaire Collection and Saltaire History Club are excited to announce the launch of a photography competition as part of the 20th anniversary of Saltaire’s UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription in 2021. The theme of the competition will be International Saltaire.
The public are encouraged, whether they are hobbyists or professionals, to submit photos for consideration between now and the 3rd May 2021.
You might choose to draw on Saltaire’s many historical international links, such as the internationally sourced materials used at Salts Mill from Russia or Peru and elsewhere or the movement of Irish, mainland European and South Asian communities to live and work here. You might focus on the present by celebrating the lives and contributions of local people who have come from other countries to make Saltaire their home or place of work.
Or, you could consider the digital future of Saltaire through the international business taking place, be it large companies such as Arris or smaller start-ups being run from a laptop in a former millworker’s cottage.
A small selection of the best photos will be chosen for display as part of a larger heritage exhibition, Saltaire: Foundation and Legacy, running from 28 May to 20 June 2021 in the old boardroom at Salts Mill. The exhibition is FREE but ticketed, to ensure a safe visit for all.
> Find out more and book tickets for the exhibition HERE
From that selection, a community jury will award prizes to three entrants and a fourth will be selected via a popular vote.
Prizes: 1st £100; 2nd £75; 3rd £50; People’s Choice £25
To find out more about the competition terms and application details go to http://www.saltaireinspired.org.uk/photo-competition21/
The International Saltaire Photo competition and the Saltaire: Foundation and Legacy exhibition have been made possible thanks to generous support from Bradford Council and Shipley Town Council.
We are delighted to share the news that we have been successful in our application to Bradford Council’s Cleaner Streets Fund.
We have been awarded a grant of £1,688 to sustain our ongoing activities and make much needed investments in the infrastructure required to maintain our five public growing sites.
Prior to Covid-19, we ran stalls up to 6 times a year (coinciding with local events and festivals) offering homemade produce and merchandise to attract donations. This funding supported the day-to-day maintenance of our sites and general group running costs (e.g. tools, plants, compost, insurance, website hosting).
As we are not able to raise funds in this way for the time being, the Cleaner Streets grant will ensure we are able to continue our growing activities in the coming year and maintain these valued and attractive public spaces.
The Cleaner Streets Fund aims to support neighbours to get together and put forward community-led ideas and projects that will help make our streets and areas cleaner. It provides an opportunity to get even more people engaged with helping to make a positive difference to their surroundings. You can find out more about the Cleaner Streets Fund here.
Image: Baker Beds © Jenny Freckles
Shipley Town Council is the parish council for the town of Shipley in West Yorkshire and was created on 1 April 2020.
The Town Council’s creation was the result of a public campaign, led by Rob Martin, which demonstrated the support of local residents using a petition, which prompted a statutory Community Governance Review.
The Town Council has nine temporary councillors, all appointed by City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council until May 2021.
The councillors were appointed, rather than elected, because of the Coronavirus pandemic, which led to the postponement of the 2020 local government elections. The appointed town councillors are unpaid.
The Town Council has two remaining vacancies for temporary councillors and applications are now open:
Prospective applicants should contact the Town Council office for an application form.
E-mail: shipleytownclerk@gmail.com
Post: Town Hall, Kirkgate, Shipley, BD18 3EJ
Closing date for applications is 24 August 2020
You can find out more about Shipley Town Council and their work at https://shipleytowncouncil.wordpress.com
Image © Tim Green
Veg On The Edge 