Blog & GroupsCompany Drinks are thrilled to be working with the National Trust on coming up with ideas for the Stoneford Garden in Dagenham. We’ll be hosting a series of visits and ‘Dreaming’ sessions, and asking YOU “What would you like to see the garden become?”…. We’ll be talking to local groups (including our own), dreaming up ideas, looking to ‘Gardens We Love’, learning about the biodiversity of the site and trying to answer these questions together. This project will consist of a series of visits, workshops and creative idea-generation sessions. We’ll advertise these on our newsletter
We want to explore ideas with you about how Stoneford Garden could be transformed ; how it could add to our local biodiversity ; how it could become a new, green community asset ; or what opportunities it could provide for learning about local natural resources and horticultural skills.
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In the first phase of this project we’ll be asking:
- Who would like to use it?
- How can it be shared by the community?
- What could be grown or made there?
- Could this garden be our new favourite foraging site???
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UPDATE SEPTEMBER 24 2021: We’re announcing our next public consultations for ‘Imagining a New Stoneford Cottage Garden’
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Come join us at the Leys Community Centre Hub launch on Thursday 21st October!
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We’ll be joined by the National Trust and continuing our community consultation about the Stoneford Cottage Garden! We’ll be able to update you on the project, share results from the first Phase, and, most importantly, hear your ideas about what should happen at this new, community green space! If you’d like to have your say, come along.
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Also as part of the second phase of our consultation we’re organising a special Garden Reminiscing Session at Valence House Visitor Centre on Friday 29th October!
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You’ll be able to look at archive material about the cottage and garden, see the early design ideas for the site, and have your say about what you think should happen this new community garden. Sign up is essential, numbers will be restricted for covid safety. We’ll be running two drop in slots. At 2-3pm or at 3-4pm.
You can book online using our Eventbrite page
Or please email cam@companydrinks.info with your preference. *IMPORTANT* If you are a member of the Thursday Group / Happy Hoppers, you will be joining for a special closed session at 12-2pm, please stick to the plans shared by Pip.
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Arrival slot 1: at 2-3pm book here
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Arrival slot 2: at 3-4pm book here
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Please email cam@companydrinks.info with your preference.
*IMPORTANT* If you are a member of the Thursday Group / Happy Hoppers, you will be joining for a special closed session at 12-2pm, please stick to the plans shared by Pip.
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UPDATE JULY 2021: WE’RE GOING TO BE RUNNING A 2ND PHASE OF COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS IN SEPT / OCT…
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IN THE MEANTIME IF YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR SAY OR TO GET IN TOUCH, PLEASE FILL IN OUR ONLINE SURVEY. OR IF YOU HAVE ANY ENQUIRIES SPECIFICALLY RELATING TO THE COTTAGE / PLANNING PROCESS, YOU CAN CONTACT THE NATIONAL TRUST DIRECTLY london@nationaltrust.org.uk
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UPDATE JUNE 2021: BOOK YOUR PLACE ON OUR OF OUR COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS + GARDEN TOURS OR FILL IN OUR SHORT+SWEET ONLINE SURVEY
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SAVE THE DATE
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Online and at the garden Wednesday 16h June to Saturday 19th June
We’ll be hosting different Drop-in Consultation Sessions and Garden Tours each day
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- Sharing + Growing Local Food on Wednesday 16th from 3-4pm link
- Caring for Wildlife + Nature on Thursday 17th June from3-4pm link
- Celebrating Local Heritage + History on Friday 18th from 3-4pm link
- Green Community Spaces – Open Day on Saturday 19th June from 11am-1pm & 2-3pm link
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IMPORTANT INFO: Sign up will be essential to ensure we can limit group numbers, keep social distance and manage the sessions as safely as possible. Please send us an e-mail on cam@companydrinks.info or book a free place at Eventbrite.
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IMPORTANT INFO: This site is owned by the National Trust and is not currently open to the public. The garden and paths may not be suitable for those with access issues or for wheelchair users.
We will only be using the safe and accessible paths through the garden for our consultations.
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IMPORTANT INFO: There will be WC’s on site.
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FILL IN THE COMMUNITY CONSULTATION ONLINE SURVEY
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From Monday 14th June – Sunday 20th June we’re inviting local residents to contribute to the community consultation online via a quick and simple survey.
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SPREAD THE WORD ON SOCIAL MEDIA
#StonefordGarden #StonefordGardenFuture #CommunityGreenSpace #madetogether
@Goingpicking @NationalTrust
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UPDATE: ANNOUNCING A WEEK OF ‘IMAGINING A NEW STONEFORD GARDEN TOGETHER
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We’re pleased to announce a week of “Imagining a new Stoneford Garden Together“. From Wednesday 16th – Saturday 19th June. We’ll be hosting different drop-in tours, workshops and idea-generating sessions on themes such as:
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- Sharing + making local food
- Celebrating local Heritage
- Feeling better with nature
- Community-grown spaces
We’ll announce more information closer to the time, but in the meantime, if you have a story about Stoneford Cottage, or if you’d like to take part in a particular aspect of the consultation, please email Cam on cam@companydrinks.info and she’ll keep you posted. Sign up will be essential to ensure we can limit group numbers, keep social distance and manage the sessions as safely as possible.
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UPDATE: THE TEAM VISIT STONEFORD GARDEN
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On Monday 10th May the team were very lucky to visit the cottage and have a look around this hidden gem of a country garden, tucked away off Rainham Road South.
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Stoneford Cottage is a Grade II listed house, located in the Village Ward of Barking and Dagenham. It was built in 1858 and bequeathed to the National Trust in 2018. The garden is large, wild and nature-rich with numerous out buildings.
Read a great post on the history of Stoneford Cottage at the Barking & Dagenham Local History site here
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This project is commissioned by the National Trust.
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