Newsletter 28 September 2024

Sunday Morning

Sunday morning was a hectic one with 34 volunteers out for the weekly litter pick and other works. We had people in all areas and covered a huge area from Carrigrohane to Classis, we had people in the allotment working and others assessing other projects.

Afternoon we adjourned to the Plaza for our cuppa. The little video give an idea of the buzz there is on a Sunday. The chatter and laughter is so powerful and more than anything is the inclusivity and friendships that have been forged by being involved in BTT.

Afterwards Pat collected 11 bags of litter collected. He also collected 3 bags of litter as a result of litter picks during the week. All of these bags were segregated on Monday morning at our allotment.

Autumn Works

On Sunday Morning John, Anne and Ellie took time out to do some jobs in our HQ. They were dead heading flowers and weeding. The constant deadheading has certainly made a big difference as the flowers are still in bloom and this work should help keep them longer.

Painting and more Painting

This Week one of our volunteers did a fantastic job painting the steps to our green skip. He cleaned them down and after a few coats the steps were transformed. It will serve a dual purpose as it will now be a good guide for us when reversing in our Watering Trailer.

He then went on to paint our bench a vibrant red.

He certainly brightened the place this week.

Cork City Council Arts Office

You are invited to join us for the Creative Communities Roadshow in October 2024

Cork City Council Arts Office presents this series of 6 creative, community-focused networking events across Cork City, bringing together artists, community workers, and anyone interested in creativity, community engagement, and the arts.

Get inspired and meet like-minded people, learn practical skills and tools for community arts projects,

and explore creativity in a fun, hands-on way.

To register on Eventbrite, go to bit.ly/corkcityarts_eventbrite

Open to everyone interested in creativity, community engagement, and the arts.

Whether you’re an artist, a community worker or just a curious member of the public,

join us for one or both sessions at this fun and informative event!

Please spread the word with your network.

Event Part 1: Networking & Funding Advice

· Connect with others interested in community arts.

· Share ideas, values, and creative projects.

· Learn about funding opportunities and practical tools for creative communities.

Event Part 2: Creative Taster

o Try out fun, easy arts activities to share with others.

o Explore themes like access, equity, inclusion, and diversity.

o Develop basic skills for artistic group work

Activities accessible for all abilities. These events are aimed at adults. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Multi-Tasking 5

On Sunday morning one of our volunteers, Ben decided to go to HQ and refill the Water Tanker that was out earlier that morning. While transferring 800 litres from our water harvesting tanks he didn’t want to waste his time so grabbed a fork and started transferring compost from Bay 1 to Bay 1 to Bay 2 in preparation for the influx of leaves soon. He certainly earned his cuppa later in The Plaza.

Sunday Watering

Sunday morning watering is becoming a dual purpose activity because as the water is flowing into the containers we are busy with the secateurs trimming and removing dead foliage from the flowers.

As time passes we have to spend a lot more time and energy making sure that we keep them looking their best for as long as possible.

On Sunday morning we filled 2 bags as a result of our work and we used 750 litres of water filling the container reservoirs.

GAA Community Clean Up

Last Saturday Ballincollig GAA joined the Cork GAA Community Cleanup Day. This mammoth initiative by Cork GAA.

Brought together players, coaches, officials and supporters from clubs all over our county to tackle litter in communities across the city and county to promote a cleaner, healthier environment for all.

The club did fantastic work on two separate big projects. Firstly they did a great job edging and trimming hedges on the Link Road and another group did a fantastic job strimming and cleaning an overgrown on the road to the Powdermills. BTT were very happy to support this initiative with the members of Ballincollig GAA. This support was very important and showed true Community Spirit within the GAA.

Another addition

In the past weeks we invested in a new shed for our Headquarters. This will allow us to store items better and give us more flexibility. During the week typical of the Supervisors they laid slabs in front of the door and fresh gravel. A great job.