Upchurch WI - Quiz Night

Wendy Pitts - Upchurch Women's Institute
Tel: 01634 362253
Email: marwen.pitts@btinternet.com

Swale Borough Council - Great Big Green Week

Join us for Great Big Green Week and support our climate and ecological emergency.

Swale Borough Council is supporting local organisations and community groups to host 27 events around Swale for Great Big Green Week.

17 local organisations are hosting a variety of events ranging from litter picks and webinars to art workshops and a giant whale installation circus to celebrate action on the climate and ecological emergency for the week-long event.

Great Big Green Week is a national week of events running from Saturday, 18th to Sunday, 26th September ahead of the global climate conference, COP26, in November.

The council has worked with The Climate Coalition to provide over £5,000 funding to support local events around the borough.

Cllr Tim Valentine, cabinet member for the climate emergency at the council, said:

“We’ve allocated 17 grants totalling over £5,000 to local businesses, organisations, groups and charities in support of their Great Big Green Week events.

“People can attend any of the 27 events including exhibitions, roadshows, litter picks, workshops, awareness days and tree planting starting on Saturday, 18th September.

“We have roadshows in Faversham, Sittingbourne and Sheerness throughout the week with 150 free pollinator-friendly plants to give away and lots of fun events around the borough.

“In Faversham, there will be a climate display at the Town Hall, a ‘Creek Clean’, ‘Outdoor Aviary’ craft workshop at the Rec and a talk from Mark Maslin - author of How to Save our Planet - at the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School. Circo Rumbaba’s 50-foot sperm whale will also be installed at the Rec to highlight the level of plastic in our oceans.

“In Sheppey, there’ll be an awareness day at Beachfields, beach cleans at Minster, Garrison Point and Leysdown, and ‘Walk, talk, draw’ art workshops in Queenborough and Sheerness. Kooties will be trialling their sustainable school supplies and hosting an arts and craft workshop in Queenborough.

“In Sittingbourne there will be a youth forum for young people to pledge their actions on the climate emergency and a variety of events at Milton Creek Country Park including mindfulness workshop, turning old boots into bird boxes and making mutant flower artwork from plastic drinks bottles with a local artist. People can also join in orchard clearing and tree planting at Oare community orchard, create pollinator patches around Painters Forstal and Ospringe, and Diversity House will be hosting a week-long event.

“There are lots of family activities to get involved in across the borough and we encourage everybody to get involved and help us tackle the climate and ecological emergency.”

For more information on how to get involved visit: www.greatbiggreenweek.com/find-an-event

Swale Borough Council

Upchurch Horticultural Society - September Show

SEPTEMBER SHOW

Upchurch Horticultural Society will be holding their September Show on

Saturday 11th September 2021 in the Barn to the rear of

97 Chaffes Lane

Open to the public at 2:00pm

Sale of produce at 3:40pm

Refreshments

Ample parking

Covid 19 risk assessments have been carried out.

Please wear a mask inside the Barn and observe social distancing outside - thank you.

Upchurch Matters

St Mary's Church Fundraising Sale

Saturday 11th September between 10:00am - 11:30am

Homemade Produce & Preloved Items

🍰 🍓 🧩 📚 🎨 ➕

Upchurch Matters

KALC - Community Awards and Upchurch Young Person Award Winners 2021

Congratulations to Cia Merrall and Ella Smith, very worthy winners of two community awards presented by Upchurch Parish Council in August this year.

The KALC - Community Awards Scheme 2021

Cia was awarded the Kent Association of Local Councils - Community Award 2021 in the community of Upchurch.

The annual KALC - Community Awards are to acknowledge and give recognition to those who have made a significant contribution to their local community.

Cia's certificate reads:

“Awarded for:

Unstinting service to Upchurch during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shopping and prescription collections for vulnerable residents; food parcels and fresh food for families experiencing food poverty and Christmas stockings for children.”

Upchurch Parish Council - Upchurch Young Person Award Scheme 2021

Ella was awarded the first ever Upchurch Young Person Award 2021.

Because many young people across the country also made outstanding contributions to their local communities during the Coronavirus pandemic, Upchurch Parish Council decided to present a young person award this year.

Ella's certificate reads:

“Awarded for:

Making a significant difference to the lives of children in the village during a worldwide pandemic by sourcing and hiding 170 mystery gifts around the village for the children to find on their walks.”

Thank you, Cia and Ella, and to all this year's nominees for everything you do to help within the community of Upchurch 👏🏼

Upchurch Matters

September News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course Ltd

September has arrived and we transition from Summer into Autumn. The evenings are drawing in and evening temperatures are dropping, although daytime temperatures can remain warm with a chance of an Indian Summer. August turned out to be rather cool and wet which has been great for the lawn and borders which have hardly required watering but resulted in outbreaks of blight in tomatoes and potatoes. The Broad Bean crop was also affected by Chocolate Spot which is another fungal infection.

The lawn has really benefited from a wet year and is looking green and lush. The bare parts have all been “scratched and patched” with Canada Green which has germinated well. It will now take a dry year to see how drought resistant it actually is. The new “Junkyard Mutt” who arrived in March is creating small bare patches in the lawn and discovered how easy it is to dig holes in the vegetable patch. However, everyone tells me how beautiful she is so I have forgiven her. September is the month to give the lawn a final weed and feed but with a low Nitrogen (N) feed with high Phosphate (P) and Potash (K), that will prepare it for the Winter. It can also be aerated with a garden fork. I am also going to break all the advice and take a final pick of Rhubarb that has excelled this year in the cool wet conditions.

Continue taking vegetable crops and water climbing beans with a bit of Miracle Grow. Cut down the haulms of Maincrop Potatoes to avoid blight and thicken the skins before lifting. Squeeze Sweetcorn with a thumbnail and if the juice is milky it's ready to pick. Remember that Sweetcorn needs to be cooked or frozen as soon as it is picked or the flavour deteriorates very quickly. Place a bit of wood or a slate under pumpkins, squash and marrows to keep them off the soil and net brassica or else the birds will have them through the winter, Pigeons are very fond of Broccoli especially if snow is on the ground. The Turnips have germinated in the patch cleared after lifting the Broad Beans and are earmarked for Autumn casseroles along with the Parsnips that are looking particularly good this year.

The borders are flowering well with plenty of blousy pink Phlox, Echinacea, Penstemons and other perennials combined with flowering shrubs. Keep deadheading to keep the blooms coming and then divide the clumps at the end of the month to produce more next year. Prune climbing roses if they are not repeat flowering and plant Spring bulbs although hold off on Tulips for now as planting them early exposes them to disease. Keep tidying and fertilising containers to get the most out of them.

Phlox is a good border perennial, available in different colours.

A lot of varieties of Apples and Pears will be ready for harvest, although Braeburns will be next month. Pears should be picked while still a bit hard and allowed to ripen indoors before Birds and Wasps make a meal of them. Give fruit trees a Phosphate feed to strengthen roots in Autumn before they become dormant.

Our Summer excursions to village pubs continued with the George Inn in Newnham which is a good venue with a decent menu. I am also giving some thought to visiting the George and Dragon. I am looking forward to meeting George but feel a little apprehensive about the Dragon.

UHS is always looking for new members and try to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables and flowers or even enter any of the shows we hold each year, please get in touch. We would be happy to hear from you.

If you are interested in becoming a new member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Rosey on 01634 377812 (evenings) or Email rosemary@ringwoodaccounting.co.uk

Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society