Abundance Wimbledon Newsletter
July 8, 2022
8 July 2022
WELCOME TO ABUNDANCE WIMBLEDON - 8th JULY, 2022 NEWSLETTER
Amazingly, a whole month has raced by since our last newsletter update and we are now in July! The recent sunshine has worked its magic and if you look about you, you will see apple and pear trees laden with delicious fruit, damsons aplenty - challenging the idea that damsons flourish every other year - and blackberry bushes thriving! Whilst the latter will not be ready for picking until the end of the summer, our dedicated team of Fruit Pickers are gathering their equipment and energy for the collection and distribution of as many apples, pears, blackcurrants, damsons, and whatever else they can get their hands on. The aim of the game: to stop local fruit from going to waste! Abundance Wimbledon has also been busy making arrangements for its 12th Annual Fruit Day having convened for its third Committee Meeting just last week to discuss progress on all matters relating to our Big Event. Read on for the latest goings on at Abundance.
- FRUIT DAY UPDATE
- JULY JAM MASTERCLASS
- FRUIT PICKERS & AREA COORDINATOR NEEDED
- DELICIOUS DAMSON JAM
- ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL
- EXCESS OF FRUIT?
- OUR NEXT NEWSLETTER
FRUIT DAY UPDATE
With Fruit Day just over 2 months away now (17th September 2022), we are busy making all the relevant preparations to make it a brilliant day out for everyone! We hope you are looking forward to it as much as we are. Fruit Day is the culmination of Abundance Wimbledon's efforts each year to reduce food waste, help local charities and engage the local community. It is a day of celebration and a chance to bring people together for some light hearted fun, whilst raising money for local charities through the sale of many homemade delights made from the unwanted fruit picked by our volunteers. It is also a space to raise awareness on sustainability and the importance of protecting the wonder that is our natural world.
'So what can we expect to see at this year's 12th Annual Fruit Day?' we hear you ask. Well, we are delighted to confirm the return of the following stalls and activities:
- Homemade Treats for Sale
Jams, chutneys, cordials, cakes, pies, biscuits - Local Honey for Sale
Fresh from Alison's apiary in Martin Way - Apple Press
Fancy the chance to press your own fresh apple juice? All you'll need is a little bit of elbow grease! - Apple Pie Making
We are delighted to be welcoming this activity back following a two year hiatus due to COVID. This is an all-ages-friendly activity (particularly popular with the little ones) that will see you take home your very own apple pie, assembled by your own fair hands. - Free Make & Children's Activities
Both will be headed up by our amazingly creative Karoline. The Free Make will be unveiled on the day (everyone loves a surprise!) and the children's activities are aimed at all ages. - Performances by the International Ukulele Orchestra
- Abundance Wimbledon Raffle Prize
- Sustainable Merton Stall
- Friends of the Earth Stall
- About Abundance Stall
Stay tuned for further additions to Fruit Day! And don't forget to Save the Date for it!
Abundance Wimbledon, 12th Annual Fruit Day
SATURDAY 17 SEPTEMBER, 2022
11.00am - 2.30pm
St Mark's Church Hall & Grounds
St Mark's Pl, Wimbledon, London SW19 7ND
JULY JAM MASTERCLASS
Following the success of the two Jam Masterclasses in May, and in response to the various requests to hold another, Sue has kindly agreed to host one more this summer. The date is yet to be confirmed but will likely be at the end of July.
If you missed out last time and are interested in taking part in this session, or a future one, simply contact Sue at lovellgreene@aol.com.
FRUIT PICKERS & AREA COORDINATOR NEEDED
With the local trees and bushes now bustling with ripe fruit, Abundance Wimbledon is mobilising to get the all important Fruit Picks underway. We have a wonderful crew of volunteers, and have even gathered a few new recruits to join us in our picking endeavours this season, but our doors are always open for more! Our picks take place across the following six areas within Merton:
- Martin Way Allotments (Coordinated by Ruth)
- Morden and Mitcham (Coordinated by Liz)
- Motspur Park (Coordinated by Gilli)
- Raynes Park (Coordinated by Dulcie)
- Wimbledon (Coordinator - Rosie)
- Wimbledon Park (vacant Coordinator position - please contact us if you would be interested in volunteering for this role: abundancewimbledon@gmail.com)
DELICIOUS DAMSON JAM
For those that don't now much about the damson, it is a member of the rose family and is categorised as a subspecies of the plum. Whilst even when picked at its ripest, it is less sweet than the plum, the damson lends itself beautifully to jam-making and we trust that when you try it in this form, you will agree that there is nothing 'sub' about this fruit at all! And the good news is that 2022 appears to have been an excellent year for the damson. This is in spite of the fact that last year also saw many a damson grow in our local area, dispelling the usual 'rule of thumb' that such crops tend to grow more abundantly every other year.
Whilst Abundance has not yet picked the damsons that are now reaching their peak, we did receive a kind donation of this lovely fruit from the DONS Local Action Group which our very own Liz, Picking Coordinator for the Morden and Mitcham area, quickly turned into jars of delicious jam. Want to taste it? You absolutely CAN as it will be on sale at our Fruit Day.
A big 'Thank You' to the DONS for starting us off on our delectable damson jam journey!
ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL
If your hay-fever didn't hamper your outdoor walks too much this year, you will have undoubtedly smelled the beautiful fragrance of the Elderflowers that grow so abundantly in and around Merton year in, year out, at the end of May/ start of June. Whilst the delicate aroma of this very attractive flower no longer accompanies us, you will soon be able to enjoy it in another form - as cordial!
As ever, Sue was at the ready to collect the Elderflower blooms when at their best to make her famous cordial. Every year at Fruit Day, our bottled Elderflower Cordial flies off the shelves, and with good reason, it is simply delicious and oh so versatile. Whilst of course it makes a wonderfully refreshing summer drink, diluted with still/sparkling water (or a little bubbly), it can be added into any number of recipes. These Prosecco & Elderflower Ice Lollies sound particularly tempting, as does this Elderflower Syllabub Pavlova. For other inspired delights requiring elderflower cordial, you can refer back to our 2021 July Newsletter.
EXCESS OF FRUIT?
IS YOUR FRUIT OUT OF REACH? DO YOU HAVE MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE? DO YOU DREAD A SEA OF HALF ROTTEN APPLES IN YOUR GARDEN COME THE END OF SUMMER?
If the answer to the any of the above is a big 'YES', don't panic, we are here to help! Our team of enthusiastic Fruit Pickers will be more than happy to come to you and pick that hard to reach fruit, as well as find a home for any unwanted produce that is collected.
To get the ball rolling, follow these steps:
- Email Juliet at abundancewimbledon@gmail.com
- Juliet will put you in contact with your local area coordinator (via Whatsapp or email)
- Make contact with your local area coordinator and let them know the following:
- type of fruit
- location of fruit
- approximately how much fruit needs to be picked
- time/s that pickers can attend
OUR NEXT NEWSLETTER
We will be back in touch again soon.
Feel free to send any news to our media editor, Cristina, at cristina.hv.aw@gmail.com
** To get in touch about any of the above information, please just reply to this email **
Best wishes and sincere thanks from us all
Juliet and the team at Abundance Wimbledon
