June has been a busy month for many of the different volunteer groups and, as lockdown restrictions continue, we’re getting used to new ways of working and creative ways of delivering workshops, events and keeping in touch with one another. Here’s a taste of what’s been going on.
Members of the Quilting Academy have continued to share their latest projects through Zoom and WhatsApp, be it quilts, masks, blocks, or sometimes a cake! They are currently hand-quilting a group quilt, which they hope to submit to the virtual Festival of Quilts competition this year. They’re also working on two challenges: the first is to make wonky star-blocks for quilted incubator covers for King’s College Hospital’s premature baby unit. The second is to produce a quilt-top suitable for a young adult, incorporating bandanas and one solid fabric. The quilt-tops are destined for Quilts for Care Leavers, part of Lemn Sissay’s Christmas Lunch initiative. The quilters are hoping to have 14 completed pieces this year!
The film committee volunteers have been working hard behind the scenes to create online courses and have been thinking ahead to the courses they can offer after lockdown. If you can’t wait until then, you might be interested in Darren Rapier’s screenwriting introduction on 16 July.
The Bell Health webpages are looking much fuller since the last update and you’ll now find plenty of resources and links, as well as our informative videos. On the subject of health, we’ve continued to offer two weekly exercise and stretching classes as part of Bell House in Your Home. Our mental health webinars have also been well received and we were also pleased to welcome back Lorraine from South London Ferments, who taught us to make delicious probiotic lemonade.
Our dyslexia support programme has continued with a number of informative talks, including one on executive functions, and we’re delighted that we’ll soon be opening our doors for a rescheduled touch-typing course for children in years 5 and 6. We’ve also been able to offer technological support to other members of the community through the TechTogether initiative, which continues to run on Wednesdays and Saturdays and is open to all.
The gardeners have been hard at work too. In the walled garden peas and lettuce are being harvested, while french beans, courgettes and sweet corn are growing well. Squash and tomatoes are being planted out, along with other later varieties. Hours of weeding, shaping and planting – despite the heat – have paid dividends in the main flowering beds, which are flourishing.
Work has begun on re-laying the terrace in the walled garden and planting in the ha-ha (the sloping bank in front of Bell House). We’ve also installed seven new swift boxes on the north wall of the house. It may take a while, but we’re hopeful that Bell House might support a swift colony that will return to nest and breed in the summer months.
The new terrace in the walled garden taking shape thanks to our volunteers.