We’re very pleased to have been able to host a number of events in the grounds of Bell House over the past month or so and we’re looking forward to welcoming many more of you back within the next few weeks.
August saw the return of the Dulwich Players for a four-performance run of Grimm’s Tales, as well as an afternoon of poetry in the gardens. The Quilting Academy have also been enjoying the beautiful surrounds and in-person meetings have now resumed in the grounds until such time as the weather forces the stitchers inside. The results of the Quilts for Care Leavers challenge we reported on previously were finally revealed and despite the fact that everyone started with the same twelve bandanas, no two quilts were even somewhat similar!
The film committee recently hosted a workshop about smartphone film-making and are excitedly preparing for the start of a ten-week screenwriting course and the Make a Film in a Weekend workshop for young people aged 17 to 25 at the end of September.
The garden has flourished thanks to the careful attention of the volunteers and there have been vegetables aplenty over the past few weeks, including squash, corn, beans, cucumbers and tomatoes. We also reached the first milestone in the wildlife pond fundraising campaign – congratulations to the Donations or Grants group and very many thanks to everyone who submitted a pledge!
The team behind the TechTogether initiative have been continuing their work throughout the summer and there are a number of sessions planned for September too. If you struggle with technology, or find that your confidence is lacking, our friendly volunteers will be pleased to support you with guidance and step-by-step instructions.
Although we’re now able to meet each other in person once more, Bell House in Your Home has been the main forum for events and talks recently. We’ve been able to host regular Shared Reading sessions, our online New Mums’ Group, as well as book talks and lectures. If you didn’t catch Lev Parikian speaking about reconnecting with the natural world around us or if you missed our talk on self-esteem and dyslexia then you’ll find full videos of the events on our YouTube page.
Members of the Quilt Academy proudly displaying the finished quilts made for the Quilts for Care Leavers bandana challenge.