A TYPICAL EVENING AT A COMMUNITY CIRCLE…

Lovely food, scrumptious cakes and more…

One of the marvellous things about the format of the community circle is it enables us to properly welcome and support people in a way we couldn’t as individuals. Diversity is our strength and every month it’s different, a community just magically comes together. We never know who, or how many will join, if there will be four of us in the room or forty. Tonight fifteen of us came together to create the circle, we shared food, pooled our strengths and ideas and thought well about each other. It’s surprising how content we can feel with very little, it’s a reminder that we don’t need the trappings of material wealth. It’s good to remember that the most loving communities are often the poorest.

Note this newsletter is not an accurate record of everything that happened but just a taste of things to give you a flavour of the evening.

1. Good and New:
   • The sun is out and I’m here again at last, which is a huge relief. I got a letter from my solicitor today with good news.
   • I’m progressing well with my replacement hip – I’m doing well.
   • We’re getting a graffiti artist to paint a huge Godzilla badger on roof of our marquee at Glastonbury.
   • I actually beat Arisha at chess a week ago (she usually always wins).
   • I got some great help from Lodi and Arisha with my writings.
   • I got invited to a party with my trombone, it was fantastic, lots of bands playing all different types of music.
   • We’ve been working in Prague with students working on inclusion. They’re really getting to know us now and get cheeky with us.
   • I’m spending time with my husband at the weekend (been busy so hardly seen much of each other recently)
   • I have dug the grass up and got lots of plants growing from seed. Just love it!
   • I’ve reconnected with an old friend and visited her in Spain, now she’s coming here to visit.
   • It was my 50th birthday a few weeks ago, I had a two week long celebration with many family gatherings.
   • I’ve been learning Japanese via the Skills Exchange and can say “where’s my glasses?” in Japanese.

   Helen came from the Skills Exchange and talked about how it operated as a time bank, how members swap skills and earn credits. The project based in Radford has been going for six years and has lots of members.

   Over 300 different skills are being offered some examples are herbal medicine, beginner’s cookery, cooking on a budget, how to shop well for food, graphic design on a mac, family support, contemporary arts performance, teaching arts activism, helping with arts dissertations, arts applications, road craft, teach GCSE Sociology, selling on EBay, sorting out finances, spreadsheets.Computer skills, gardening, ironing, hypnotherapy, simple DIY, British Sign Language, lifts, house sitting, jewellery repairs… the list goes on and on.

   Helen answered peoples questions and quite a few people took applications to join.
   We noticed that the work of the NGcircle and the Skills Exchange often complement each other so we’re keen to find ways to work together in the future.

   More info on how you can join here skills2exchange.wordpress.com/about/

2. Needs and Wants:
   • Robert needs help with learning how to publish his book.
   • Pat’s made us some NG circle posters, can you put some up in your neighbourhood?
   • Veggies collective are looking to find someone who does a regular trip to Leicester (the Belgrave side) and could perhaps drop off a monthly delivery just two picnic boxes of veggies burgers. Also are you going by car to Glastonbury? Veggies need help – have you space to bring some supplies down for Veggies?
   • Bev, a local childminder needs some children’s balance scales (balancing buckets). Has anyone got any? Also wanted a garden fork with a small head.
   • Callum wants to organise another evening road trip. The last two trips were a real hoot. This time we’ll visit a chip-shop in West Bridgeford and ride out on the Melton Rd to go on the A46 to a pub and back. Maresa has loaned her wheelchair accessible minibus the date is Wednesday 26th June. Colin’s driving who’s coming?
3. Offers:
   • Double chest freezer.
   • Two pushchairs.
   • Robert is offering group guitar lessons at his church.
   • Ange is currently clearing a home with many items to sell including office desk, shelves, filing cabinet, printer, reclining chair, microwave, kettle, toaster, fridge, freezer. Get in touch via this newsletter if you’re interested.
   • Helen is donating worksheets designed for teaching adult numeracy.
   • Helen has an offer for Skills Exchange members. Nottingham Playhouse tickets for £7 for the following productions. These are limited, contact us at the NG circle if you’re interested.

Sunday was SPLENDID! cannot thank you enough…..” “It was a great day yesterday. Well done to Meirion for suggesting we used the festival. Well done to everyone who had a hand in the day, especially the organisers, and they know who they are. Thanks.

Peter, after working hard at our Circle NG stall at the Green Festival in Nottingham