RSA AGM. Exciting news.

Looks like you need to be a fellow. Have you found it useful being a fellow @paulpivcevic @grahambell and anyone else who is a fellow?

I'll check with them whether you need to be a member for the 'showcase' part at least. I'm in my first year, and have found lots of encouragement for what we're doing, including a grant for a film/posters. Graham I think you've been a member for a while?

My local RSA contact has just emailed:
Hi Paul
Glad the film is going well.
Yes, the AGM part is for Fellows only but they are welcome to come along to the showcase bit.
b/w
Lou
From: Paul Pivcevic [mailto:paulpivcevic@transcendconsultancy.com]
Sent: 31 August 2017 12:39
To: Lou Matter Lou.Matter@rsa.org.uk
Subject: Re: RSA AGM invite
Hi Lou
Yes, may be a good idea to divert some of the money towards this....(the launch)
The film is going well by the way.
Can I bring a few non fellow guests for the showcasing?
Best wishes
Paul

I've been a member for nearly thirty years I think...Have a bank full of presentation material ready to go (which I can also share with others). My team invented the phrase incredible edibles for our first nursery catalogue. 10th October is a birthday shared by I and my wife... I would go if it was to present. If we are fundraising rail fare would be appreciated. Be helpful to know if I'm wanted sooner rather than later...

Graham, it's not a formal presentation. As I understand it it's more a 'gallery' style walk around by fellows chatting to people about the different RSA-supported projects, each at a designated table. As for funding transport, I appreciate it's a long way to come, but at this stage of our life as a project everyone is volunteering and self-funding.

Thanks for that Paul. If I do go are you available to do the 'walk round' with me? Can you forward me details of the event which you obviously have...I appreciate the self-funding comments, but this immediately disadvantages anyone who is based on the periphery, both in terms of time and money....some organisations practice (successfully) equalisation as a way of dealing with this. Another way is to make sure meetings keep moving around.

Hi Graham just scroll up a little on the thread and you'll see all the details. Do bring flyers - people need living examples. That goes for others coming too. We also hope to have some NFGS printed materials by then.
So, it seems as though there could be four of us: Jo H (who runs ELL in Finsbury Park); Jane LM of Birchfields; you and me. Wonderful.
Re geography you may not have followed the conversation on meeting location but we're putting feelers out to our friends at the Bedford Fields garden in Leeds to see if they can host our next meeting. Perhaps at yours after that?

I hope Jo can go & that Graham will contribute before his birthday celebrations!

Dear all here's the agenda for 10th just received: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xsox_yVM3khudihxTvVenLxHR_dFJg5tQuWL5ec5mXA/edit?usp=sharing

We should bring along some fg snacks. I can do a saltbush pesto? Anyone else thing this would be a good idea?

Great idea Jo

*think

FG snacks are quite a good idea but I guess leaflets, copy/ies of Tomas' book (to sell?) & Candala's booklet to give away (it is on line) would be more informative. The AGM starts at 6pm. Would you’d like us to meet before at say 5.30pm in the Benjamin Franklin room to set up a display (on a table?); OR are you just attending the networking part of the event, arriving by 6.30pm with a display whilst the AGM takes place in the Great Room.

I'll be there at 530pm Jane. It would be great to set up with you and anyone else who can make it.

We had an exhilarating time at the RSA this evening. Jane, Jo and I were there talking ourselves hoarse to the many people who came up intrigued by forest gardens. Jo had brought snacks which were frankly delicious and wonderfully varied; both she and Jane could speak from great knowledge, and I was there with our short film, launch invitations, a beautiful poster designed by Andrea (and his daughter) with text from Tomas, and Nick's stunning website on a spare ipad. We've made many connections that we will now follow up, and urge people to promote our launch. (so far we have 20 paid bookings). How did you experience it @johoman and @janelesleymorris?

I'm attaching a link to the film http://ps.lesoiseaux.io/in/c.nug-anim/
and the website is here: www.nationalforestgardening.org

It might be good if someone could write a short paragraph to put on the website as a blog post. And did anyone take any photos? :)

Sorry to say I didn't take any photos but can say the snacks did go down well. We had acorn crackers with saltbush/almond/garlic/lovage pesto topped with pickled nasturtium/three-cornered leek/green elderberry. They looked quite pretty. We also had some @vanessamorris chutney and some apple/plum/quince fruit leathers. Amazing. Mostly thanks to Gemma Harris, my personal food hero.

Really good news that you all had such a good time and there was lots of interest. The nibbles sound amazing!

I was glad with how it went and looked forward to hearing more about the RSA Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (launched November 2017, two-year independent inquiry, to consider how to achieve a safe, secure, inclusive food and farming system for the UK) We met its Director and I hope we will get a focus on Forest Gardening into it. perhaps this, urban forests and such issues could be debated at the September event that includes the AGM?