On Saturday November 23, the Rye Community Food and Wildlife Garden gathered for its Annual General Meeting at The Queen’s Head in Rye. The meeting offered a chance to celebrate a year of reflection, renewal, and our 10th anniversary.
After a remarkable 2023 that featured 17 community events, including highlights like the Creative Homes for Creatures workshop and contest, the Sustainable Living Forum sessions, and inclusion in the Rye Open Gardens tour, our small but mighty team of volunteers intentionally embraced a slower pace this year. This decision allowed us to focus on reinforcing both our physical infrastructure and the community connections that sustain us. Securing a long-term lease with Rye Town Council was a pivotal achievement this year, ensuring the garden’s future as a sanctuary for sustainability, wellness, and community engagement.
The 10th Anniversary Big Lunch in June became the centrepiece of our 2024 calendar. The event brought residents together for a day of music, food, a founders’ panel discussion, and our own Mayor Andy Stuart commending the garden’s positive impact and helping us celebrate a decade of shared growth and collaboration. August’s pizza party in the garden provided a delicious way to sample the abundant harvest. We also hosted educational workshops, such as a birdwatching event in May and a Wildlife Trust insect day, which showcased our efforts to foster biodiversity. Ongoing contributions to the Rye Foodbank, participation in Rye Open Gardens, and partnerships with groups like Rother Voluntary Action (RVA) demonstrated our commitment to sustainability and community.
Serving as Chair during this transformative time has been both a privilege and an honour. The past two years have reinforced my belief in the power of community and the deep connections that green spaces like ours foster. As Alizé du Buck and I swap roles—she steps into the role of Chair while I transition to Vice-Chair to focus on my family and work endeavours—I look forward to continuing to support the garden’s mission under her capable leadership. I am also deeply grateful to our RCG committee for 2024-25: Mike Pepler, who continues as Secretary; Nigel Jennings, who carries on as Treasurer; and committee members Graham Ellis and Josephine McCurrie, who have been re-elected to serve another year. Together, this team ensures the garden remains a vibrant and welcoming space for all.
We extend our deepest gratitude to our founding members—Katherine Manning, Dominic Manning, Pip al-Khafaji, Rosemarie Boucherat, Jo Morphy, Susan Wilson, Nigel Jennings, and John Archer—for their original vision and tireless efforts over the last decade and many thanks to our outgoing committee members, Dominic Manning and Tracy Dighton, for their years of service. We also celebrate our award-winning volunteers Alizé du Buck and Emma Bosanquet, whose contributions to the garden have been indispensable, as well as the many other regular and visiting volunteers who support our garden such as Paul Kingham, Jim Howdle, Heidi Foster, Seana Lanigan, Jenny Edbrooke, and Mags Ivett.
As we prepare for 2025, we invite the community to join us in shaping the next chapter of our story. From new workshops to exciting infrastructure plans, the Rye Community Garden remains a place where seeds of hope, resilience, and connection grow. Please join in anytime on our weekly community gardening sessions on Saturdays from 10 am – 12 pm.
Follow Rye Community Garden on social media or email us at ryecommunitygarden@gmail.com to learn more how you can get involved.
Image Credits: Dena Smith Ellis .