A further 'Wavertree in Bloom' meeting (see last Newsletter) was held on 12th December at the new One Stop Shop. Members of our Committee had promoted the event by distributing several hundred leaflets to local houses, shops and pubs. Although the meeting was poorly attended - partly due, no doubt, to the date being so close to Christmas - there was much useful discussion.

An excellent presentation by Steve Perkins and Peter Farmer, from the City Council, gave the background to the various awards that could be attained, along with how this could be achieved. Members of SARA (the Sandown Area Residents Association) offered up a couple of examples of projects they were already involved with:
1. a community allotment utilising land to the rear of a property in Sandown Lane, occupied by students, whose owner had offered up part of their garden for use by local residents growing their own produce; and
2. a proposal to create a garden for the children at the front of Our Lady's school.

It was agreed that another meeting would be held in February 2006, to take suggestions and ideas forward. In order to encourage other members of the local community to become involved, it was suggested that a trip should be organised to see what has been achieved in other areas of Liverpool: e.g. hanging baskets in rear alleyways, putting window boxes on a row of houses, making use of recycled materials and forming community gardens in otherwise unused spaces.