Make, Grow + Mend Norwich: Wastesmiths Wednesdays!

A free, weekly group for people interested in caring for the plants that grow all around us – especially those that are often overlooked!
About this Event

Wastesmiths Wednesdays is a free, regular group for local folks interested in Making, Growing + Mending!

This weekly Wednesday group particularly focuses on exploring and caring for our local plants and pollinators, especially those that are often overlooked, or misunderstood.

Through relaxed walks around the area, and gentle crafting and making sessions, we’ll discover and care for our native flora and fauna, learn more about them over a cuppa and a chat, populate DIY planters, pockets and patches of ground, and map local plants on a digital 'Plant Story Map'.

We'll also spend some mornings upcycling local waste materials such as plastic or textiles into new, useful and beautiful stuff!

What to Expect:

This weekly session is part of Make, Grow + Mend: Norwich, and takes place alongside our weekly Thursday afternoon Social Sorting session, as well as regular Plant Playdates where we'll experiment with plant 'recipes'.

Wastesmiths Wednesdays will often involve walking outside to discover and identify plants growing in different areas in and around St Saviours Yard. We might discover small plots and patches of green space that would appreciate our care- by picking up any litter we find, or by sowing more plants, where we have permission.

After pottering around the area, we’ll return to The Smithy to explore the properties, stories, histories and folklore of the plants we’ve encountered, over a cuppa and a biscuit.

Together we’ll help produce a digital ‘Plant Story Map’, which will grow and develop during the year, as we discover, sow and steward more plants across the area, and experiment with plant 'recipes' for food, herbal remedies, dyes, inks, and more!

We'll alternate these plant-positive sessions with mornings spent 'wastesmithing': experimenting with creating new items using local waste textiles, plastic, and more.

What to Bring:

You do not need to bring anything with you for these sessions, as all materials and equipment will be provided. There is no charge to take part, but donations to support our running costs are always welcome.

However, you may wish to bring a water bottle, particularly during the summer months. You may also like to bring a reusable cup so that you can make and drink a hot drink on the go!

Who is Make, Grow + Mend for:

The group is for people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds – the only requirement is that you’re interested in plants, creativity, community, drinking tea or coffee, or having a chat!

While these sessions are aimed at adults, under-18s are very welcome, as long as they are accompanied by an adult. As we will be encountering some non-edible plants, as well as potentially using tools or litter-picking equipment, and researching plants in textbooks and online, these sessions may not be suitable for very young children to take part in every aspect. However, small children/babies are very welcome to be with us.

You might already have some plant-related knowledge, e.g. experience of foraging or growing or other plant-related crafts, or you might have none at all. Everyone is welcome – whether you’re a seasoned horticulturalist or a newbie plant enthusiast, we’d love you to join us.

Wastesmiths Wednesdays are part of the Make, Grow + Mend project, organised by Wastesmiths CIC. If you would like to find out more, you can visit our website, find us on Facebook, or follow our updates on Instagram.

If you’d like more information about Make, Grow + Mend, or anything else we do, we would love you to get in touch – send us an email to [email protected].

Accessibility

The Smithy is a 40-foot shipping container with step access that we can adapt using a temporary ramp in order for wheelchair users to access the space. There is an accessible loo nearby on-site than can be accessed with a code. However, the loo requires self-transfer.

Please get in touch if you would like us to provide photos/video of accessing the space, or the loo.

Unfortunately there is no parking available at the site, however car drop-off is possible if required for access reasons- please get in touch with us so we can organise this at [email protected]

If you require parking for access reasons the site sadly does not make provision for this but please do get in touch so we can discuss some possible workarounds/solutions at [email protected]

These Wednesday morning sessions will often involve some walking in and around St Saviours Yard. We may also be litter-picking, building planters and bee hotels, and sowing seeds on some occasions, and using hand tools for upcycling waste materials on other occasions.

It is possible that we may not be able to make every aspect of every activity physically accessible for everyone, but we will work to make everything as accessible as we can.

If you would like to participate, and you have specific access needs, or any questions related to access, please get in touch and we will do our very best to adjust our sessions for your needs. You can reach us by sending an email to [email protected].

As we will be providing refreshments for these sessions, please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies that we need to be aware of: you can reach us by email at [email protected]

Carers and support workers are very welcome to join us!

If you have any questions about access, or if there's anything you would like us to be aware of, please get in touch with us: email [email protected].

Getting To Us

We meet at 'The Smithy', Unit 5 St Saviours Yard, Norwich, NR3 1GQ

If you're coming by bus, the closest stop is Anglia Square. There are other nearby stops at Tombland, Upper King Street and Magdalen Road near Stacey Road, which are likely to be unaffected by any future Magdalen Street road closures.

If you're coming by bicycle, there are numerous bike racks on site, including directly opposite our container and by the nearby toilet block.

If you're coming by car, Colgate Car Park is 0.2 miles away, and Monastery Court car park is 0.4 miles away. St Andrews Car Park is 0.5 miles away. We can share a full list of local car parks and walking distances upon request.