Please note that booking is essential for all activities, and apart from bike repairs and sales at our Bike Workshop, is via emailing  admin@bridgendfarmhouse.org.uk, or by texting or calling 07706674108
 
The Bike Workshop continues to be open by appointment for emergency bike repairs and other maintenance. You can book via 07591 882 779 or by emailing ActiveTravel@bridgendfarmhouse.org.uk. This will ensure someone is available to accept your bike as the bike shed operates part-time hours.
 
We continue to hold our usual weekly zoom sessions, now with an increasing onsite element:
Tuesday: 5.00 - 6.00 pm: Singing Workshop with Darla.
Alternate weeks are now being hosted onsite with participation via zoom attendees still welcome to join. Booking for all sessions this month required and the onsite sessions are 17th and 31st August.
 
Wednesday: 2.00 - 3.30pm: Arts and Crafts workshop with Gill C.
Suitable for all levels of experience. The class is currently focusing on sewing and embroidery and we will be creating small individual pieces inspired by children’s drawings.
We are also able to have a limited number of participants for this back onsite under the Marquee canvas– you can book a place for this via the main email / number below.
 
For login details and to sign up for any of the above zoom sessions, please email admin@bridgendfarmhouse.org.uk or text / call 07706647108

One-Off Sessions:
Tuesday: 6.30 – 8:00 pm: Make it through Summer Upcycling workshops with Gill C
Join in with our latest collaboration with SHRUB using recycled fabric to repurpose old jeans and similar materials into beautiful items! This will run both on zoom and on-site. There are 3 further sessions – 10th August, 24th August, and 7th September. Booking is via Eventbrite - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/make-it-this-summer-with-bridgend-farmhouse-and-shrub-coop-tickets-163472162639

Sunday outdoor and other in person sessions:
We have restarted our Sunday activity sessions on a bookable basis.
These are open to all (we will take contact and other details when you start).
Please book by the Friday via the standard methods.
These are outdoor only sessions from 11am - 3pm weekly. Expect the usual list of productive social outdoor actions  from gardening, to site clearance, to building sheds, walls and paths and everything in-between! We’ll trade you hot drinks and biscuits for your labours! Suitable for beginners and old hands alike- our facilitator/ lead volunteers will keep you on the right track and at a comfortable pace for your ​abilities.

Craft Collective
The Thursday Craft Collective workshop with Gill C has now moved to being a fully in person session at 6:30-8:00pm. These will operate as adult ‘Sketchbook’ sessions. Art experience is not necessary. Booking required.
Community Woodland Conservation
Following on from our successful pilot in partnership with Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust -come and enjoy the outdoors with our community conservation days. 
The final session of the batch is 12th August from 1.30 - 3.30pm. Book with us on admin@bridgendfarmhouse.org.uk / 07706674108

COOKING AND EATING ACTIVITIES
You can rewatch all our Spanish, Peruvian and Scottish Cooking on a Budget sessions by visiting our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRI1YdAryt_NNhWHwklZFHA

Pay what you feel meals

• The next Surplus Supper scheduled is for Tuesday 10th August, 5pm. The team will be reducing waste and saving penguins as usual!
• The next international meal will be Monday 23rd August, also 5pm, theme to be announced on our social media once known.

Pick up a pakora [not a penguin…]
Saeema’s picnic lunch pop-up trial continues for the remaining  holiday Saturdays ( 31st July and 7th August) between 11am and 2pm [last orders 1:50pm] at the farmhouse for you to take out to the parks and enjoy. A pack with 5 fresh pakora, salad, and sweet chilli sauce is £4, as is a more traditional pack with sandwiches, water, crisps, and cake. We also have ice cream and juice to keep you cool.
(We will also have something very similar on Saturday 14th August at 1:30pm as part of the Craigmillar Festival.)

SUMMER PARTY: Sunday 8th August: 11am-2pm
Celebrate the summer with Bridgend's family party!
Balloon modelling, music, dancing, a hill race for kids and more. The ticket covers all refreshments, activities and food. Tickets are limited to minimise Covid risks, and we would advise participants that parking is limited so cycling or public transport (wearing a face covering) would be preferred. Track and protect systems will be in place and hand sanitising on entry compulsory. All attendees, i.e. adults and children except for 'babes in arms' will require a ticket. Book via
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bridgend-farmhouse-family-fun-summer-party-tickets-164152854607

CRAIGMILLAR FESTIVAL 14th & 15th August
We are looking forward to taking part in the Craigmillar Festival with events across the area during the weekend 14th & 15th August. There’s a family bike ride starting at Bridgend [book with us], pakora salads and picnic bags available at the Farmhouse, and a parade through the park and onto the Launch at Craigmillar library book your place via craigmillarfest@gmail.com and show off your best farmer’s outfit.
You can find the full list of activities on the Festival website and social media – the programme is at - 
https://www.craigmillarfestival.org/assets/Festival%20Programme-2021.pdf

ACTIVITIES ON THE MOVE:

With all this thought of eating you might be feeling the need for a stroll to aid your digestion, with a side order of excellent company. The new Walking Group advertised might therefore take your fancy; it meets for short (about 1 hour), local walks on Wednesday mornings from 10am, starting at the Farmhouse, led by trained Health Walk leaders. Booking is currently required by the usual email and phone number to allow us to control group sizes and pick up relevant details from participants, particularly as we near capacity.

We have new dates for our various Friday bike related activities – book via admin@bridgendfarmhouse.org.uk, or by texting/ calling 07706674108 These activities are free but we accept donations from those able to give!

The Bike Tours comprise Leanne guiding you on mostly traffic free paths for approx 2 hours with lots of breaks, and at a very social pace. Rides are all approx 8 miles and mostly flat so all levels of experience can join though children need to be able to ride a bike. Rides leave from Bridgend Farmhouse. Bikes and helmets can be borrowed free of charge. Places are limited to 8 max. 
There will be family bike rides starting 13th August and proceeding fortnightly until 22nd October [except October 8th].
Rides for mature riders or adult novices will start 6th August and proceed every other week until 15th October, then finish on 22nd October [except 3rd September].

The Under 6s Learn to Ride classes restart 13th August and run every week until 22nd October bar the 3rd and 17th September, and 8th & 15th October [half term]. There will be 2 sessions each Friday, 2-3pm and 3-4pm. One adult per family is required to attend.
Find out how to have fun as the child progresses from balance to pedal bike. We can loan bikes for the session - please mention if one needed when booking and which time slot preferred. 

The Ladies’ Basic Bike Maintenance Classes restart 13th August and run 10am – noon every other week until 24th September, and again on 22nd October under our Marquee cover. 
There will also be mixed Basic Bike Maintenance classes so the gents can have their turn – fortnightly 20th August through to 1st October, all 10am-noon in the same space.
We envisage most folk will find one or two enough to keep them on the tracks! Early weeks are full so get your booking in fast – a puncture repair in time saves nine!

We now have a fleet of bikes for hire!
All are new decathlon bikes, you can choose from our mountain bikes and hybrid bikes:
Hybrid bike £10 per hour / £30 half day / £50 full day; 
Mountain bike £12 per hour / £36 half day / £56 full day.
Book via activetravel@bridgendfarmhouse.org.uk or call 07591882779 or 0131 564 0068

Reminders:
Our Fairy Doors are still hidden around Craigmillar Castle Park, for those little ones who like to go fairy hunting!
ind the map here: https://www.bridgendfarmhouse.org.uk/craigmillar-castle-park-map.htmlwww.bridgendfarmhouse.org.uk/craigmillar-castle-park-map.html
​
The ReDrawing Edinburgh exhibition piece on Bridgend Farmhouse created by John Nowak can still be seen at https://www.bridgendfarmhouse.org.uk/bridgend-past-and-present.html 
Thanks to Julia Novak’s we also have a virtual history tour of our area details on how to access this here https://www.bridgendfarmhouse.org.uk/bridgend-virtual-tour.html

Everyone interested is invited to a general meeting in the marquee at the farmhouse at 11am on Sunday 11th July to plan the re-opening of the café.
The café has always been a central part of Bridgend Farmhouse, it’s the place where people meet, chat, plan and entertain. Good food and good company are two of the most mentioned “needs” in our community survey and we think now is the time to get it going again, at least on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
So please come along with ideas, fully researched if possible. Suggestions so far have included: an entirely volunteer café, outsourcing the café to a social enterprise or raising funds to employ a qualified café leader. We want the café to be of a high standard – but not expensive – and we want it to be staffed largely by volunteers.  If you know of any possible sponsors, let us know. And even if you just want to volunteer one day a week, do come on Sunday and help us get this project back up and running.
If you can’t make Sunday 11th, there is a follow-up meeting on Wednesday 14th at 2pm.
Please let us know if you wish to attend via roz.angus@bridgendfarmhouse.org.uk  as we need to control numbers.

We are still finalising this and more details will be here once they are decided.
For now, we have our updated overall plan below.

We are very pleased to have won this award, which is the highest awarded to charitable organisations in the UK.
 You can read the full text of the award below:

​"Volunteers at the community-owned Bridgend Farmhouse in Edinburgh have been honoured with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.
 
The Bridgend volunteers have restored an old farmhouse and opened it as a community hub with a kitchen and café, an exhibition room, workshops for arts and crafts, bike repairs, woodwork and gardening. They are currently building an eco-bothy and a mindfulness garden.
 
“We are particularly delighted that the 80 volunteers involved in our emergency food programme at the height of Covid-19 pandemic last spring and summer have been honoured for all their hard work,” said the chair of the trustees at Bridgend John Knox. “They provided cooked food for more than 300 families, a total of 75,000 meals.”    
 
Bridgend Farmhouse is one of 241 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups across the UK to receive the prestigious award this year. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities.
It was created in 2002 to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Recipients are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation."

​On April 23rd Edinburgh City Archives’ Redrawing Edinburgh event was Bridgend Past and Present, where John Nowak, a longstanding local Bridgend Farmhouse volunteer, explored the past and present of Bridgend.
You can see it here or by using this link. https://fb.watch/56xZO4mxxb/