Our strong communities and committed volunteers are a very special part of Aberconwy.
Supporting them is a key part of Our Plan. So it was a privilege to join the Llandudno Allotment Association on Sunday for their annual prize giving.
It was a wonderful afternoon in the sunshine with the allotments looking very different to my last visit. First up to be judged was best basket of produce. The win went to Alan, the Treasurer (all the judging was blind!) for his array of organically produced, beautiful presented, large produce and soft fruits.
Next were the sweet peas which smelled very fragrant. First prize went to Kim, (pictured with colour coordinated friend and ally Nia!) The legal tape decoration is a story for another day...
Finally, it was the best scarecrow, which went to a very life-like (below the neck, anyway!) model produced by the team of Sean, Glyn and Michelle with the help of Bill and Caroline and others.
It's also a fabulous story of how working on the allotment - planting, tending and harvesting produce - has really helped Sean and Glyn with day-to-day skills like socialising and practical matters like diet. Bill and Caroline deserve real credit for their work on this. However, the whole allotment has been welcoming and done their bit accepting Glyn and Sean's assistance!
Back at allotment 'HQ', chairman Finn and my host for my last visit, Ian, made sure I enjoyed some of the sandwiches and cake that had been prepared (the lime and courgette cake was delicious!).
I found myself chatting with Janet and her husband Harry who used to make prosthetics. In the course of his career he started crafting them in wood, and finished working with carbon fibre - the people I meet here never cease to impress and amaze me.
The new Environment Officer on the committee, Richard, also told me about plans to make the allotment more sustainable - using more compost, generating electricity and more. There is a real opportunity to use it to show allotment users how they can also reduce their own carbon footprint at home.
All in all it was a great afternoon and I came away thinking this really is the best of communities - making a safe place, sharing values, building strong relationships, having a vision and seeing changes along the way. Well done all and thanks again. I look forward to the next visit!
Ymuno â Chymdeithas Rhandiroedd Llandudno yn eu seremoni flynyddol i roi gwobrau
Mae ein cymunedau cryf a’n gwirfoddolwyr ymrwymedig yn rhan arbennig iawn o Aberconwy.
Mae eu cefnogi yn rhan allweddol o’n Cynllun. Felly, roedd hi’n fraint cael ymuno â Chymdeithas Rhandiroedd Llandudno ddydd Sul i ddathlu eu gwobr flynyddol.
Roedd hi’n brynhawn bendigedig yn yr haul gyda’r rhandiroedd yn edrych yn wahanol iawn i’m hymweliad diwethaf. Y cyntaf i gael ei farnu oedd y fasged orau o gynnyrch. Alan, y Trysorydd, oedd yr enillydd (roedd yr holl feirniadu’n ddall!) am ei gasgliad o gynnyrch mawr a ffrwythau meddal, a oedd wedi’u cynhyrchu’n organig, ac wedi’u cyflwyno’n hyfryd.
Nesaf, roedd y pys melys a oedd yn arogli’n bersawrus iawn. Aeth y wobr gyntaf i Kim, (yn y llun mae Kim gyda’i ffrind Nia, y ddwy ohonynt yn gwisgo lliwiau cyfliw!) Mae’r addurniadau â thâp yn stori ar gyfer diwrnod arall...
Yn olaf, dyma’r bwgan brain gorau, a oedd yn debyg iawn i un go iawn (o dan y gwddf, beth bynnag!) a gynhyrchwyd gan dîm Sean, Glyn a Michelle gyda chymorth Bill a Caroline ac eraill.
Mae hefyd yn stori wych am sut mae gweithio ar y rhandir – plannu, tendio a chynaeafu cynnyrch – wedi bod o gymorth mawr i Sean a Glyn gyda sgiliau o ddydd i ddydd fel cymdeithasu a materion ymarferol fel deiet. Mae Bill a Caroline yn haeddu clod mawr am eu gwaith ar hyn. Fodd bynnag, mae’r rhandir cyfan wedi bod yn groesawgar ac wedi gwneud eu rhan yn derbyn cymorth Glyn a Sean!
Yn ôl yn y rhandir, fe wnaeth Finn, y cadeirydd, ac Ifan, fy lletywr ar gyfer fy ymweliad diwethaf, wneud yn siŵr fy mod yn mwynhau rhai o’r brechdanau a’r cacennau a oedd wedi cael eu paratoi (roedd y gacen courgette a leim yn flasus!).
Bûm yn sgwrsio â Janet a’i gŵr Harry a oedd yn arfer gwneud prostheteg. Yn ystod ei yrfa, dechreuodd eu saernïo mewn pren, gan orffen gyda ffibr carbon – dydy’r bobl rwy’n cwrdd â nhw yma byth yn peidio â fy rhyfeddu a chreu argraff arnaf.
Dywedodd Richard, y Swyddog Amgylchedd newydd ar y pwyllgor, wrthyf hefyd am gynlluniau i wneud y rhandir yn fwy cynaliadwy – gan ddefnyddio mwy o gompost, cynhyrchu trydan a mwy. Mae cyfle gwirioneddol i’w ddefnyddio i ddangos i ddefnyddwyr rhandiroedd sut y gallant hefyd leihau eu hôl-troed carbon eu hunain gartref.
At ei gilydd, roedd yn brynhawn gwych ac fe ddes i oddi yna yn meddwl mai dyma’r ochr orau o gymunedau – gwneud lle diogel, rhannu gwerthoedd, meithrin perthnasoedd cryf, cael gweledigaeth a gweld newidiadau ar hyd y ffordd. Da iawn chi a diolch eto. Rydw i’n edrych ymlaen at yr ymweliad nesaf yn barod!