Introducing: Jacob's Island

We have a brand new project emerging on a small piece of land we've adopted. We are affectionately dubbing this project: 'Jacob's Island'. (More details about who Jacob is and how the project came to be below).

Join us for an update on the project as well as seeing the new suicide prevention bench, for anyone who wants to get stuck in we will be doing some cutting back and pruning and tending to this calm little slice of paradise. Feel free to just come for the chat though! We're also open to ideas for the future of this exciting new project.

As always we will be checking in with ourselves and each other and welcome discussion about life's ups and downs, but there's no expectation to speak unless you're ready.

Instructions will be given and feel free to work at your own pace and ability with some nice chats along the way - No experience necessary.
If you do have your own gloves and tools then this would be really helpful. Hand tools like loppers, shears, secateurs would be brilliant.

Please wear suitable clothing and sturdy footwear for the weather and for getting messy. Wear shorts and t-shirts at your own risk - scratches and stings are common in the pursuit of nature!

[Jacob Verhoef, who has sadly just passed away, was a well known resident and business owner in Haxby, and volunteered his time and expertise, cultivating a large grass verge with plants and trees for over 30 years, eventually earning him Freeman of the Town.

Jacob's efforts have inspired our group's commitment to try and maintain this land as the oasis of beauty and tranquility he designed it to be. Our thoughts are with Jacobs family and we will be celebrating him further when the time is right.]

(We are also looking for someone local and ideally with some horticultural knowledge to help lead this project so if it feels like it might be something you could do, please email us at sam@menfulness.org.)

TOILETS - We currently do not have reliable access to a toilet on site! The doctors surgery opposite have offered theirs when they are open and there is a pub 2 minutes walk away. We are working on other solutions in the mean time and will keep sessions short until this is resolved.

PARKING - There is very limited parking space around the 'Island' with double yellow lines reecently being added. We recommend people to park on Oaken Grove, near the junction with Moor Lane, and walking the few minutes to the Island, which is on the junction of Station Road and The Village, Haxby.

BUS - You can also reach the allotment via the Number 1 bus and get off at the 'Moor Lane' stop next to Wigginton Recreation Hall and cross the road.