Sims Hill Shared Harvest

Hello all! Sims Hill needs a volunteer Finance Manager who will also act as our Board Treasurer. The job description is below. If you are interested, please send a cover letter to simshillsharedharvest@gmail.com.

Role

This role will involve working closely with the Farm Manager and Chair of the Board to manage the overall finances of the business, including the grant funded projects.

This will include:

• Developing budgets and business plans
• Regular monitoring of income and spend compared to business plans
• Reporting to the Board on the financial position.
• Advising the bookkeeper where necessary on how to account for projects within the accounting package.
• Liaising with the external accountant for the year end accounts.

Skills needed:

• Financial and Business experience
• Good Communication
• Experience of financial accounting packages and Excel

Desirable:

• Accounting experience
• Experience of Quick Books
• Knowledge of vegetable growing projects and challenges of this sector.

The book keeping and financial administration is not part of this role.

 Love what Sims Hill does but don’t need a veg share because you have an allotment or garden? Why not join us as a support member. For a monthly donation of any amount from as little as £3 and up, you can become part of the project. We’ll keep you informed of what’s going on and you will be welcome to take part in our membership meetings. You are also very welcome to volunteer at the site and come and join in our monthly workdays. At the same time you’ll know that you’re supporting local food growing in Bristol and our work with vulnerable communities and schools. To sign up contact us or fill in our membership form and send it to simshillmembership@gmail.com.

The Sims Hill Community Food Centre is now open for referrals!

This is an exciting new project that aims to create a community around food growing, cooking and sharing. Taking inspiration from a progressive movement in Canada, the project supports individuals that require emergency food provisions to have access to good quality, healthy and local food.

The Community Food Centre which will take place at Sims Hill’s site at Feed Bristol every Thursday, involves a gardening session followed by a big meal prepared and cooked by the group. The group members have access to a free veg bag from by Sims Hill growers for nine weeks and will receive £45 of vouchers for the Real Economy Coop, as well as a free lunch at the site. The Real Economy Coop sources good quality, local and organic food from local producers and delivers to food clubs around Bristol.

We are currently looking for volunteers who would be available on Thursdays to help with running the session and helping to prepare the lunch. Please spread the word or get in touch to find out more.

Thanks!

laurie@realeconomy.co.uk.

Dear Sims Hill members!

To this end we are launching a crowdfunder, scheduled to begin in the first week of November.

We are looking for all kinds of other help too.  We expect to put in a months graft through October building up contact lists and networks, approaching various people from businesses to radio stations to get donations and advertising and obviously building the crowdfunder page itself- with a video and photos, Sims hills backstory, a breakdown of what we need and how much it’ll cost etc.

• Networks and contacts that we could use to promote our campaign and raise contributions:
• Media contacts
• Business contacts – local or corporate
• Knowledgeable about the local area and its history or have old photos
• Social networking skills
• Event co-ordinating skillcake baking food making skills
• A wealthy benefactor
• Items/services we can offer as rewards for contributions
• Storytelling skills
• Musical skills
• Journalistic and creative writing skills

If you can help please email Freya Widdicombe on tattyjinwych@gmail.com.

From grower Tim Lawrence:

We are looking for a team of 8-10 people to skin the polytunnel on Sunday 30th June from 10 am to until it is done (hopefully by 4 pm.) Bring lunch and a hammer! Text Time on 07973256572 if you are up for it. Cheers!