Garden Organic Plans to Close Ryton Organic Gardens.

[mothhawk]

It's sad to think the gardens may disappear under buildings but times change. A great many more people are gardening and growing sustainably and/or organically and the internet has masses of advice and guides to help anyone get started. Organic growing is much more mainstream now than it was in the eighties.

Surely better to become more flexible in how the message about organic growing is brought to the public -getting the organisation out to the people, rather than expecting the people to come to them. (Which clearly they are not, with visitor numbers down to 8000 last year).

[seasprout]

I am so angry at this. Members shouldn't be the last to find out.

Staff were only just told, and apparently it missed the window for the newsletter so it's ok for the membership to find out on FB & Twitter, but GO can't be bothered to send out an email. Will be in the Spring Organic Way apparently, but by then the news will be at least 2 months old.

HSL is apparently going on, but not sure how it will work.

The staff knew last Autumn, they have had to keep their mouths shut.

[bikermike]

I got this back from GO
Did anyone get this letter? frankly, I binned a bunch of newsletters as I hadn't had time to read them, so mea culpa if they did...
"All members were sent a letter with the September 2017 issue of The Organic Way with information on possible changes at Ryton. I'm sorry it sounds like you didn't receive this information, we currently have an address on file for you at [ ] so please let me know if this needs to be updated.



Below is the full message sent out with the magazine:



Dear Member,



For 60 years Garden Organic has sought to protect the rich, interdependent, diverse life that makes up our gardens and growing spaces. We are proud to call more than 20,000 members family.



Since moving to Ryton in 1985, the challenges and opportunities we face have changed enormously. Society has changed. Our environment has changed – and continues to do so. In that time, organic growing has become more mainstream and there are now more opportunities to see this in practice across the country.



We exist to get people growing organically – and as we look to the future we want to take our message to more people, communities and schools than ever before. If we are to do this, then now is the time for us to change, and for the way we work to change.



In recent years, it has become clear that the running costs of our base at Ryton are limiting our ability to operate to our full potential. The site is simply too expensive to run and means we are unable to fund projects in other parts of the country where we believe we can make a real difference.



We are fortunate and hugely grateful for the financial support we receive from generous donors each year. We want to make the best use of these donations, and find a sustainable way to operate in the future that will allow us to deliver more projects and have a greater impact across the country and further afield.



That is why our Board of Trustees has asked Garden Organic’s management team to look at the options for the Ryton site that are in the best interest of the long-term future of the charity. Ryton holds a special place in our hearts – as we are sure is the case with many of our members. We will be exploring all possible options for the site, but we need to release the financial pressure that comes with owning and managing the land and buildings.



This will allow us to invest more of our time and money in projects that will have the biggest impact and reach the most people.



We are telling you now because we wanted to be open with you about our plans for the future of the charity. While we explore our options, the gardens at Ryton will remain open as usual. Whatever happens in the future, we will keep you informed every step of the way.



This is our chance to move Garden Organic into a new era – one which will better enable us to deliver our vision of a healthy and sustainable world that has embraced organic growing



Together we can ensure that Garden Organic continues to deliver its message to gardeners and communities for another 60 years.



Yours faithfully,



James Campbell

Chief Executive"

[veggiechicken]

There's another thread about this at http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ens_95431.html

Perhaps a Kind and Clever Mod could merge the two??

[Thelma Sanders]

We are telling you now because we wanted to be open with you about our plans for the future of the charity. While we explore our options, the gardens at Ryton will remain open as usual. Whatever happens in the future, we will keep you informed every step of the way.

IMO they didn't actually do that, though, did they? They never actually spelt out that the option of selling Ryton was on the cards, or it wouldn't have been such a shock.

[bikermike]

don't suppose you have the text of the letter? as I say, I suspect I binned it without reading it.

annoying, I support their work, and there's not really an other organisation doing what they do.

[veggiechicken]

A FB group has been set up https://www.facebook.com/Save-Ryton-...9756168536705/
Even Bob Flowerdew was unaware of the proposal to sell Ryton.

GO have posted an update on their website https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/new...e-january-2017

[Greenleaves]

There's another thread about this at http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ens_95431.html

Perhaps a Kind and Clever Mod could merge the two??

Your wish is my command.....

[veggiechicken]

Thank you, Mr Kind & Clever Mod, Sir.

[Potstubsdustbins]

ON the outside looking in, I am a non-organic gardener, this would seem a pure profit based decision.

Yes I know they are a charity but so many charities these days seem to put the board of directors before the aims of the charity and to be quite honest the letter reproduced above leaves me in great doubt about this lot.......

[seasprout]

Save Ryton Organic Gardens Social Media Sites.

I thought some of might be interested in knowing that a Save Ryton Gardens Facebook & Twitter feed have been set up.

https://t.co/K3WPh2w0Uo

https://twitter.com/Save_Ryton_Gdns

[bikermike]

latest flim-flammery in Garden Organic, the detail is hidden on the inside of the folded paper with the agm agenda. no refs to it being inside and nothing on the agenda.

the "welcome" piece by the "chief executive" is setting up the "can't live in the past" line for avoiding proper debate

frustrating. not sure I caj be bothered to do more than not renew, but if anyone is going to the agm and wants a proxy vote, pm me...

[seasprout]

I’m in two minds about going to the agm, as it’s a Friday I’d have to book a day off, however I don’t want to use a day off work on what could potentially be a total farcical shouting match & a done deal

Looking at the agm agenda, point 9 is reserved “for discussion on the future plans for the full site at Ryton”.. I note no vote mentioned.

[mothhawk]

Garden Organic professes to have 40,000 supporters, but it had only 8000 visitors last year. That sends a fairly straight-forward message about the usefulness of the gardens. If those 40,000 all clubbed together and gave the cost of a years membership, they'd have more than £1.3 million to put in an offer for the place.

[bikermike]

depending on their definition of supporters, they already do (I certainly pay my subs).

I agree there is a problem with 8k visitors, but flogging an appreciating capital asset (they aren't making any more land), seems like a bad idea. they've sold off their income stream from the catalogue, what next?