Project Bloom - The Problem is the Solution?

Your seasonal update on Project Bloom and a question you might just be able to help us with?

"Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change."
— Brené Brown

Hi all,

How’s your day going?

I’m writing a short update that will be scheduled for when we are away adventuring in our new camper van!

It’s a regular segment here usually for paid subs on my holistic wellbeing project ‘Project Bloom’.

Incase you missed it here is a project update on our permaculture project ‘The Soil Web’ which was brought to life in the most unexpected and timely way earlier this year.

On noticing

I was sad to notice it doesn’t rain actually inside my greenhouse this week. Lots of my seedlings which had gained strength and were waiting for the perfect planting moment didn’t get it or any water as we got busy and embraced rainy day after rainy day.

A lesson perhaps in not planting or taking on so much in life or here at home.

Some plants have lived to tell the tale, others haven’t and as the other healthier shoots take up more space in our raised beds. As we work around the beautiful chaos of bringing up kids and terrace life over school holidays, it’s all ok.

On making space for new ideas

I have never run out of ideas but on multiple occasions I’ve run out of energy to deliver them.

We are a few months into our soil bio-diversity project ‘The Soil Web.’ It’s ended up being so much more than a composting project and it has SO much potential.

We’ve been testing different methods, working with partners, surveying keen allotment garden owners, talking to our community and there has been so much joy when our experiments have paid off.

Yesterday, I got a rejection from an expression of interest which would have seen us scale the project here in the UK intercepting food waste.

In the same window of time, I realised our preferred worm hotel are stopping shipping within the UK due to manufacturing and “brexit” issues.¹

I suspected things like this might be coming speaking to other smaller business owners who have stopped shipping into Europe as it’s too complex and costly.

We are indeed here in the UK on an island and it’s never felt more ridiculous. Ridiculous because partnerships build capacity and ridiculous because how can we support our healing planet if we focus inwards only? This is where I need your help.

I want to continue to give my time for free to the project and work on a new funding application but to do it I’ll need to hear from you so I can feed in research and a more sure footed way forward…

Could you choose one of the following questions and answer it in the comments for me?

• Could you support a worm hotel project at a local school?

• Could you support a worm hotel project within walking distance of where you live?

• Would you take on a project in your own garden if we gave you all the support you needed (for free)?

Incase you’re wondering, support would look like;

• building and positioning a worm hotel, watching some videos to understand what to do, telling others about it in real life and online.

If you’d prefer to answer in a quick poll rather than the comments your wish is my command…

Thanks so much for indulging me in the next creative stage of the project - I appreciate you more than you know and I do know worm hotels are a “hard sell” but I wouldn’t even be trying if I didn’t think it was so so worth it for our wellbeing and the children that will inherit what we leave behind here.

I organised a huge cultural event on climate change last month and only two people in our 100 delegates took public transport. There are so many ways with our carbon footprint but this way, with soil, with life, with wellbeing is honestly something so so special and will change the economy of everything in our communities if we can get people to listen.

Sending sparkles and I promise a longer catch up on all things wellbeing my end on my return from our adventures,

Claire x

1. Not my vote!