It was such a great week...

The last week at the hub before the Christmas holidays was an amazing one. The hub was full its regular groups and classes and lots of festive events too. We had two bushcrafting workshops making decorations and wreaths from forest material that Running Deer brought in to the hub. We also had Fin Irwin and my Spoon Fed soup-sharing micro-financing event, Exeter Baking Club's gingerbread house making spectacular and Magic Carpet's Christmas Sing with mulled wine. The hub was filled with the smells of freshly made soup with mulled apple juice, the smells of the forest after the rain came with all the freshly-cut branches of fir, willow, mistletoe and ivy that Running deer brought in, the gingerbread houses left their smell still lingering though the Pyjama Drama Christmas parties and into the Christmas sings where mulled wine added to aromafest. If only every week could be like that! In fact important things came up during that time. There are so many wonderful people in our community who stay home too much. We don't get to share good times with them because for many reasons people don't venture out. So we have plans for 2014 to make it easier to come out and have good times. 

Out thank you to Jo Winterburn, Director of Running Deer CIC who organised the six sessions at the hub which meant so much to so many people. 

Dear Jo 

I am so sorry this email comes much later than it should. I want to say a HUGE thank you to you and Liz and Janey and Sam for all you brought to the hub and did with the people who came to the sessions. People absolutely loved working with Running Deer and were thrilled with what they learnt and took away. The group brought a real buzz to the hub and brought joy to what can be quite a tricky season for some. 

I should have asked before the sessions what Running Deer hoped to get out of the sessions. Will you let me know what you think and whether it worked for you? In hindsight (after a break when i can think clearly), I wish I had sent something to the press to shout about how wonderful it was to bring the forest and bushcrafting skills into town. But in the moment, when people were really engaged that seemed enough. The last session when Janey and Liz brought half the forest in the smell was fantastic. The night before we had been making soup and mulled apple juice, then the forest arrived and that evening we made gingerbread houses with the smell of the forest still lingering. It was a magical week.  

Best wishes to you and all at Running Deer