IN THE FRONT ROOM AT SQUASH, DROP IN / FREE / BY DONATION
‘Seed is not just the source of life. It is the very foundation of our being.’ -Vandana Shiva, environmental activist and global seed sovereignty advocate.
Our annual seed share is a really important event in the growing year and is the only one of its kind in Merseyside. At Squash, we’re passionate about seed-saving & sharing and have been building the Toxteth Seed Library since 2010 – a fundamental element of our 100 Year Vision for Windsor Street and L8 neighbourhood. Come and meet the Squash gardeners, who are the seed keepers and caretakers of this great legacy.
Every year, seasoned growers and budding beginners join us from across the city region with a shared passion and excitement for the great potential of the simple seed. Come along to pick up some free seeds to grow this spring and if you can, bring seeds you’ve saved to share. Our seed stock is abundant with many varieties of vegetables, herbs & salad with some flowers & wildflowers, nurtured organically with love on Windsor Street.
There’ll also be mindful crafting and art-making with seeds, lead by local crafters and gardeners.
IMBOLC
SUNDAY 1ST FEBRUARY 1-3PM
AT THE GRAPES COMMUNITY FOOD GARDEN
Come by and help celebrate Imbolc, the Irish/Celtic/Gaelic marking of the promise of spring and the first festival of the 8-fold year of 2026. It marks the point between the Winter Solstice in December and the Spring Equinox in March. It’s a time to check in with each other and the land. At this gentle annual gathering, we invite you to join local gardeners, artists & cooks to;
reflect together around the fire about winter challenges and hope for the coming spring
help make Brigid crosses
plant up onions, garlic and broad beans; some of the earliest veg we can sow in the year
bless the gardens of the street and look ahead to the growing year
help make fresh butter and taste flatbreads made over the fire*
draw & write spring affirmations and share rituals at the altar
Join in this gentle crafting session to make your own Brigid crosses with locally grown reeds, in time for Imbolc. Places are free / by suggested donation of £5/10. Booking essential. Book your place here
*Traditional foods associated with Imbolc are dairy inc. milk, butter & cheese and grains/bread and will feature at this year’s Imbolc celebration.
WASSAIL!
SATURDAY 17TH JANUARY 2pm till dusk…
Every January, we celebrate the apple & other fruit trees of Windsor Street and Princes Park by singing round the fire, making a racket with pots and pans to wake up the land, sharing messages & poems of hope for a good blossom & growing season, and welcoming the new annual apple guardians, which involves eating cake & sipping hot mulled apple punch.
This year, together with the Friends of Princes Park* and Hope Street Harmonies Choir, we invite you to join our Wassail Trail, from the Grapes Community Garden, journeying up Windsor Street ending up at the mini orchard in Princes Park, wassailing fruit trees along the way. We’ll sing and dance for the Windsor St community fruit trees, the crab apples of Windsor St School, the mighty Devonshire Rd quince tree and the apples & pear trees in the park! If you have a fruit tree you’d like us to wassail nearby, let us know!
ROUGH TIMINGS – WALKING & WASSAILING AS WE GO:
2PM MEET AT GRAPES COMMUNITY FOOD GARDEN FOR FIRE, SONG, PAN-BASHING & MORE
3PM WASSAILING AT SQUASH + APPLE CAKE NEW GUARDIAN WELCOME
3.30PM WASSAILING WINDSOR STREET
4-5PM PRINCES PARK ORCHARD WASSAIL
Everyone is welcome! By donation/solidarity fundraiser for Soup-it-Forward.
BRING AN OLD POT AND A STICK/WOODEN OR METAL UTENSIL TO BASH!
BRING YOUR BELLS AND WHISTLES. BRING APPLES TO SHARE.
DRESS FOR THE WEATHER AND TO GLADDEN YOUR HEART!
At Squash our apple trees are our ‘more than human’ partners in our 100-year vision – which began with the planting of apples trees in The Grapes Community Food Garden in 2010. If nurtured, an apple tree can live for up to 100 years. Our love of wassailing comes from a shared passion for ritual, being close to nature & community and feeling embodied in the seasons.
*The Friends of Princes Park are a group of local people who want to Princes Park thrive for people and nature. They are a volunteer led and run charitable organisation which works in partnership with the Liverpool City Council, organised by an elected FoPP Executive Committee. They do tree work including planting and coppicing, bulbs, shrub and wildflower planting and have planted over 4000 trees over the last 17 years, increasing the biodiversity and wildlife of the park. They organise other activities such as tree walks, wildlife walks and picnics. Volunteer sessions run in the park every other Sunday between 10:30 and 14:30 all year round.
Wassailing, from the Anglo-Saxon phrase ‘waes hael’, which means ‘good health’, is a traditional, rousing ritual of fire, food, song and togetherness in nature in the winter depths, to celebrate the apple trees and to warm them up for the coming spring and to encourage a bountiful harvest. ‘Historic UK’ say There are two distinct variations of wassailing. One involves groups of merrymakers going from one house to another, wassail bowl in hand, singing traditional songs and generally spreading fun and good wishes. The other form of wassailing is generally practiced in the countryside, particularly in fruit growing regions, where it is the trees that are blessed.Wassailing (historic-uk.com)This year we’ll attempt a bit of both. We’ll be collecting for our ‘Soup-it-Forward’ initiative along the way.
Apple wassailing was traditionally celebrated by orchard & cider-making communities in the West Country, and in the Welsh border counties. It happened on ‘Old twelfy night’ before the Gregorian calendar – which falls on 17th January. Modern wassails happen all over the country throughout January.
FOOD IS A HUMAN RIGHT
FOOD IS A HUMAN RIGHT poster project is a SQUASH collaboration with artist Corbin LaMont that has come out of conversations on the state of current & historic enforced starvations in many places across the world.
The A3 posters are available to purchase for £15 in the Squash shop or can be ordered in for collection. Profits from sales will go to Khartoum Aid Kitchen in Sudan and our own Soup it Forward campaign. See all the posters below.
The posters will be available to purchase on Christmas Day in the Squash shop when we’re open 12 noon till 2pm, and when we’re back open 10th January.
We put a call out for translations of the statement from our Squash community and have made posters in 13 languages so far:
In Jude’s own words; “This series of photographic images documents scenes from celebrational gatherings led by Squash Liverpool CIC throughout the Eightfold Celtic Calendar year. During these events, we are openly invited to come together onto the street, into the community garden and the local park to celebrate the seasonal turning and bridging points of the year, We are encouraged to explore themes of inclusivity, creativity, community, connection and joy as well as developing an awareness about the value of each season. In this modern society, often driven by quantitative results, these events are an invaluable and rare opportunity to be able to enter a space of reflection and deep time. Where stories are told, steps are danced, songs are sung and food is shared around the fire. Where strangers become friends and kindness is the currency of exchange. Where we may stop for a moment to open our hearts and minds.”
The photos below include some in the exhibition and others chosen by Jude and Squash social artist Clare Owens that show some of the breadth & depth of Squash ritual practice and Jude’s tender capture.
SUMMER SOLSTICE 2025BEALTAINE 2024IMBOLC, 2025HEALING GARDEN FIRE, 2021BRIGID CROSS MAKING, IMBOLC 2025SUMMER SOLSTICE, 2024SAMHAIN, 2025DUSKING, 2025BEALTAINE/MAYDAY, 2025IMBOLC, 2025SPRING EQUINOX, 2024JON B DRAWING IN THE GARDEN, 2021IMBOLC, 2025SUMMER SOLSTICE, 2025SAMHAIN, 2025SUMMER SOLSTICE, 2025SUMMER SOLSTICE, 2025IMBOLC, 2025WINTER SOLSTICE, 2021SUMMER SOLSTICE, 2025L8-FOLD YEAR WINDOW DRAWING BY ANGELICA VANASSE, 2025
WINTER SOLSTICE WEEKENDER
Come and find some light on these shortest days. Let’s walk out together, nestle in around the fire, and make time for gentle chats, rituals and reflections. All welcome for calm times. Access information below.
SOLSTICE EVE, SATURDAY 20TH DECEMBER 12 NOON – 4PM
FIRE CHATS & REFLECTIONS. 12 NOON – 4PM
Stare into the fire, catch up with yourself, have a chat… a gentle hearth for Solstice Eve.
FESTIVE TUNES FROM HOPE STREET HARMONIES CHOIR. 1PM
Come hear festive tunes round the fire from Liverpool’s acapella songstresses! Solstice and Christmas tunes plus fun favourites!
An invitation to gently prepare for solstice with song, movement, art, craft & fire cider in the gentle front room, with artists Angelica, Clare & Becky. We ask that you remove your shoes at the door for optimum comfort, so maybe bring warm socks!
SUNDAY 21ST DECEMBER 8AM – 4PM
SOLSTICE SUNRISE WALK. 8AM – 10AM
This Winter Solstice sunrise, come welcome in the returning light at the big oak in Princes Park, with communal songs led by Rachel from Holistic Harmonies. We’ll then journey together on a ritual walk up Windsor Street with the Squash crew & artist Andrea to the spring at St. James / cathedral gardens. See below for more info.
QUEER KIN COLLECTIVE 10 – 12 NOON
A beautiful wellbeing offering from Liverpool’s queer kin for all the community.
SEW THE SOLSTICE. 10.30AM – 1PM
Stop by for some seasonal embroidery in the calm front room with artist Tabitha
STREET RITUALS. 11-2PM
Join in solstice street drawing and ritual garlic & onion plantings with Jackie, Becky & Clare
FIRE CHATS & REFLECTIONS. 11AM – 4PM
Stare into the fire, catch up with yourself, have a chat… a gentle hearth for the shortest day.
The Squash cafe & shop will be open on the Winter Solstice Weekender from 10am – 4pm on the Saturday & Sunday for tasty festive food and great produce & gifts.
ACCESS INFO
Solstice Sunrise Walk. Sunday 21st December – Meet at the big oak by Woodhenge in Princes Park from 8am. Sunrise is 8.25am, so it will be gently light at 8am in civil twilight time.
The nearest entrance to the gathering in Princes Park is the gate on the corner of Devonshire Road West & Belvidere Road (approx postcode L8 3TZ). There is parking available on both these roads. From the gate there are 2 ways to arrive at the oak tree near Woodhenge, both are on uneven surfaces. One is via an uneven, stony & asphalt path to the right, followed by a short (20 metre) walk on a grass path. The other is over a grassed field, approx 100 metres. Any issues on the day call 07791155998. There is no toilet on site.
From approx 8.30am we’ll walk up Windsor Street to the spring in St.James /Cathedral gardens. This space is reached by a long downhill path and there are some uneven surfaces.
We will then walk to Squash for approx 10am. Squash, 112-114 Windsor Street, L8 8EQ
The Squash building is fully accessible including level threshold entrance (shop/cafe) and ramp access to the garden. Accessible toilet.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANGELICA VANASSE. GRAPHICS BY JON BARRACLOUGH
FOOD IS A HUMAN RIGHT; ART & SOUP NIGHT
WEDNESDAY 17TH DECEMBER 6PM-8PM
FOOD IS A HUMAN RIGHT poster project is a SQUASH collaboration with artist Corbin LaMont that has come out of conversations on the state of current & historic enforced starvations in many places across the world. We put a call out for translations of the statement from our Squash community and have made posters in 13 languages so far. Albanian, Arabic, Bemba, Chinese, English, French, Gaeilge/Irish, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Urdu & Vietnamese. In our local area there are upward of 25 different languages spoken between us all.
We launch the poster collection at Art & Soup Night when they will be available to purchase in the Squash shop. Profits from sales will go to Khartoum Aid Kitchen | Sudan Relief and our own Soup it Forward campaign. If you’re not able to come, posters will be for sale in the Squash shop or you can donate here.
Come by for a bowl of soup available to purchase in the cafe. There’ll also be space to respond to the statement in writing & drawing.
Big love & thanks to Edi, Waseilah, Hellen, Chileshe, Zilan, Julie, Maria, Niamh, Angelica, Fabio, Anita, Asia, Gabriella, Isaac, Rachael, Saad, Saad’s mum and Anna for translation support.
SOLIDARITY CHRISTMAS DAY
THURSDAY 25TH DECEMBER 12 NOON – 2PM
FREE / BY DONATION / FUNDRAISER
Everyone is welcome to our eighth annual Christmas Day opening! Come along to enjoy tasty food and great company!
If you or someone you know would like to come, whether for half an hour or the whole afternoon, we’re really looking forward to seeing you. And please spread the word!
This Christmas Day we’ll be raising funds for Habibti Liverpool – the amazing local women who raise awareness and resources for Al Sabeen Children’s Hospital in Sanaa, Yemen and Squash’s own ‘Soup-it-Forward’ initiative. If you can’t make it along on the day, but would like to donate, please give direct through the links above or via Squash and we will share.
It’ll be cosy in the cafe and there will be a fire outside so please wrap up warm! Bring your hat, scarf and if it’s extra chilly, we’ve got a few blankets! There will be options for take-away available. Please note we are an alcohol-free space. Please bring tasty sweet treats to share!
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from us all at Squash!
KITCHEN PORTER NEEDED!
SQUASH IS LOOKING TO FOR A KITCHEN PORTER TO JOIN OUR CAFE KITCHEN TEAM TO SUPPORT OUR BUSY VEGETARIAN & VEGAN CAFE!
This is short term contract from November 2025 until end of March 2026
PLEASE EMAIL YOUR C.V. DETAILING YOUR RELATED EXPERIENCE AND WHY YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK AT SQUASH TO becky@squashliverpool.co.uk
Deadline for applications is 6th November
Pay: Real Living Wage £12.60 per hour
Hours per week: approximately 22 hours a week including weekends
Place of work: Squash, 112-114 Windsor Street, Toxteth, Liverpool, L8 8EQ
Selected candidates will be offered paid trail shifts. To find out more about Squash and meet the team, drop by on Saturday 1st November 10am – 11am.
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Reports to: Kitchen Manager
Role: The Kitchen Porter will play a vital role in keeping & maintaining the Squash café and kitchen a clean, organised and welcoming space.
Key Tasks
Wash, clean and store kitchen equipment, dishes and utensils
Clear cafe tables and keep cafe environment clean and tidy during and after service
Keep the kitchen, storage areas and back of house spaces clean, tidy and well-organised.
Empty and sort waste, recycling and compost, following Squash’s environmental principles.
Help receive and store deliveries safely and efficiently.
Support the kitchen team with basic food preparation (e.g. washing and chopping vegetables).
This job includes physical work including lifting heavy items and mopping.
The Kitchen Porter will:
Maintain high standards of food hygiene and safety at all times.
Work with the Kitchen Manager and kitchen team to ensure smooth service.
Uphold Squash’s ethos & values and contribute to a positive, caring and inclusive workplace culture.
Person Specification
Essential
· Reliable, punctual and hardworking.
· Able to work efficiently in a busy kitchen environment.
· Can work independently and as part of a team
· Commitment to cleanliness, hygiene and food safety.
· Willingness to learn and take direction.
· Enthusiasm for Squash’s community values and sustainable approach to food.
Desirable
· Experience working in a café, restaurant or community kitchen.
· Basic food hygiene certificate (training will be given).
· Interest in sustainable food, growing or cooking.
What Squash offers
· A friendly, inclusive and creative workplace.
· Opportunities for training and development.
· Staff meals during shifts.
· Support to grow your skills and confidence in a community food setting
About Squash
Squash Liverpool C.I.C. is a pioneering, award-winning community organisation, rooted and home-grown on Windsor Street, Liverpool 8. Since 2010 we have been making positive social change and prioritising wellbeing for all in our neighbourhood through participatory food and art practices including food-growing and cooking, arts and crafts, and through our community food business; an ingredients-based food shop, community café & catering service.
We are a Community Interest Company (CIC) – a not-for-profit membership organisation that is accountable to our community and we work alongside local residents embracing food as an essential tool to improve health and well-being.
SATEMENT ON SQUASH WITHDRAWING FROM BBC MAKE A DIFFERENCE AWARDS
25TH SEPTEMBER 2025
Squash Liverpool C.I.C were recently shortlisted for the BBC’s Make a Difference Awards 2025 in the Green/Environmental category. After discussion with our board and team, we have decided to withdraw from the awards process and ceremony taking place this evening.
Alongside many in our community, we at Squash are deeply concerned about the BBC’s ongoing biased reporting on the genocide in Gaza/Occupied Palestinian Territories, and as such we cannot align ourselves with the BBC.
The Centre for Media Monitoring’s 2025 report ‘concludes that the BBC is systematically biased against Palestinians in Gaza war coverage. Analysis of 35,000+ pieces of BBC content shows Israeli deaths given 33 times more coverage, per fatality, and significantly more emotive language.’
Squash believes in a Free Palestine and we will continue to raise awareness of and outrage about the genocide of the people of Palestine by Israel. Our solidarity work has included sharing information, community walks, multi-lingual poster making (‘Call for a Permanent Ceasefire’ & ‘Food is a Human Right’), seed-plantings, creating spaces for community members to share thoughts, feelings, knowledge & information about the atrocities taking place, and fundraising for Medical Aid for Palestinians, All Our Relations and the Union of Agricultural Work Committees/Local Seed Bank in Palestine via Exeter Seed Bank at our regular seasonal events.
Please get in touch if you’d like to get involved. Our next gathering is Samhain on Saturday 1st November.
Free Palestine.
Big love to our Habibti Liverpool sisters who have also withdrawn from the awards.
Images:
1. Palestinian flag in Grapes Community Garden. Photo by Angelica Vanasse
2. Food is a Human Right poster campaign 2025. Project by Clare Owens & Corbin LaMont. Design by Corbin LaMont
3. Tears/water drops embroidery made during community workshop for Lughnasadh with artist Tabitha Moses. Photo by Angelica Vanasse
4. Summer Solstice dawn procession 2025 on Windsor St. Photo by Clare Owens
5. Squash building w/posters. Photo by Clare Owens
6. Call for Permanent Ceasefire poster campaign 2024. Design by Corbin LaMont
7. Solidarity tablecloth 2023. Lead artist Tabitha Moses with 30+ community embroiders. Photo by Clare Owens
