New community garden planned at the Farm
Earlier this year, we submitted an application to the Mayor of London’s ‘Grow Back Greener Fund’, to create new community garden here at the Farm.
The Grow Back Greener Fund, co-funded by the Mayor of London and Thames Water, has now awarded £1.4m to 45 community projects that will create and enhance green spaces and increase climate resilience. The fund prioritises projects in areas of deprivation, high climate risk and poor access to green space. This year's fund has two themed strands: access to green space, and climate change adaptation and water.
We are delighted to say that we are one of the selected projects!
Blue sky on Buxton street
Working with a number of partners, including the parks department of Tower Hamlets Council, Spacehub and Soundings we will create a co-designed 500m2 community garden on a disused piece of land, adjacent to Spitalfields City Farm. The Ram & Magpie site currently suffers from serious anti-social behaviour on a daily basis.
The garden will be created in collaboration with the local community who use (or could use) the space. Local residents will be empowered to take ownership of the site, initially helping them to design it and subsequently through volunteering roles in stewardship and light maintenance.
Three initial designs for the site will be presented to the community early next year, as potential options for the site. After initial consultation, ideas will be redefined into a single design, which will be presented again to the community for approval. Once a final design has been agreed, we will work with local residents and partners on the build phase.
Positive engagement in activities, such as volunteering will promote a sense of value and achievement, develop and strengthening community and social ties and promote better health & wellbeing. The new garden will help reduce stress and promote better mental health through time spent outside.