Creating a Community Growing Space in Grove Park & Rejuvinating Allotment Site For Community Open Days

We are really pleased to be working with Lee and District Land Club Cooperative, to bring back into use the Baring Road allotment site. As part of the site, we will also be creating a community focused growing space within the allotment site, with the aim of supporting wellbeing endevours (such as green prescribing), educational school trips etc.

Our Wild Ranger mission is to:

1. 1. 1. Bring back into use allotment growing space, helping to reduce the big council waiting lists. Approximately 135 sqm of derelect plots will be cleared, prepared and ready for use. The more we raise, the more can be cleared.
   1. 1. To create a community garden growing space on site, to support community wellbeing endevours, educational school trips, etc. This will be the focus for the ‘Wonderful Healing Garden Project’, and is approx 25 sqm. This is also the most challenging of plots due to its long abandonment.
   1. To enhance approximately 870sqm of space (near entrance of allotment site) to welcome more community orientated open days, orchard picking days etc.
   2. Help raise further funds to complete the community growing area.

Inspiration for the Project & The Importance of the Site’s Heritage

Edith Nesbit, who lived next door at a house called the Three Gables (now occupied by Stratfield House apartment block) wrote a book ‘The Wonderful Garden’, where the children explored the magic and secrete messages of flowers and spells. In the same manner, the ‘magic’ of growing healthy food will be kept alive, further connecting people to heritage of their neighbourhood and to heritage of good food, hence the inspiration for the project name. The aim of this space is to provide opportunities for wellbeing.

We want to help transform this heritage allotment site into an amazing growing space once again. It was part of the ‘Dig for Victory’ allotment campaign and has seen more fruitful days. Help us revive it once again.

Project Phasing

There is lots to do. To make this manageable, we are concentrating our efforts this summer on Phase One, involving site clearance including digging out tough brambles and getting site ready for phase two (watch this space!). We will need to cover skips, digger, labourer, project coordination, other heavy lifting tools.

In-Kind Support – Corporate Volunteering

We’d love to hear from you if you have a team who would like to visit our space and help with the big clearance this Spring/Summer. Please get in touch.

Help Us Fund the Project

Please help us raise £12,500 towards phase one. We have provided a sumup link, allowing you to donate as much or as little as you are able to. Many thanks in advance. We will updating progress via our news blog over the course of the summer.