From abandoned laundry yard to upcycled community space

A community effort

In the summer of 2021, a local resident came up with the idea of creating a community space for play and social gardening. An unused laundry yard in Eric Close, Forest Gate, measuring 900 square metres (about the size of two basketball courts), was chosen and funding secured. Built in the 1950s, the yard originally contained a playground and was fully accessible to the whole estate. The washing lines remain, at one end of the yard, to this day. Over the decades, however, the space became overgrown with spiky brambles, making it inaccessible and unusable.

Work to clear the site began in the spring of 2022, with the whole community involved every step of the way – from consultation events on the garden layout to upcycling workshops to build furniture and planters, as well as community planting workshops to form the different gardening areas. Volunteering sessions also took place to create everything needed for the space.

Residents gave their time and energy, and their support kept the project going even during setbacks. Local businesses also made generous donations, including plants, water tanks, sheds and refreshments, to ensure the project’s success.

On 30 October 2022, The UP Garden opened its doors to visitors as a place for people of all ages to learn about gardening, biodiversity and eco-sustainability in a social setting. This colourful, welcoming space now hosts seasonal events and nature-based workshops, serving as a hub for the community.

Bringing people together

In 2023, The UP Garden won the first-ever Growing Together Award for Community Gardening, an award run in partnership between the RHS and BBC The One Show. The competition received more than 90 entries that year. The two runners up were Alive Wellspring Settlement and Grow Well Riverside.

Alive Wellspring Settlement is a community gardening project in Bristol that supports families, many whom are new to growing and for whom English is a second language. They have converted two courtyards into gardens for growing fruit and vegetables, which are shared between the community gardeners, local residents, a food club and a community café.

Grow Well Riverside is a social prescribing project in Cardiff, which has transformed a bare space into a vibrant green area. It now features ten beds, seating, herb hedges, wildflower meadow strips, fruit trees and pollinator-friendly flowers.