The UP Garden, created from an abandoned laundry yard in Forest Gate, an East London housing estate, was reclaimed by local residents to create a free-to-access, upcycled community space. Built in the 1950s the yard originally contained a playground, space for washing lines and was accessible to all, but over the decades, the space became overgrown with brambles, making it inaccessible and unusable.
In the summer of 2021, a local resident had the idea to create a community space to allow outside play and social gardening and in the spring of 2022 work began and the whole community has been involved every step of the way. Residents have given their time and energy planning the layout, upcycling to build furniture and planters and taken part in regular community planting and garden maintenance.
The Growing Together Award for Community Gardens celebrates Britain in Bloom with a new community garden award inviting groups from across the country to share their efforts to transform green spaces into beautiful havens, care for their environment and improve social well-being by introducing new people to the joys of gardening.
Tayshan Hayden-Smith, community activist, garden designer and competition judge, said: “The story and the quick evolution of The Up Garden was so impressive that it just had to be recognised as the winner. A garden truly by the people, for the people. It goes to show what happens when the garden is seen as the fertile ground for change, beauty and local activism.”
Local resident Suzanne Hu, said: “This award is a huge honour and recognises the success of our approach to creating a community garden, which is that it is less about knowing about gardening, and more about knowing your community. We hope that The UP Garden inspires other communities to come together to reclaim unused land to fulfil their specific needs.”
The UP Garden opened to visitors in October 2022 as a place for people of all ages to learn about gardening, biodiversity and eco-sustainability in a social environment. This colourful, welcoming space now hosts seasonal events and nature-based workshops and is a hub for the community.
The competition encourages groups from all walks of life to showcase their transformed plots and community spirit. A panel from both partners carefully assessed the entries, selecting the most outstanding community garden group as winners.
Joining this year’s winner, The UP Garden, were two runners up, Alive Wellspring Settlement and Grow Well Riverside, who will also share their stories and experiences on the BBC’s One Show, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps and make a positive impact on their own communities.
Alive Wellspring Settlement, a community project in Bristol, supports families, many who are new to growing and for whom English is a second language. They have converted two courtyards into gardens for growing fruit and vegetables to share between the community gardeners, local residents and food club and community café.
Grow Well Riverside, a social prescribing project in Cardiff, through perseverance and determination, have transformed a bare space. It is now a vibrant, green area with ten new beds, seating, herb hedges, wildflower meadow strips, fruit trees and pollinator-friendly flowers.
Kay Clark, Community Development Manager, commented: “All of our winners are bringing people together, helping reduce isolation and having a positive impact on both physical and mental health. We’re delighted to celebrate the positive impact of community gardening with this special award and we would love for more communities to become involved in the competition next spring.”
To find out more about the RHS and BBC’s The One Show Community Garden Competition, please visit https://www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/community-gardening/news/articles/growing-together-award-winner-revealed.
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