GrowinG success The impact of Capital Growth on community food growing in London CAPITALgrowth 2 Foreword by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London Capital Growth has with people who have A word from Rosie successfully encouraged discovered the benefits Boycott, Chair of Londoners to turn of growing their own derelict, and disused food. In the face of rising London Food areas of land into food prices, healthy I am delighted to wonderful plots full of and affordable locally have been part of this vegetables and fruit. grown food in London fantastic scheme. Capital Reaching our ambitious makes perfect sense. Growth has proven target of 2,012 new These community food what communities can community food growing growing spaces also achieve when they get spaces in schools, help to green the city, together. The campaign hospitals, roof tops and improve quality of life has brought together housing estates across and provide Londoners an amazing range of the capital, is real cause with new skills, as well people and organisations for celebration. By as boosting volunteering. to create thriving food working with landowners I am proud to have been growing spaces across and providing financial involved in this initiative the capital. I look forward and practical assistance and look forward to to exciting developments to organisations wanting seeing yet more food in future for the good of to grow food, Capital growing sites in London London, our communities Growth has successfully for everyone’s benefit. and our environment. linked fragments of land Our gardens at Rocky Park have grown out of spaces that were plagued by anti-social behaviour. We have reclaimed the open spaces on our estate by joining and journeying together, realising through events and talking to each other, we can make changes that have a positive impact on our lives and the place where we live. Margaret Cox, Residents Association Chair, Rocky Park Gardens, Tower Hamlets Capital Growth space 592 Contents 2 Foreword by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London 5 What is Capital Growth and why was it set up? 5 Why community food growing? 5 Why in the capital? 7 What we did 11 Key successes 11 Bringing communities together 12 Involving the whole community 12 Making communities stronger 14 Improving land and our environment 15 A variety of types of land 16 Improving biodiversity and the local environment 16 Influencing policy 17 Enhancing individuals’ quality of life 18 Creating volunteering opportunities 18 Providing learning opportunities 19 Increasing the capacity of diverse organisations 19 Working with London-wide and statutory organisations 19 Supporting local organisations 21 Next steps 22 References and useful information 23 Thanks and acknowledgements THE CAPITAL GROWTH SPACES: Blenheim Gardens Edible Estate | SOAS Good Food Society Food Growing space | May Project Food Growing project | St Pauls Church | HMRP Latchmere House Food Growing Space | Charlton Manor Primary School Food Growing Space | Lancasterian Primary school Food Growing space | Heathview Tenants Co-operative food growing space | Sarum Hall School Food Growing Space | Pepys Community Forum Food Growing Space | The Close Tenants Association Food Growing Space | Redbridge Young Offending Team Food Growing Space | Arcola Theatre | Dallaspeirce and Quintero Food Growing Space | St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School Food Growing Space | BedZED Community Garden | Starks Field Primary School Food Growing Space | The Little Green Gathering | Haslemere Primary School Food Growing Space | Mapledown School | Gloucester Primary School Food Growing Space | Broadwater Farm | Dirty Hands Food Growing Project | Sustainable Merton | The Hyde Farm Community Garden | Groundwork London H&F growing Food Space | RU Outdoors | Somers Town Community Association | Centrepoint Food Growing Space | Womens Institute and Womens Aid Food Growing Space | Ham United Group Food Growing Space | Hillside Gardens Community Allotment | York Rise Growing Group Food Growing Space | Lets go lets grow | Growing Concerns Garden Centre Food Growing Space | St Saviour’s Edible Garden | Have a Go Horticulture! | St Joseph’s Junior School Food Growing Space | Loughborough Green and Growing | Camden BME Alliance | Hermitage Moorings (Micro-alllotments) | Churchfields Junior School Food Growing Space | The Swaminarayan School Food Growing Project | Dollis Junior School Food Growing Space | Hancock Nunn House Gardening Club Food Growing Space | Spitalfields Estate Food Growing Space | Carrara Wharf General Management Food Growing space | Maria Fidelis Lower School | Christ Church C of E Primary School Food Growing Space | Farleigh Road Food Growing Space | The Hanging Gardens of Camberwell | One Housing Group Food Growing Space | Styles House Tenants’ and Residents’ Association Food Growing Space | New Leaf | Newham City Farm | Dulwich Vegetable Garden | Cyril Jackson Primary School Food Growing Space | Olden Garden Community Food Growing Space | Ruddstreet and Buttmarsh Close Food Growing Space | Frederica | Abbey Hive Community Garden | Merton Abbey Primary School | MHT _ Waltham Forest | Moorlands Estate Growing Project | Metropolitain Housing Trust Food Growing Space | Larkshall Road Residents Association Food Growing space | Ebury Gardening Club Food Growing Space | Cranbrook Community Food Garden | Merlin School Food Growing Space | Creative Consortium | St Leonards | Friends of Tottenham Marshes | Growing Southwark | Invicta Grove Community Garden Project | Growing Concerns Garden Centre (british waterways Boat) Food Growing Space | Potters Fields | Mayville Gardening Club Food Growing Space | Origin Housing Food Growing Space | Entry Foundation and Inclusion | St Bede’s Roman Catholic Nursery and Infant School Food Growing Space | Suffah Primary School Food Growing Space | Hilton Hotel Group Food Growing space | University College London Food Growing space | Earls Court Exhibition Centre | | Headway East London Food Growing Space | Camden Garden Centre | Sonny’s Food Growing Space | Cottington Community Garden | Forty Hall Community Vineyard | The InSpiral lounge Food Growing Space | Wild Foods | Lammas Community Orchard | Wenlock Herb Garden | Greenfingers | Camberwell college of arts Food Growing Space | The Swift Centre Food Growing Space | Osterley Park | Childrens | Drayton Park Primary School Food Growing Space | The Castle Climbing Centre | Hackney Community College | The Oaks Activity Centre | St John’s Garden Project | Jamie Oliver Ltd | St Pauls Primary School | Seed to Plate | Waltham Forest College | Greay Croft Resource Centre | Jamboree Playhuts in Finsbury Park | Single Homless Project Food Growing Space 1 | Single Homless Project Food Growing Space 2 | Single Homless Project Food Growing Space 3 | Kings Cross Skip Garden | Horsell Flats | The Duke Youth Centre | Poverest Allotments | Growing Kids Community Allotment and Wildlife Garden | The Secret Gardening Club | Camberwell Farmers’ Garden | The Garden Club | St Mary Cray Primary School | Richard Challoner School Garden | Granary St Moorings Allotment Association | Enfield site | Barnet site | Sutton site | Lewisham site | Central Foundation Girls School | Circle 33 Housing Trust Food Growing Project | Organic Lea Food Growing Space | Medway Court Estate Courtyard | Middle Row Primary School | Soup Kitchen/Whitefield Corporation | Centre for Literacy in Primary Education | Regeneration project | Cultivating Company | South Camden Community School | Wolff Olins Brand consultants rooftop | Vegetable Garden | New North Community School Food Growing Space | The Factory Community Project | Mayville Community Centre | Beachcroft School Food Growing Space | Avant-Gardening Food Growing Space | Friends of Frendsbury Gardens | Alma Allotment | Grow Cook and Eat | Southwark Studios | TARA Studio - new shoots | Do You Dig It | Rhodes Avenue School’s Sustainable Garden | Growing Club | Kennaway Community Garden | East Dulwich Road Estate | Tiverton Primary | Forestdale Food Project | The Vineyard Allotment | Recycled Greenhouse | Floating Allotment | Community Garden | Gardening Club | Urban Garden | Mobile Garden | Food for Life | Food For Life | Beacontree Health Allotment & Garden Association | City University London Food Growing space | Conewood Street Childrens Centre Food Growing Space | Highbury Quadrant Primary School | Camley Street Nature Reserve | St Stephen’s CE Junior School | taplow garden club | FOOD from the SKY | Give peas a chance allotments space | Science garden | St Barts | Pedro Club Vegetable Garden | Club Ground Play - Stroud Green | Grange Growth | Haslemere School Garden Project | Cranmer School Garden Project | Singlegate School Garden Project | Merton Abbey School Garden Project | Benedict School Garden Project | St Peter & Paul School Garden Project | Hainault Local Food Project | North Kensington Community Kitchen Garden | Living Food | Gardens for Schools | King’s Cross Orchard | Fruits for All | Magic Veggies | The Anchor House Garden Project 2010 | Green School Garden | Abbey Gardens | Churchfield Eco-Farm Food Growers | Play Sow and Grow | Veg and more | Lifeskills Growing Club | Sunray Avenue Trees for Food Project | Rosary orchard | Lewisham Hostels Growing Project | Sensory Garden Project | Benthal Grow Your Own | St john of Jerusalem Kitchen Garden | Grow Mayow community garden | Community Gardens Giggs Hill Church | Queens House Allotment Project | The Castle Microsite | East London Wine Collective | Growing Food At Highgate Wood | Collect and Create | Blackhorse