Work has started on the creation of a great new community hub for the Growing Lives project on De Frene Road, Lewisham.

The £31,000 scheme is being spearheaded by Sydenham Garden, which owns the site. The new wooden community building will be prefabricated off-site and will be constructed by volunteers. It will house a workshop and a meeting/social space. It will mean that events and activities will be able to take place at the site, whatever the weather.

The site’s footpaths will also be improved and new ones will be laid, a hot water system will be installed for the hub and a composting toilet will be built. It is expected that work will be complete by September 2017 Staff from Sydenham Garden’s ‘Growing Lives’ project manage the site in an environmentally friendly way. Local people, as well excluded groups such as Tamil asylum seekers, grow vegetables on the site and attend workshops and events. The site is also the focus of a ground-breaking scheme where people suffering mental distress can take part in weekly social, therapeutic and vocational horticultural sessions. This scheme works to help participants improve their health and wellbeing by improving diet, social interaction, confidence, and physical and mental health. It also helps them gain vocational skills and qualifications through the Open College network. The new building, paths and toilet will enable more people to attend sessions in the future.

Funding for the work is coming from The Veolia Environmental Trust who have awarded £23,415 through the Landfill Communities Fund, the Big Lottery Reaching Communities Fund, and Sydenham Gardens’ own resources.

Before it started developing the community hub project, Sydenham Garden consulted Growing Lives staff and volunteers, local people, including those using the site, and co-workers, the people who attend the health and wellbeing programme on the site. The results of this work confirmed overwhelming support for a building and a toilet on site, as well as activities such as growing food, promoting local wildlife and producing jam. Sydenham Garden’s Managing Director, Tom Gallagher, says, “Evidence of the need for a project like ours is growing. Studies and reports highlight how important access to green spaces, social inclusion, routes to employment, exercise and improved diet are to improving mental health. The Growing Lives project does this and the new building and other features this project will create will make a vital contribution to our work.”

The Executive Director of The Veolia Environmental Trust, Paul Taylor, adds, “We support community and environmental projects across England and Wales and it is always great to hear about the start of one we are helping. I look forward to seeing the project’s progress over the coming months.”

Submitted by Oliver Blackburn