Community backs Loris Garden

Monday July 27, 2009

Green dream: Cathy Maund in Loris Garden.

Until the moment you clap eyes on Loris Garden, it's impossible to imagine any sort of open space in between the rows of terraced houses surrounding it. But it turns out to be a surprisingly large area complete with a new playground, a grassy patch, mosaics, a wildlife pond and large 'eco-shed'.

Along with its sister community garden in Godolphin Road, it is possibly one of the few positive outcomes of the Blitz. Both gardens are former Second World War bomb sites and have been managed by the Hammersmith Community Gardens Association (opens new window) for more than 20 years.

The association now also runs community greenhouses at Ravenscourt Park and a farm and learning zone at Phoenix High School in Shepherds Bush.

"What we do is partly environmental," explained co-manager Cathy Maund as she sipped tea in front of the shed, which was built in 2005 at a cost of £50,000. "But it's as much about the people. When such a high proportion of residents are living in flats, they just don't have garden space. They can go to parks but are not able to get their hands dirty."

Cathy is one of two managers, the other being Annette Birch, but there are also two part-time members of staff and a pool of sessional workers. Founded in 1984, the association is a member of the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens and is funded by Hammersmith and Fulham Council, one-off grants and fees from some of its activities.

From its four sites, it runs sessions in garden maintenance, food growing and composting, wildlife gardening and medicinal herbs for volunteers. It also leads after-school gardening clubs, family play schemes and gives environmental advice to other local groups.

It's currently a very busy time of year, and not just because summer has arrived. As reported in a recent edition of h&f news, the Loris Garden play area only opened a few weeks ago. They are also planning to install another eco-shed in Godolphin Garden which, like the one in Loris Garden, will be made from sustainable materials.

On top of that, there are several other projects in the pipeline, including a three-year scheme to get local children and their families growing their own food. "Food growing is very topical," said Cathy. "There are huge issues about things such as obesity, so we are very much of the moment. At the moment there's a lot of money around food growing, and we're able to dip into that because of the work we're doing."

Cathy joined the association not long after it was founded and said it has grown steadily over the years. The Ravenscourt Community Greenhouses, which opened around five years ago, were two large council-owned glasshouses which had fallen into disrepair. But the association took over their management, and volunteers now grow a variety of flowers and vegetables which are used at other sites and the park's cafe.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix High School farm, which was launched in 2007, incorporates two glasshouses and a series of plant, flower and vegetable beds.

"I'd like to think that the association has made a difference," she said. To prove her point, she took h&f news through a gate into Lena Gardens Primary School, where an after-school gardening club was just finishing. In small raised beds at the far end of the playground, pupils grow a number of vegetables such as chard, lettuce and sweetcorn.

"Many of the kids live in flats, so for some this is their only opportunity to grow vegetables," said Cathy.

Sessions, which also include cooking and craft workshops, are held three times a week for around 10 pupils at a time. Sessional worker Georgia Davis, 30, said it was telling that a lot of the children scream when they find worms in the soil. "It shows they don't have it in everyday life," she said. "I've met lots of children who haven't seen horses or sheep. It is good they have this, because it's important to find out what life is about."

Returning through the gate to Loris Garden, the sun had come out and a group of mums are sitting in the grassy area. On the other side of the garden, several children are playing on the new balance beams. A few years ago it used to be plagued by street drinkers, but they have now disappeared following a crackdown by the police and council.

The new play area, which replaced disused fixed equipment, was made possible by a Big Lottery grant. "People are using it now. It's nice and new and looks good, and they will want to keep it that way," said Cathy.

One of the high points of the association's year is a festival for residents in Godolphin Garden, which seems to sum up its philosophy. "It's about bringing communities together, getting a sense of neighbourhood back," she added.

For details about the association and its work, visit: www.hcga.org.uk (opens new window) or call 07890 514 050.