St Matthew’s community garden: connecting with nature
- Borough: Hackney
- Organisations: Cordwainers Grow, Round Chapel Old School Rooms and St Matthew’s Church
- Topics: environment, children and young people, mental health
Who we are
The St Matthew’s community garden was established in Hackney in 2021. The project was a collaboration between community garden organisation Cordwainers Grow, the Round Chapel community centre and St Matthew’s Church. It aimed to regenerate the green space at the church and transform it into a vibrant, safe and welcoming community garden co-designed and built by locals.
The garden
The garden is currently used by around 40 parents and children, most of whom don't have access to their own gardens, green spaces or have not had the opportunity to learn about biodiversity and growing organic food.
At the start of the project we held sessions with the families where we shared our ideas of a dream garden and together started to envision what the space would look like.
'What's in our dream garden?' Copyright: St Matthew’s community garden
Access to nature
Having access to nature should be a right for everyone, not a privilege. Through our projects at the garden, we’re sowing the seeds to help develop future guardians and lovers of nature.
The families and children who visit can observe and cultivate a relationship with the plants, insects, birds, nature and with each other. Our activities engage all the senses—sight, sound, smell, taste and touch —while learning about the cycle of life through the changing seasons. We also believe in providing children and young people with the tools and knowledge to become future guardians of nature.
Our mission is to break down the barriers for access to green spaces by connecting people with nature on their doorstep. Redefining communities' perception of where nature belongs and that it is not something foreign, far away or to be feared.
Mothers picking veggies to take home after a long day of helping out at the garden. Photo credit: Ines Stuart-Davidson/RBH Kew
The changes we would like to see
In the immediate future we want councils to actively seek out and offer space around community centres, buildings and homes for food growing and community gardening.
Prioritising access for low income and Black and People of colour (BPOC)-led groups, and those with lived experience of food poverty and mental health issues. Support to set up and develop self-managing systems should be paid for by a levy on developments similar to the 106 Planning Act.
Planning applications for new developments should make provision for open, green spaces for families with no access (many have provision for only private, inaccessible space). Planning departments need to be more engaged in the community so that they understand the impact developments have on access to green space.
Developers should contribute to funding for community roles to engage people with their local green spaces.
Get in touch
If you have any questions you can get in touch with Cordwainers Grow at [email protected]
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