St Matthew’s community garden: intergenerational connections
- 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 local people.
The garden is currently used by around 40 parents and children, most of whom don't have access to green spaces or have not had the opportunity to learn about biodiversity and growing organic food.
Wellbeing at the garden
The garden is not just about connecting with nature, it’s about connecting with each other across generations. It gives us access to fresh organic produce and we cook together, sharing meals and stories about each other's food cultures.
It provides a safe space where people can feel a sense of belonging by connecting with green space. This is especially important for communities who have experienced displacement or have a history of disruption and disconnection from their homes and the natural environment.
Broad beans grown in the garden. Photo credit: Ines Stuart-Davidson/RBH Kew
We often run different themed workshops at the garden. Part of our approach is to encourage physical activity, collaboration and feeling the benefits of being out in green spaces.
Woman holding up material from natural dyeing workshop held at the garden. Copyright: St Matthew’s community garden
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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