Fully-Sponsored Gardening Sessions With Urban Growth & Zipcar

We are thrilled to be partnering with Zipcar this October during which we’ll be supporting those who do not have easy access to green spaces in London. We believe that everyone should be able to experience the benefits of gardening and this project will help with that. 

Over the course of the upcoming months, Urban Growth will be hosting fully-sponsored gardening sessions for small groups at the Brixton Orchard to support those who need time to relax, connect with nature and their community, as well as learn new skills.

It might come as a surprise, given how green our city is (at least in comparison to other European cities), but gardening remains a privileged activity. One needs access to a garden in order to plant their own fruits, veggies, and favourite flowers. Luckily, most Londoners can enjoy public outdoor spaces, but growing food, learning how to tend to plants or receiving the mental health benefits of gardening is not that common in London. 

Over the course of the last 8 years, we have hosted a variety of people (non-profit groups and corporate groups) at various locations in the city, where we shared our knowledge of tending to plants. We are excited to open up our gardens and extend our reach even further, thanks to this grant from Zipcar. With this support, we will be able to welcome a greater variety of people this autumn and share the joy of gardening at the workshops sponsored by ZipCar. 

Urban Growth created the Orchard on Rush Common, a protected public land, several years ago thanks to the support of the Brixton Bid. This new partnership with ZipCar is a great way to use the space even more and make sure more people can benefit from it. 

This opportunity is tailored for non-profit organisations and groups who normally can’t afford educational gardening sessions.

Who Is Zipcar?

Zipcar offers on-demand access to cars around the world. They are focused on making transportation more accessible to those in need, as well as finding more sustainable ways of travelling. By reducing the number of cars in the cities, their initiative also helps lessen congestion and pollution. Aligned with our ethos of bringing communities together to live a more sustainable and healthier lifestyle, we are excited to partner with them and invite those who would love to learn about gardening, but haven't had a chance to do so, to apply for our workshops.

What Will This Grant Do? 

Thanks to Zipcar’s support, we are able to open our doors to a greater number of people for the next three months. Participants will take part in half or full days of gardening activities at our Orchard in Brixton. They’ll get to interact with and learn about the natural world, right in the heart of the city. We consistently receive feedback saying how much fun people had, connecting with each other and with new people, changing their daily rhythms, and being active while surrounded by beautiful plants and biodiversity. 

To host such activities, we normally have to charge a fee to cover the extra staff, materials and tools involved with the sessions, and to support the ongoing maintenance of the sites. But, with this grant, we are now able to open up these opportunities to groups that might not be able to pay the fee!

Who Can Apply For The Gardening Sessions?

We will be hosting 5 or 6 groups of 10 to 12 people at the Brixton Orchard on Thursday afternoons this autumn. The gardening work will include seasonal tasks led by our knowledgeable team leaders. They will ensure to share as much practical information as possible so that participants can apply what they learn in their own spaces.

We invite London-based groups of council estate residents, non-profit organisations, youth centres, and more, to send us their information. We are looking for community and sustainability-minded Londoners who would benefit from an afternoon spent gardening and learning.

If you work or live within this community or know someone who is, get in touch via info@urbangrowth.london.