Building community gardens in London for mental health and wellbeing
Nature is vital to nurturing people’s mental and physical wellbeing; it is important to our environment and climate, and to our quality of life. As part of our commitment to developing Social Value, we are supporting Grow2Know, a London-based community group that formed organically after the Grenfell Tower tragedy. It was during this time that the community experienced the positive impacts of nature during a time of grief and pain. Their aim is to showcase the benefits of nature on mental health, highlight the value of community gardens in London, and equip young people with the necessary tools to make a positive impact on their communities.
“I’m passionate about being part of a more inclusive environment on the horticultural scene and breaking stereotypes. I want to empower young people through gardening and wellbeing practices. Kids from my tower block in London should believe that they can get into gardening to reap the benefits that nature provides.”
The projects that Grow2Know work on range from the Grenfell Peace Garden, a key part of bringing the community back together after the tragedy and giving them the space to grieve and heal, through to working with the charity Steel Warriors, which encourages young people away from gangs and creates outdoor spaces, like gyms constructed from the metal of recycled knives and blades.
Arcadian Martina Girvan has been working with Tayshan and the team at Grow2Know, providing pro bono advice and services as part of our Social Value commitment, to help the charity in their aims.
“I’m so delighted to be advising Grow2know to support them in achieving their ambitious and vital goals of using nature to drive benefits for health, wellbeing, and community cohesion around the Grenfell-affected area and beyond. It’s been fantastic to see the team grow and the community flourish, and I look forward to continuing our partnership and supporting the team to build gardens that inspire, educate and heal, whilst empowering more diverse communities through horticulture.”
Watch this video to learn more about how we are using community gardens to uplift and unify local communities through nature.