Always on
This project successfully funded on 16th November 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
Community Centre Fair Share Food Forest
London, Greater London, United Kingdom
Aim
We are looking for extra funding to complete a community perennial, 'food forest', including final planting and accessibility infrastructure
We are a climate change education group, working hard to increase understanding of the climate crisis within our communities, through direct, grass roots action and involvement with our local council. Earlier this year we were given the Green Champion Award, as part of Newham Councils Civic Awards.
Our work revolves around expressing the urgency of our global situation and highlighting the vanishingly small window of opportunity within which we have to act, alongside involving local people in climate change mitigatory measures. We use both education and legacy infrastructure to achieve this.
Through our work on the Fair Share Food Forest, based at the Katherine Road Community Centre, we have been teaching local people how they can reduce their green house gas emissions and become better custodians of the Earth using a 'closed loop'* perennial food growing system.
We are educating residents on both the how and the why, explaining the myriad benefits for the natural World...enhancing bio-diversity, increasing numbers of pollinators and beneficial insects, decreasing pests, reducing loss of topsoil, alongside improved soil health.
We have run the project using Newham Council allotted funding from their People Powered Places initiative, starting by preparing the site in early 2024. We have already planted a number of fruit bushes, support species plants, food growing understory plants and perennial vegetables. We however require extra plants to complete the planting plan; especially at one end of the site.
Our project aims to involve Newham residents in perennial food growing, including sharing the harvest in the Fair Share Food Forest. Our goal is to both involve residents who don't have access to privately owned green areas and to encourage those who have private gardens to include perennial food growing within these spaces.
We have been speaking with our council about rolling out food forests throughout the borough on available areas of green space. We were also successful in bringing about the inclusion of food forestry within a big parks redesign project in the south of the borough. This is presently at the design stage.
This project is part of a wider, climate change education plan. Within this we have also included other green initiatives, including teaching organic, raised bed food growing, using sustainable, chemical free materials for both infrastructure and the growing itself. We have been working with residents to show them how they can maximise yield within small urban areas.
The food forest will soon be fed by irrigation using our already installed rainwater harvesting system. It uses a biodegradable weed membrane as part of our efforts to reduce carbon emissions. We have also been laying reclaimed paving slabs to increase accessibility.
Testimonials from Newham residents:
"Great place to volunteer if you care about climate change."
"Hard work but it provides a positive outcome for residents of Newham."
"I enjoyed this opportunity to work outdoors and gain experience with working with different people."
"Very informative on climate friendly products and practices."
"Well organised. I learned a lot"
"I thoroughly enjoyed your gardening Event & learned quite a bit about gardening from you! Cheers for the knowledge regarding...how to grow your own food at home!"
* A closed loop perennial food growing system is one which uses support plant species to provide nutrients required for other plants. It includes plants for pest deterrents, ones for pollinators and beneficial insects. Once such a system is established, maintenance reduces and crucially external inputs, such as organic fertilisers become minimal, if anything at all.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made