Wellbeing in a Walled Garden

Aim

We’re renovating a walled garden to improve biodiversity and create a space for eco-wellbeing activities, reconnecting people with nature.

We are a small community charity in Carshalton, South London.  We are delighted to have obtained a Victorian Walled Garden. Our aim is to renovate the garden to increase its biodiversity and create a beautiful community space where people can connect with nature for years to come.

We’ve been running volunteer task days during which a dedicated team of local people have collaborated to start transforming the walled garden from a derelict state. Volunteers have worked hard removing brambles, digging out tonnes of old bricks and rubble and revealing old walls covered in 50 years of ivy – it’s been like finding the Lost Garden of Carshalton! All the hard work had been rewarding - we’re excited to have established a fan trained peach tree, a Mediterranean herb bed with a fig tree, cordon trained red currants and created traditional vegetable growing beds.  But we now need help with funding to make the garden a real haven for bees, butterflies, birds and more -  and importantly to improve accessibility of the garden so that everybody can enjoy it.  

The Victorian Walled Garden is becoming a beautiful peaceful space.  As part of our vision for the garden we also want to run weekly eco-wellbeing sessions to give older people and those with less chance to participate in community life new connections, friendships and the chance to engage with nature.  Each week people will come to the garden for a cup of tea, a slice of cake and a chat with others and then take part in a nature focussed activity.  Activities will include mindfulness, nature-based crafts, food growing, potting up plants, tai-chi, aromatherapy and walks around the local nature reserve, river and parks identifying bird song, wildflowers, trees, butterflies.

We are asking for your help!  Please consider helping us raise funds – every pound you can give will now be turned into two.  This will make a massive difference and help build a real natural asset for the community that we can all enjoy for years to come.

This project successfully funded on 11th December 2023