Forest Gate Community Garden Uncovered
From "People Powered Forest Gate & Maryland - Finished"
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Proposed budget
GBP 20,000
Description
Find a video of our year with People Powered Places funding
Update March 4th
What have we done so far?
Our shelter is well under way. The roof is on, next step the flooring. Our young Woodchips visitors appreciated it during Saturday's rain.
Join us for any of the Friday hour long sessions from now until October. Spend an hour learning about gardening and enjoying nature.
Our Project: Help us to uncover our full potential.
Situated in the heart of Forest Gate, we have gone from strength to strength; but we could do more. We see our garden’s future as a thriving, nature-rich environment that could benefit more people - improving their mental and physical wellbeing and personal connections by providing activities in nature throughout the year.
Physical changes will make the site more user friendly, expanding the range of users. We plan to build a bigger covered area for protection from the weather, thereby facilitating more activities throughout the year.
New hand painted signage will help visitors find their way around, while additional wheelchair pathways will enable everyone to enjoy all the garden offers.
The vulnerable, isolated, those with poor physical or mental health often find it difficult to make use of the garden. We would like to address this.
Our new Outreach and Engagement Co-ordinator will actively make connections with different local groups. We will broaden the range of activities to include a Gardening Club, wellbeing focused workshops, and a variety of nature inspired creative activities to help reduce loneliness, improve confidence, and help people feel more connected to nature and one another.
Comments(21)
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Profile of Myanah Saunders
Posted by:Myanah Saunders
2 years ago
We are so pleased to get the funding and have stated on our shelter building part of the project. If you, or anyone you know, is interested in volunteering to help, contact us at info@fgcommunitygarden.org You don't need any building skills, just enthusiasm!
Profile of Hope 4 Humanity
Posted by:Hope 4 Humanity
3 years ago
Is it Free access for the community
Profile of Myanah Saunders
Posted by:Myanah Saunders
3 years ago
@Hope 4 Humanity
Yes, always. When we have events where we provide refreshments, or at plant sales, we always ask for donations rather than a fixed price.
Profile of Hope 4 Humanity
Posted by:Hope 4 Humanity
3 years ago
@Myanah Saunders well, that wasn't case early this year. We contacted to arrange the visit for Disadvantaged Children, and were asked to pay !!!!
If its a community garden, and seeking Funding, then entry should be free, whereas the donation shall be left at the visitor discretion .
Profile of Myanah Saunders
Posted by:Myanah Saunders
3 years ago
@Hope 4 Humanity I am absolutely shocked to hear this. I manage the emails and have no record of a request from you - please send more details to info@fgcommunitygarden.org and I will do a thorough investigation and get back to you. Did you email or speak to someone at the Garden?
We totally agree that entry should be free - we charge for hire for a private event like children's parties but I'm sure that wasn't what you wanted.
We would welcome your group to visit us at any time.
Profile of Hope 4 Humanity
Posted by:Hope 4 Humanity
3 years ago
@Myanah Saunders Sorry, but spoken to you over the phone, and after that we had to cancel the Visit.
Profile of Myanah Saunders
Posted by:Myanah Saunders
3 years ago
@Hope 4 Humanity It's my phone number that is online. I'm afraid I haven't spoken to you at all. Maybe you have contacted another garden? I have tried phoning your organisation several times but am not getting an answer. Could you contact us at info@fgcommunitygarden.org so we can find out how this misunderstanding happened?
Profile of Hazel Goldman
Posted by:Hazel Goldman
3 years ago
excellent proposal - I especially like the fact that you are planning to improve wheelchair access as there already are a number of people with wheelchairs who use the garden and it can be difficult to get round. The garden is proving to be very important as we have a large increase of residents locally with the new density of appartments built on Earlham Grove- it is definitely a place where new people can meet their community and find out how to get involved. Because it is out of doors, I have noticed it attracts a wide range of the local community who wouldn't normally meet each other - it is acting as an out of doors community centre. I do hope you are successful with this bid.
Profile of Jay Smith
Posted by:Jay Smith
3 years ago
Is there anyone on newham council reading these comments? Yet again there are lots of greening projects. Are you going to do anything to ensure that 40% of the fund doesn't just go on more greening projects? At least they're mostly different to each other than the 6 elderly social club projects.
Profile of Hazel Goldman
Posted by:Hazel Goldman
3 years ago
@Jay Smith hi Jay. I am not a representative of this project - but I have noticed your comments about 'greening projects' on a number of projects. In particular I would like to mention the Forest Gate Community Garden and The Up Garden. Yes, these are gardens and green, but their primary purpose is not 'greening' but acting as community spaces, indeed community centres and so perform all the marvellous activities that help to bring Forest Gates communities together and especially support those who may be isolated for many different reasons. In Forest Gate we have lost our very important community centre - Durning Hall - and there are very few spaces that the community can meet, share ideas, socialise and work together. These two open spaces have more than proved their worth to the community. with all good wishes Hazel
Profile of Jay Smith
Posted by:Jay Smith
3 years ago
@Hazel Goldman Hello Hazel, I am not against Forest Gate Community Garden or the Up Garden, I am not even against greening projects but I do think they get votes as people like the idea of them without actually understanding whether they are good ones or not. I don't think the street planters on the high street around bereket and the high school were a good idea, and last year Ashok charity got £20000 which I'm sure was to including maintaining the bereket ones but they have looked bad for months now, and I've seen Fiona of Forest Gate Community Garden is applying for £5000 to look after them this year. Its good she's trying to do something about them but if they are going to cost thousands every year to maintain they shouldnt have been put there in the first place without a maintenance plan, and maybe they should be removed to free up money for other projects or basic stuff like littering and potholes.
Theres also half a dozen senior social club projects. Maybe this year people will like those too. So we could end up with all £200000 being spent on half a dozen very similar senior social clubs and half a dozen greening projects, and everyone else who isn't old or isn't into greening misses out until 2025.
I don't have anything against greening projects or senior projects, I'm just concerned about not getting a good spread of projects actually happening because there are so many in certain categories. Maybe newham council should be speaking to projects during this review stage and asking some to combine or actually putting through only 25% greening projects, 25% social clubs, 25% whatever.
100% agree with you on community centres.
Profile of Jay Smith
Posted by:Jay Smith
3 years ago
How much money are you applying for?
Profile of Myanah Saunders
Posted by:Myanah Saunders
3 years ago
@Jay Smith £20,000
Profile of Jay Smith
Posted by:Jay Smith
3 years ago
@Myanah Saunders Thank you. Can I ask how that will be spent roughly.
Profile of Jay Smith
Posted by:Jay Smith
3 years ago
@Jay Smith Would still like to know the rough breakdown of how the £20000 will be spent please. How much are you paying the outreach coordinator, on the gardening club, workshops, other events, building the covered area, on signs, pathways?
Profile of Myanah Saunders
Posted by:Myanah Saunders
3 years ago
@Jay Smith
Sorry for the delay in reply, I've been away.
Very good question, wish we had this information for all the projects.
Here are our costings. We also have a some funding to supplement the Activities Co-ordinator from another source.
Covered area with decking £5000
Outdoor refreshment unit £1000
Improved wheelchair access £2000
Improved signage £500
Outreach /Engagement co-ordinator for Activities Programme £7200
Activities materials £800
Gardening Club leader and materials £1000
Nature inspired creative arts projects £1500
Project management costs £1000
Profile of Jay Smith
Posted by:Jay Smith
3 years ago
@Myanah Saunders Thank you very much as it helps me understand how my money will be spent and how i will vote, like you say lots of other projects are not providing this detail and it makes me wonder why. Just another question on the outreach coordinator and gardening club leader and also the project management costs if that includes human time - how many hours are you expecting those 3 people to do on this project? only roughly, just want to get an idea of value for money.
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Current status
successful
Tags
Nature and biodiversity
Health and welfare
Social inclusion
Community development
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