Service name: Growing Communities
Service description
Hammersmith Community Gardens Association
HCGA maintains 6 community garden sites in the borough and runs 9 regular weekly volunteer sessions.
In addition we provide practical advice and support for other smaller 'Friends of ‘ groups in the borough and offer environmental workshops and team building days for local businesses wanting to help improve the environment.
HCGA runs family learning activities during school holidays, twice weekly drop in gardening sessions for families, and welcomes school groups to our gardens for outdoor learning.
We provide weekly instruction in 9 LBHF schools.
- St Augustine’s Primary School
- Sulivan Primary School
- Melcombe Primary School
- Miles Coverdale Primary School
- Larmenier & Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
- Old Oak Primary School
- Hammersmith Academy Secondary School
- Cambridge School Secondary School
- One World Montessori Nursery
https://hcga.org.uk/hammersmith-fulham/
Funded until
31 March 2025
Annual funding level
£35,000
In the past year (2023)
Number of residents supported
The gardens are open access sites – number of visitors are not tracked.
Use of volunteers
In 2023 we supported 121 volunteers to deliver over 9000 hours of gardening and food growing in the community.
Outcomes being achieved
- 9 supported volunteering sessions delivered each week (from March to December 2023
- 6 Community gardens being maintained and improved, plus ongoing maintenance of SuDS scheme at Bridget Joyce Square
- 2 bee hives managed by a volunteer group at Phoenix Farm
- Launch of new Glasshouse in Ravenscourt park, now available for community events
- 389 children from over 100 families attended playscheme sessions
- 17 winter walks delivered to 65 local people
Funding raised
£370,000 above 3SIF grant
Future plans
- Continue to deliver volunteer sessions
- Continue to support other local environment groups
- Maintenance of SUDS planting projects
- Implement Wildlife Working Group