LATEST NEWS: We're in the running for the Mayor's High Street Fund and we're on Spacehive - you can support our cause!

Want a green space in the heart of Forest Gate? Help secure vital funds for the Forest Gate Community Garden by supporting our bid for the Mayor's High Street Fund (up to £20,000 per project) and our pitch on fantastic new crowdfunding website Spacehive. 

A green space in the heart of Forest Gate – namely the Forest Gate Community Garden – would give our children a safe and beautiful place to play just seconds from the high street, as well as serving people and groups from across the community including workers, families, the elderly, garden lovers, visitors and those from different cultures. 

Have you heard about the Mayor's High Street Fund? It's a great new initiative that aims to invest over £200 million to improve London's high street, boost local economies, celebrate diversity and protect and create jobs. It also links in with Spacehive, the world's first crowdfunding website for civic projects enabling people to help build a new park, community garden or renovate their high street as easily as buying a book online.

We're also launching a gardening course in partnership with Newham
Adult Learning Service and headed by local organic gardener
Stephen Mason of Greenspace Management

To apply for funding – up to £20,000 per project – charity, business improvement and community organisations across London have been invited to submit ideas for making London's high streets even better places to visit, live in and do business. The aim is to give our high streets a sustainable future and celebrate the crucial role that they play in our daily lives and to encourage communities to be their custodians.

So what better fit then the Forest Gate Community Garden? A team of committed local residents have been working together for almost two years now to create a green space in the heart of Forest Gate. The location of the garden is at 136 Earlham Grove, a stone's throw from Woodgrange Road, Forest Gate's high street (just opposite the Royal Mail sorting office) and the main railway station opposite Woodgrange Market.

It will turn derelict and overgrown land into a beautiful wildlife garden made by and serving people from all aspects of the community – families, workers, the elderly, visitors, those who wish to just have some quiet time away from the hustle and the bustle of main roads, people from different community groups and cultures. It will provide a hub for community events and gatherings – we're open to all ideas and have a burgeoning list already! Plus it truly is a project that everyone can get involved in, whether that's by helping to plan the garden or raise awareness about it, or by quite literally getting stuck in with a fork and spade. The birds, bees and other wildlife will love it too.

The site will turn derelict land into a beautiful wildlife garden –
an amazing green space at the heart of Forest Gate

Right now we need you to help raise awareness about our bid for the Mayor's High Street Fund and generate even more support. Start by checking out our page on the accompanying site Spacehive: Green Space in the Heart of Forest Gate. Click through the options on our page and you'll see exactly what we propose to do, and what monies we need to get the garden up and running and make it sustainable. It's a dual purpose bid in that it sets out our stall for the Mayor's High Street Fund but also provides a platform for crowdfunding crucial funds ourselves – something we're also committed to doing to the tune of £5,000 for starters!

There's a range of social media buttons on our Spacehive page that make it really easy to share with family, friends, colleagues or organisations and businesses that you think might be interested in supporting us too. Or write a glowing report about us yourselves on your blog or in the media! We need as much support as we can get to make our green space a dream come true for everyone. Also check out the Forest Gate Community Garden Facebook and Twitter pages to leave your comments.

If you're not a Member of the Forest Gate Community Garden already you can also join for just £2 lifetime Membership, which keeps you in the loop about what's going on with updates and newsletters. We always want to hear your ideas too. See our Become a Member page on the website.

Fingers crossed we'll see you in the garden soon – a sure way to make our high street a better, brighter more beautiful place.


MORE INFORMATION / NOTES TO EDITORS:

Forest Gate Community Garden

Web: www.forestgate-community-garden.org.uk
Blog: www.136earlhamgrove.blogspot.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Forest-Gate-Community-Garden
Twitter: www.twitter.com/FGCommGarden
Email: info@forestgate-community-garden.org.uk
Spacehive: www.spacehive.com/greenspaceintheheartofforestgate

Mayor's High Street Fund

Greater London Authority www.london.gov.uk/priorities/regeneration/high-streets/funding-programmes/high-street-fund
Spacehive: www.spacehive.com/initiatives/mayoroflondon