Grow Tottenham is a meanwhile use project on Ashley Road in Tottenham Hale.

We are making a community garden on a 10,000sq ft site at Ashley House that was built as a civil engineering depot and has been vacant since 2014.

We organise 2 volunteering sessions a week and are gradually transforming the site by making a wildflower meadow, kitchen garden, micro-allotment plots, polytunnel, community kitchen and carpentry workshop. We are largely self funded and are building the garden using the income we generate from our cafe and event space, which has a 5am license at weekends. The money we make selling food and drinks supports the cost of building and running the garden and subsidises a program of free workshops and events.

The project is managed by Grow London C.I.C, a social enterprise that works with local communities and landowners to create spaces for gardening, learning, and social life.

The proposal builds on the work we have done in Elephant and Castle over the last 6 years, where we have made 3 temporary gardens. In 2017 Grow Elephant was shortlisted in the meanwhile use category of the New London Architecture awards.

What we do:

• Provide a staffed community garden open daily for local residents to use
• Run a weekly program of volunteering sessions and gardening workshops
• Work with local schools teaching children how to grow their own food.
  This year we are working with Harris Academy and Welbourne Primary.
• Program diverse range of events, working both with established promoters and local talent.
• Provision of low-cost/free event space for local voluntary sector/community organisations
• Community engagement and outreach beyond the site boundary.
  We are working with residents and other groups to improve the the local environment.

We run weekly open volunteering sessions between March and November, usually on a Saturday afternoon. Check our facebook page for details of upcoming sessions.

For further information or to get involved email Paul

Further information:
Grow Elephant
Social Life article
Time Out article