Gardening can be great for the environment, supporting biodiversity across our borough and providing food to eat, but did you know that it’s good for people too? In addition to the well-known healing properties of some plants, research increasingly shows that gardening is good for your physical, social and mental health and wellbeing, helping reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and improve health conditions such as obesity. Spending time in nature can also help reduce depression and anxiety, decrease stress levels, and help tackle social isolation.
Workshops led by our Community Gardeners provide opportunities for residents to engage in food growing and horticulture, providing a space to learn new skills, connect with nature and develop meaningful connections with others.
We work with community groups, mental health support groups and the NHS to provide gardening opportunities in community spaces across the borough.
Community kitchen gardens
There are no allotments in Kensington and Chelsea. To give residents space to grow food, we started the community kitchen garden scheme in 2009. This project turns under-used or neglected areas of land into allotment style gardens. Each plot is about three metres square, which is small enough to manage and big enough to grow food.
We now have over 50 community kitchen gardens and over 700 residents involved in the scheme. Some gardens are in social housing estates with plots reserved for estate residents. Others are open to applications from all borough residents.
Community kitchen gardeners
Our Community Gardeners run free garden workshops, events and gardening support to plot holders and residents. They run workshops and events where you can:
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plan what they want to grow
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receive free expert advice and practical gardening tips
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establish garden clubs for their kitchen garden sites
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get help as a plot holder to maintain your garden site
We are keen for each kitchen garden to have their own garden club to:
- help manage and oversee their community kitchen garden
- allow them to fundraise and run their own garden events
- help make the kitchen garden project more sustainable and self-sufficient in the long term
If you are a resident and do not have a garden, please complete this form if you would like to apply for a free community kitchen garden plot.
An essential part of the kitchen garden project is providing free gardening support, advice and training to plot holders and interested residents. Our Community Gardeners run a programme of garden workshops, events and provide gardening support. This allows plot holders to plan what they want to grow and receive free expert advice and practical gardening tips. They also work with plot holders to maintain the garden sites.
The Community Gardeners also help plot holders establish garden clubs for their kitchen garden sites. The Council is keen for each kitchen garden to have their own garden club to help manage and oversee their community kitchen garden, allow them to fundraise and run their own garden events and help make the kitchen garden project more sustainable and self-sufficient in the long term.
If you are a resident and do not have a garden, please complete this form if you would like to apply for a free community kitchen garden plot.
The project has proven very popular with residents and therefore each garden has a waiting list for plots.
Contact us
For more information, please contact [email protected].