Mapping a green path towards social change in Southwark
Past and present managers of the Walworth Community Garden Network explain how the power of collaboration has helped to sow the green shoots of positive change in Southwark.
Walworth Community Garden Network (WCGN) aims to ‘support and encourage neighbouring gardening groups whilst sharing resources and expanding the network of local volunteers.’
It was launched in 2017 with initial financial support from the United St Saviour’s Charity after the Elephant & Walworth Neighbourhood Forum identified community gardening as something which could be a force for positive change in the Walworth and Elephant & Castle area.
A small team of volunteers included Vince Brown, the project’s first and now former manager, who channelled his love of gardening into a green-fingered enterprise aimed at growing Southwark’s sense of community.
Vince explained: “The idea was to bring together the wealth of growing and gardening talent that exists across our area so that everyone can learn from each other and help each other grow.”
“Having the chance to work with local projects helps both them and us as students at LCC… It allows communities to grow together, even if they aren’t usually connected. It’s a cycle of giving back to the community whilst the community gives back to you.”
– BA Graphic Design student Thomas Nicolini
Current co-ordinator Debbie Mitchener, who began her experience with community gardening with Garden Organic which supports low-income families in the Southwark area, said she took on the role with the aim of “supporting the network and moving it forward”.
A significant factor in any form of social change is community development. According to the Scottish Community Development Centre, ‘[It] is fundamentally based on collective action and working and learning together.’ The framework of the theory is about communities coming together with councils and local businesses in an combined effort to create positive change.
One of the ways in which the WCGN has sought to do this is by collaborating with other local groups and organisations including London College of Communication. The network teamed up with LCC’s Talent Works initiative, which harnesses the energy and creativity of students in support of local businesses, charities and social enterprises, particularly with their communication needs.
Under the guidance of Talent Works, students from LCC’s BA Graphic Design worked with WCGN for a week to create a map, both online and in print, which charts the network’s activities, and help with its website.
BA Graphic Design student Thomas Nicolini, partnered by Talent Works with WCGN, explained: “Having the chance to work with local projects helps both them and us as students at LCC as it keeps everything in house. It allows communities to grow together even if they aren’t usually connected. It’s a cycle of giving back to the community whilst the community gives back to you.”
The idea behind the map – the print version of which will be distributed in Spring 2020 – is to not only promote the network but act as an invitation for people to join a community that celebrates togetherness and change, tackling social isolation and encouraging human contact.
Vince Brown said: “We thought it would be really useful to create a print map that was easy to read, and give out copies to local doctors’ surgeries, libraries and so on.”
Debbie Mitchener added: “Working with the [LCC] students is very valuable as it allows us, as a network of volunteers who are mostly over 40, to gain a younger person’s perspective on how things should be represented. We don’t want to get trapped by any [old-fashioned] views on how things should be branded.”
With the help of local partners such as LCC, the network is aiming to go from strength to strength, and currently has its sights set on tackling those problems of isolation and loneliness which can badly affect people’s physical and mental well-being.
A report by the King’s Fund charity, which helps to shape health and social care policy and practice, detailed how volunteering in an outdoor environment, especially engaging in gardening, can act as a means of therapy. It stated: ‘Gardening-based mental health intervention… can, over time, facilitate recovery and social inclusion among people experiencing mental health difficulties.’
Vince said: “When the network first started, one of ideas discussed was that we should have contact with local GPs. We think it’s a good idea for them to encourage patients out into the fresh air and meet new people. It’s currently more of a promising plan for the future, and we are part of a wider group within the Southwark Council area who are trying to get this scheme sorted.”
Debbie added: “Whilst we recognise the importance of patients having access to community gardens, our gardeners and volunteers need some extra training that will allow them to help them efficiently and effectively.”
Images courtesy of the Walworth Community Garden Network website and Twitter feed.
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