Elmington Community Gardens

Elmington Community Gardens started in 2020 when local residents got together with the aim to make the Elmington Estate greener, safer and more aesthetically pleasing.  We had lots of ideas and suggestions on how we could increase biodiversity and create spaces that feel welcoming to residents of and visitors to our neighbourhood. Southwark Council's Biodiversity Action Plan also provided ideas and guidance to make an impactful change.  There were many things we wanted to change, primarily transforming neglected spaces that were used for anti-social behaviour or fly-tipping.

Since then we have worked with Southwark Council and many other partners to make improvements across the estate. We started by tending to existing flower beds, weeding, adding plants & cleaning up. 

There were many walks around the estate to identify projects which we could take on. We received support from the Mid-Elmington Estate TRA, the Southwark Great Estates Programme as well as the Community Gardening coordinators for Southwark. Together we identified the site that would become our allotment, transforming the area into what it is today. 

In 2021, we transformed the Wildlife Triangle. The area attracted fly tipping and felt cold and unloved. Our aim was to create habitats for wildlife and plant native shrubs including our delicious raspberries.  This plan aligned with Southwark Nature Action Volunteers' (SNAV) plan for the North Camberwell Wildlife Corridor (NCWC), which aims to "connect four local nature areas in North Camberwell – Burgess Park, Camberwell Green, Brunswick Park and Benhill Nature Garden, with a series of Biodiversity Stepping Stones, providing more opportunities for wildlife to flourish and for people to experience nature in their daily lives".