Future Neighbourhood Greening’s stories

Through the words of Somers Town residents—shared in interviews, feedback forms, conversations, and journals— Community Outreach Coordinator Joy Nehar reflects on how the Story Garden’s Community Outreach Programme has made an impact in one of the most polluted and nature-deprived areas of London.

Through gardening, new encounters, shared experiences, and stories of migration, we can regrow and relearn things about the planet and about ourselves.

Here are the stories.

On a normal day: Lukman’s story

On a normal day, as I walked by, my attention was caught by the vibrant garden. I crossed the road and stepped into this new space, feeling excited about what I would discover. There I received a warm welcome from Kiloran and other friendly staff. We chatted, and I expressed my interest in getting a growing bed, so then I was placed on the waiting list. Soon after, I was contacted and joined the other growers, and dove into the experience.

The beginning was challenging, but the garden manager, a true garden lover, was incredibly supportive. The garden's location was tough; the ground was hard with sand and concrete. However, with patience and teamwork, we transformed it. A few of us came together to create a flourishing growing space, and the demand quickly spread. I've been at the Story Garden for four years now. We were inspired by the arrival of the growing beds, especially seeing the impressive harvests from other growers, including large kodu bottle gourds.

Inspired by our experiences at the Story Garden, we wanted to explore the possibility of creating a similar space on our estate. We reached out to our housing authorities to request access to the locked green space on our Godwin and Crowndale estate. Progress has taken time, but we’re making it happen on a smaller scale.

Oli helped me build my growing bed, which had been relocated from the Story Garden. He noticed large pieces of rooted wood at the bottom of my old growing bed and asked about my idea of using wood beneath the soil. I explained that I had taken wood from an old, rotting bench and used it to fill up the bed. Oli mentioned that the soil was in great condition, as the wood had broken down over time and enriched it. I came up with this technique to use less soil to fill the bed while also nourishing the soil and its inhabitants.

The Story Garden Somers Town team has been an incredible support, bringing materials and assisting my neighbours and me. I often share my experiences with my brother, emphasising the invaluable assistance I've received. I will never forget it.

I've learned so much from the Story Garden, including how to make fertilizer from comfrey and stinging nettles. I have been implementing what I’ve learned and now have a comfrey plant to make my own. I love sharing the knowledge and skills I’ve gained with others; it’s a joy to contribute to the community.

While I will miss the garden, I take comfort in knowing it will continue on our estate and inspire others. I will always cherish the memories, especially the time I harvested a 9 grams of tomato, the largest I've grown. You can't imagine the delight I felt when I turned it into a big plate of salad. 

My passion for gardening rooted during my childhood. My mother spent a lot of time gardening and truly enjoyed planting. I would join her and spend countless hours helping in the land around our house in Bangladesh. I have been involved in various community green spaces in the past. Gardening is a true passion of mine, and I’m always seeking to grow my skills. Looking ahead, I plan to learn how to harvest rainwater and consider water consumption more carefully. I believe we have a responsibility to think about future generations, who will face limited water resources. We need to start making changes now to ensure a sustainable future.

Just do it, I'm happy: Shahid’s story

I embraced the spirit of resident Shahid who had this mindset: happy that we were there to support and build the growing bed. My somewhat need to make things look neat felt like a bit of a pull, but by the end, it was a Hi5 moment!

Karari mentioned Shahid made the quickest lining, definitely “happy day.” We are always learning and adapting to each estate, getting to know the residents and learning from them together to create positive changes.

Shahid was just grateful his growing bed from the Story Garden was now relocated on to the estate. Located in the communal garden Shahid, Lukman and others had set up. Now he is keen to start preparing his soil for the spring. His friends from nearby estates were passing by and also joining in with the excitement. This definitely sparked conversations and ideas of what could be possible in their concrete spaces.

The love I share with all: Manni’s story

Manni is a green champion. He has a background in horticulture and he rescues and cares for plants that have been left on the streets. Myself and Oli had the pleasure to visit where all the magic takes place. Down the stairs into the basement there was a door leading to an outdoor space then up another flight of stairs Manni created a planting station where he would take these plants. 

His set up was great. He showed us plants he had propagated and shared the story of the olive tree he found. The tree was half dead and through patience and care, it is thriving now.  I’ve walked past Manni’s building for a long time and hearing his passion and love for his neighbours and his neighbourhood, is truly special. Over the years some neighbours have helped but he mainly does it alone. This is his passion. We have supported Manni with materials, soil and plants.  

Grey to Green: Dilara’s story

I watched the transformation of the car park from grey to green. My name is Dilara and I have been living in Hadstock House for over 30 years. My front entrance to the flat faces the Story Garden and I have seen many changes. It was great to see what was happening in the Story Garden from the very start to the end. I had the perfect view looking into the Story Garden from my flat. 

It was from seeing what was possible in the Story Garden that we expressed interest and later the council and Global Generation had placed growing beds at the back of our building. That space I have spent many years looking down at. Now it's a space for us residents to grow food, a space to nurture and care for. 

I take pride and a great sense of ownership in my growing bed. The beds have benefited us. I feel a combination of improvements in my memory, physical health and mental wellbeing. Looking after my bed has become part of my daily routine, a good form of exercise as some days I go visit twice. It gives me something to look forward to as the greenery keeps my mind fresh and gets me climbing up and down the stairs more. 

I hope in the future we could have bigger spaces as I do feel limited because of the size. I would like to grow and explore varieties of vegetables and fruits. I'm very curious and spend time watching YouTube videos on how others grow a range of vegetables. It's really fascinating, especially ‘chillies’. Something I would really like to learn about is soil health and how to make fertiliser.

Blast of green: Joy’s story

Rooting out of the Story Garden since 2021 has proved that the work can have a profound impact, as well as reaching many more residents. It also made me think about how to engage more people who live in and visit Somers Town now that the Story garden has moved.

Gardening is not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I hope it will continue to inspire people in different ways. Some might simply want to see green spaces better cared for on their estates, while other residents have come together to start conversations about creating new growing beds on their estates.

Green spaces hold different importance for each of us.

“Life can take a toll but the plants feed our soul.” Fatima

“It has been great to connect with like-minded individuals who also share a passion for fostering green spaces in our community and giving back to Nature." Abir 

Many residents have shared how crucial and life changing it has been to their health. Having a little bit of green gem to care for when their health has been challenging, was for them uplifting and something to look forward to. When she underwent a wrist surgery, a resident said that gardening slowly helped her build strength back in her hand. 

Others like myself simply enjoy the beauty and charming effects of being around plants and trees. When I lived in Somers Town, I only had an outdoor concrete space, with no grass but, with pots around, that was my green heaven, giving me a sense of relief and bringing a blast of green to my eyes. When potatoes went mushy and started shooting roots, I would plant it straight in the soil pot and enjoy the greener leaves.

That little bit of concrete will always have a dear place in my heart. 

Being part of Future Neighbourhood Greening on the estates, I have had the privilege of witnessing the ‘creation of green’ in Somers Town. It’s truly inspiring to hear the stories of residents and the positive impact these changes have had on their lives. Through Global Generation’s educational activities and gardening workshops, our work will continue to up-skill and support residents to enhance their gardening skills and deepen their understanding of plant care and biodiversity. We emphasise the interconnectedness of nature and our environment and highlight how we all play a vital role in creating a flourishing community. 

Somers Town has lost a lot of green spaces in the last years but, by the tremendous work of council and residents linking up, unused and unloved green areas are receiving more care and love.

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Notes from the Garden