TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF
An abandoned garden at Norwood Junction station, has been weeded, dug out and replanted to help bring the local community together and support people’s mental health
Just off the southern exit of Norwood Junction station there’s a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. An overgrown garden that had fallen into disrepair has been transformed into a small sanctuary.
The Norwood Community Garden opened to the public last week, and it’s hoped the space will help to support people’s mental health.
Grace-Anne Stephenson (left) and Samantha Nakirya (right) with Didi, a Carlisle contractor
Grace-Anne Stephenson (left) and Samantha Nakirya (right) with Didi, a Carlisle contractor
Station assistant Grace-Anne Stephenson, alongside stakeholder and community engagement manager Samantha Nakirya, led the project to reopen the garden.
“I’m so pleased that this is finally up and running – Norwood Junction has had many situations when people are maybe suicidal or just don’t see a way out,” said Grace-Anne. “I want this to be a place for people in the local community to come and feel safe, where they can speak openly and let their emotions out. My hope is that this is the first and last point of their troubles, and myself, or anyone at Norwood, can help them.”
Sam continued: “There used to be a community garden at the station, and Grace-Anne explained to me that it was a thriving space where the locals would come together and kids would play. Frontline colleagues have seen firsthand antisocial behaviour, drugs and alcohol misuse near the station. Re-establishing a community garden is a good place to start in helping with this.”
At the heart of the local community
It’s been a real team effort to get the garden back up and running. ARL has taken over the plot of land from the British Transport Police. The team then reached out to Network Rail and received funding for the project from their Green Fund, which supports environmental and community engagement projects.
The Bee Friendly Trust, which has previously worked on several railway station gardens for ARL, passed on its gardening expertise to Grace-Anne and Samantha, helping them select the right plants. Network Rail also helped to replace some of the rotten sleepers, while ARL’s subcontractor, Carlisle, built a new shed with working electricity and water.
The local community has also been at the heart of the project since it started a year ago. Just down the road from the station is South Norwood Community Kitchen, which provides free food to locals in South London. Samantha and Grace-Anne reached out to them at the beginning of the project to ensure they were bringing in local voices.
“We create a safe space where people feel comfortable and can have open conversations,” said Emma Gardiner, who works at the community kitchen. “What we do isn’t just about the food, the food is just part of what we do. We want to empower people and provide solidarity, belonging and reduce social isolation in a world where it’s more precarious than ever before.”
Emma and her team are going to use the new garden to grow fruit and vegetables, which they’ll then distribute to the local community. Locals who use the community kitchen also shared what they would like to see in the space, and all of that has been incorporated into its design.
And, what a transformation it’s been. There are five different elements in the design, including a kitchen garden for growing fruit and vegetables; an area called Nature’s Corner with a pond, birdhouses and sensory garden; a shed for people to meet and chat called the Tranquillity Base; a tea garden with herbs like mint and chamomile for making a cuppa; and the World Greenhouse, which will house fruit and veg that represent the different cultures of the surrounding community.
There are also signs provided by the Samaritans around the garden, so people know where to turn if they need help.
Big plans
Now that the garden is open, Samantha and Grace-Anne are looking forward to building more partnerships and seeing how the space could evolve. There’s been a lot of enthusiasm from the local community too – a local art college has volunteered to create a new mural, while a primary school has said they’d love to use the garden for outdoor learning. Samantha and Grace-Anne also hope the new shed becomes a space where people can run talking therapy sessions, yoga or art classes.
“Everyone has been really positive, including station colleagues,” said Samantha. “From visiting the site and not knowing how to tackle a problem like suicide prevention, to now having something that will support a lot of people – that’s what’s been most rewarding. We've been able to connect all these dots, and hopefully it’s going to just snowball into something bigger.”
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