By Josey Crane Burrows (Good Food Lewisham Volunteer) and Helen Jackson
Trevor Pybus from Downham Men's Group at Goldsmiths Community Centre Allotment
It’s often the simple pleasures in life, like having a cuppa and a good chat that can help support our health and well-being the most. Downham Men’s Group know the value in such pleasures - having a cuppa and a chat is a cherished part of their Tuesday meet-ups.
Helen Jackson and I met with the warm spirited, Trevor Pybus (pictured above) who set up Downham Men’s Group in 2020 at Goldsmith’s Community Centre (GCC), to provide a local safe space and support group for men. It’s a space for men to get on with some practical tasks for the community and have a chat over a cup of tea and a slice of cake.
GCC is a large community centre which has been serving the surrounding areas which is mainly social housing (Downham, Hither Green and until 2022 Whitefoot) since the 1930s.
It has large grounds with varied gardening spaces – beds for veg, sensory garden, small memorial garden, sports area, seating, compost corner, tool sheds etc. and there used to be a forest school area.
Food is grown for all at the Community Centre, rhubarb is currently doing well and last autumn they gave out grown and foraged fruit and veg to locals outside GCC, which was really popular. Sunflower seeds were also planted at the edge of the allotment in solidarity with Ukraine and when in season bloom in abundance.
The group are currently working to clear the quadrant in the middle of the community centre and create a well-being space with a painted mural on the back wall.
Memorial Garden for Lee Bentley
When:
Tuesdays 10am - 1pm - gardening, growing, clearing paths, DIY, building maintenance etc.
Where:
Goldsmiths Community Centre
Castillon Road
London
SE6 1PH
They also do work on other sites, at the moment they’re working with Thames 21 (https://www.thames21.org.uk) on the river in Beckenham Place Park - a project which looks to put “healthy rivers at the heart of communities”.
The group are keen to attract more volunteers, especially from diverse backgrounds.
If you’d like to volunteer or have any questions, please contact Trevor Pybus:
We asked Trevor what the one thing is he’d like people to know about Downham Men’s Group and we loved hearing what he said:
“It’s a safe space for men to come together, get stuff done and drink tea”
Downham in Green Event
Join Downham Men's Group and others to learn about the green spaces in Downham and how you can protect them.
When: Wednesday 20th March
Time: 3-7pm
Where: St. Luke's Downham, Northover, Bromley, BR1 5JR
If you'd like to be added to our Food Growing WhatsApp group or if you'd like your garden to be featured, please email: goodfood@lewishamlocal.com
