By Josey Crane Burrows (Good Food Lewisham volunteer)
Diamond-like rain droplets hung from the broccoli leaves at the Breakspears Mews Community Garden, cosily tucked away off Ashby Road in the Brockley Conservation area. I met with Cait Goddard earlier this year, one of the core volunteers who's been involved with the garden for the last 6 years. We took cover from the rain in the greenhouse while she told me about their garden, what they’ve been up to, what they need more help with and her vision for the future.
In 2010 a group of determined local Brockley residents approached Lewisham Council for planning permission to turn the space, previously a dumping ground for rubbish, into a community garden. And in 2012, they were granted permission and the area was cleared the following year. Since then, a small group of volunteers have dedicated their time and energy into developing and maintaining the garden.
They have raised beds for vegetables - broccoli was growing in abundance when I visited - a greenhouse, water butts (where seaweed is added to the rainwater and used as fertiliser) and they’re growing daffodils and other flowers. The produce picked is shared amongst those who come along.
They follow 4 guiding principles of community gardening:
Garden organically: no pesticides are being used on the site
Encourage more people to get involved
Don’t leave rubbish on the site; leave it as you would like to find a garden
Have fun!
School visits
They’ve been visited by children from the local schools and enjoy teaching them about plants and food.
Volunteer sessions (April - October)
They run regular sessions during the growing season and Cait tells me they’re keen to attract more volunteers, especially from diverse backgrounds.
Thursdays - 11:30 - 1:30 pm
Sundays - 11:30 -1:30 pm
Access to the garden is via Ashby Road, SE4 1UW
AGM
Their AGM is being held this Sunday 28th April at 1pm and is open for all to attend.
Newsletter
You can sign up to their newsletter to hear more about open days and events being held at the garden:
What’s the one thing?
The one thing Cait would like you to know about their garden:
“Everyone’s Welcome”
Cait’s vision for the future
Cait shared her vision for the future with me, she’d love to have the space cleared at the back of the garden and an orchard created for all to enjoy. I hope it soon becomes a reality.
Once again, I’m reminded of the amazing work that's achieved when a group of determined people come together with a shared mission. I left Breakspears Mews feeling inspired by the efforts of volunteers like Cait who offer their time so generously to maintain their community gardens.
If you'd like to be added to our Food Growing WhatsApp group or if you'd like your garden to be featured in this series, please email: goodfood@lewishamlocal.com
