esidents on a Muswell Hill housing estate and local school children are benefiting from a new community greenhouse aimed at bringing their neighbourhood closer together.
The greenhouse, made possible through a successful funding bid by members of the Upper Alexandra Road Residents’ Association with support from their landlord Barnet Homes, will give dozens of residents without gardens the opportunity to grow their own plants and vegetables.
Plants and vegetables grown in the greenhouse will also be offered to residents on other nearby estates and to the local Hollickwood Primary School in Sidney Road, N10. Pupils at the school will also make regular visits to the greenhouse to learn more about horticulture.
The greenhouse will be officially opened on Wednesday 4 May, while members of the residents’ association will also sign an official agreement to take future responsibility for grounds maintenance at the garden.
The residents hope the project will build on the success of a community gardening project that has been running on the estate over the past six years.
Secretary of the Upper Alexandra Road Residents’ Association, Donna Bennett, said: “The gardening project has really driven home to us just how expensive flowers and plants can be. We thought ‘wouldn’t it be great to have our own greenhouse so that we can be self-sufficient’.
“The greenhouse has only been up a few weeks but already we’ve found more people are taking an interest in gardening. We’ve also managed to set up a shed by the greenhouse so that we can store things like compost.
“When I first suggested this, everyone looked at me as if I was mad. But we’ve got the greenhouse now and we hope residents on other estates will think about doing something similar. The logo of our residents association is ‘if we can do it, so can you’, and that’s really true in this case.”
The greenhouse has been funded through a grant of almost £5,000 from the North West London Community Foundation – a charitable trust which raises funds from donors and businesses for local community projects.
United House, the Barnet Homes’ contractor which carried out Decent Homes improvements in the area, also agreed to supply the base for the greenhouse.
Barnet Homes Chief Executive, Tracey Lees, said: “This is a great local project and we’re very pleased that we’ve been able to support the residents in making a successful funding bid.
“The residents at Alexandra Road have taken great pride in cultivating a fantastic communal garden. The new greenhouse will take that to the next level, and I hope it helps build an even greater sense of community spirit on the estate.
“We’re committed to supporting all tenants and leaseholders with suggestions for projects that will benefit their community. We hope the greenhouse project will inspire others and encourage them to approach us with their ideas.”
Barnet Homes tenants and leaseholders with suggestions for community projects should call Deborah Beckford on 020 8359 5307 or email deborah.beckford@barnethomes.org.