The idea
In partnership with the youth organisations based at the hub - Fit For Life Youth, Young K&C, and London Sports Trust - the inaugural Closing the Green Gap garden will be fundraised for, co-designed and shaped by the young people who use the space every day.
It will become a permanent, purposefully designed garden that not only brings beauty, nature, and biodiversity into an urban environment, but also acts as a gateway to green skills, environmental awareness, and future career opportunities.
Closing the Green Gap addresses the deep inequalities in access to nature - locally and nationally - by transforming underserved spaces into places of possibility. It’s about climate and social justice, rooted in land, leadership, and legacy. With Lancaster Youth Hub just minutes from Chelsea Flower Show - an event celebrated for its beauty, but out of reach for many - this marks Grow to Know’s bold step away from the RHS, and toward a future grounded in equity, autonomy, and youth power.
What we'll deliver
- Youth centred co-design to channel ideas, stories, and leadership.
- Building a lasting, low-impact space that supports biodiversity and climate care.
- Working with local organisations to embed long-term, shared impact through capacity building.
- Enabling increased opportunity for community, cultural connection, creative expression wellbeing, and education.
- Ensuring the transformed space is welcoming, inclusive, and usable by all.
Why it's a great idea
In North Kensington, access to green space is unequal. In a borough known for its wealth and well-kept gardens, communities just streets away face ongoing inequality - living with the impact of Grenfell, compounded by the pandemic and cost of living crisis.
Grow to Know was formed in response - to challenge that imbalance and create lasting change through community-centred campaigns.
Our first permanent garden at Lancaster Youth Hub will transform a neglected concrete car park through investment and care, shaped by the young people and organisations who use the space daily. It will set a new standard for what community gardens can be - beautiful, safe, and deeply rooted in place.
This is the start of a wider commitment in Closing the Green Gap - support us in planting seeds of change, from the ground up, starting here in North Kensington.
Steps to get it done
- Youth centred co-design: OCT - DEC 2025
- LYH design concept: JAN 2026
- LYH garden build: FEB - APR 2026
- Lancaster Youth Hub garden launch: MAY 2026
