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Friends Rejuvenation of Gipsy Hill published their Delivery Report!4 years ago
Delivered 11 June 2019
Impact data and claims within this report are provided by the project creator and have not been independently verified by Spacehive.
The disused land adjacent to Gipsy Hill needs some tender loving care to turn it into a community green space. A tidy-up, ability to get water and low maintenance planting will brighten up the area!
Gipsy Hill Station adjoining land has deteriorated considerably, making the station less enjoyable to use and engendering a sense of elevated risk when in the immediate environs. Several parts of the land behind Platform 1 are fenced off and currently in a very poor state, making them subject to littering and fly tipping, and are generally unkempt along the side roads making them feel unpleasant. We need your help to improve this neglected area. The idea is to undertake significant environmental improvements to the area and to make it a more enjoyable, safer and positive place for all those who live and work around it. This would be achieved by upgrading the green space around the station, enhancing the diversity of vegetation and wildlife, and fostering strong community involvement. We plan to transform the environmentally impoverished land into a wildlife habitat, an educational and community space, and a beautiful green garden.
What we'll deliver:
Why it's a great idea:
This provides environmental improvements to beautify the area, making it a pleasant station to use. It provides a usable green space as a focus for the community, transforming a currently inhospitable and menacing side road into an attractive and well-managed garden. By introducing planting into currently neglected scrubland, we will focus on indigenous and wildlife-promoting species. We will deter anti-social behaviours such as littering, fly tipping and crime enhancing the safety of the Sainsbury Road side of the station, where pedestrians are often forced to interact directly with traffic. We will address social divisions and low inclusivity by offering volunteering opportunities to residents, schools and other community groups. We will offer therapeutic benefits in terms of wellbeing generally, but specifically to fitness and mental health to all those involved in the planning and the realisation of the project.
Steps to get it done:
The Friends of Gipsy Hill are also looking to: Establish an orchard on another disused part of the station grounds Insect hotels are particularly needed to preserve the endangered stag beetle which is resident in the area. Increased habitat and food plants for bees and other pollinators, including the locally common jersey tiger moth (https://ukmoths.org.uk/species/euplagia-quadripunctaria/) Improvement of the area currently frequented by the Gipsy Hill Station Cat (https://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/news/croydon-news/story-behind-loveable-cat-who-550932), a local celebrity with a large social media following (https://twitter.com/thegipsyhillcat?lang=en), Year two : Design a children's play area for a second phase of the project Works on the lower tract of land including construction of a project space depends on funding. Establish a drought resistant avenue of mid-height hedgerow along Sainsbury Road.
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The first phase of the Gipsy Hill garden is nearing completion. We have established the garden. The shed is installed along with the green house. We have a master plan with the support off the brilliant Lou Yates. We have trees donated, plants from the Chelsea flower show, water butts harvesting water, bird boxes ready to go up and composters lined up. We have hundreds of community volunteer hours clocked up and a healthy following on twitter, facebook and instagram. Our volunteer day are well attended and the list of jobs we need to grows like our garden. The next phases of the garden are growing and we are planning to run the Gipsy Hill village fete on the 14th July at Long Meadow. This phase 1 that you helped crowdfund along with the Mayor of London has allowed us establish ourselves as a community group that has achieved so much in getting the garden up and running. It makes me smile every time I see it and the garden grows from strength to strength. We would like to thank all the backers, supporters, sponsors and volunteers whose help has been invaluable in establishing the garden. I now need to write up the close out report and look to future phases. Look out for further crowd funding opportunities and details of what we have achieved with your community support. It's a growing thing and seeds have certainly been sown!!!
We were on site over the weekend and got some of our additional planters installed with our home made arches. We received our Extinction Rebellion donated fruit trees and they have pride of place. One of the cable drum tables was prepped and varnished. The planter stands were painted and the shed was installed. The water butts have arrived and awaiting installation with the composters waiting to be placed. More planting was done and general garden maintenance was carried out......phew!! What a weekend and we are now focusing on our next day of action 22nd June at the station from 10am. We have launched our next summer fundraising campaign if you'd like to help..... visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/gipsy-hill-rejuvenation We are raising funds for the Gipsy Hill Village Fete, a home from home for Fanny the Cat and funds to preserve the Gipsy Hill Tavern sign. There are some fantastic rewards available with this phase of crowdfunding, We are nearing completion of this phase of works so watch this space!!
The volunteers were out in force on Easter Saturday planting the planters and building up the garden. The mini green house arrived and the ground was levelled out for the shed. A few planters were installed at the front of station although I think we need more but the perlogoniums will arrive in a couple of weeks time. After a week the seeds are starting to sprout and with a scattering of wildflower seeds and a few hop plants we are good to go. The next action day is the 18th May!!! Hopefully see you then Regards The Friends of Gipsy Hill
The Friends of Gipsy Hill have joined forces with the Gipsy Hill Brewing Company, on Hamilton Road, who have offered to sponsor a thank you event for you, our backers. They have offered us the use of the Tap Room and a Gipsy Hill pint (or suitable soft drink) as a thank you to all of you for backing our garden at the Gipsy Hill Station. We would like to invite you to come along to see how we are progressing with our plans and to share your ideas for future involvement. We hope you can make it, an invitation has been emailed to you for you to reply to. Check your SPAM filters if it hasn't popped up. It is from us, honestly!! For those of you further a field, who can't make it, drop us a stamped addressed envelope to FOGH C/O 28 Colby Road, London, SE19 1HA and we'll send you an "I love Gipsy Hill" badge. There is only one in existence outside London (that I am aware of) with the lovely lady who stopped me on the train in Manchester who said she used to live in Gipsy Hill and I donated my badge to her. **This event is by invitation only and you can bring along a guest**
How will the money be spent?Total £5,315
Costs Breakdown
This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.
Overfunding
This project is enabled for overfunding. If the project hits its funding goal before the end of the campaign period, any extra funds raised will be spent (in order of priority) on:
Total £5,315
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VolunteerTo provide a community focus for the Gipsy Hill community and to make it a better place to live. We are seeking to preserve the Gipsy in Gipsy Hill.
Project Owner: Friends of Gipsy Hill The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
