Somerford Grove Estate was designed in 1947 with community at its heart. Sadly, over the past decade, the estate has felt the effects of deep council cuts including to ground maintenance. We want to regenerate gardens that will improve the lives of everyone in our community and enable us to take care of the Earth. Our first project is transforming a large raised bed in the middle of the estate into a feature everyone will be proud of. We want to engage Hackney Mosaic Project to decorate it, designing the mosaics in collaboration with local children. The gardening group will grow food and insect-friendly flowers in the bed. If we succeed in this, there is potential to transform the whole estate into a place that empowers residents, increases biodiversity and captures carbon emissions. At the start, and on an ongoing basis, we will seek the views of our neighbours. This project is driven by people who live here, and including everyone in the planning is central to its success.

What we'll deliver:

• Renovation of the large raised bed, including mosaic decoration
• Food and flowers growing in the large raised bed

Why it's a great idea:

- The gardening group will provide opportunities to bring residents together, increasing social cohesion - A key feature of the estate will be transformed from an eyesore into something to be proud of - Residents will have opportunities to garden, growing their own food and working with the land - Gardening is a physically demanding activity and could improve the physical health of residents - The food grown will increase residents' intake of healthy and fresh food, because it will be free - Gardening is a meaningful activity, in the creation and sharing of food and also understanding how we coexist with the rest of nature - All of the above could have a positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of residents - Many local families walk past the raised bed on their way to Shacklewell Primary School. They will also benefit from the nicer environment - Increasing the biodiversity on the estate will be good for insects and the whole ecosystem.

Steps to get it done:

• Buying plants and equipment (February 2021)
• Digging and planting the beds (March to June 2021)
• Designing the mosaic wit resident children (when Covid allows)
• Creating the mosaic wiht resident volunteers (when Covid allows)
• Fixing the mosaic to the bed (when it is complete)
• Laying down compost at the end of the growing season (end of September)

To launch the project, Covid allowing, we will advertise and organise a planting event in the Spring/Summer to bring children, parents and elders together, using the estate’s noticeboards and distributing leaflets to every household.