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The White House Community Garden

Create London By Create London

We want to create a new community garden on the Becontree Estate. This new social space is part of a locally listed former farmhouse, being renovated for community use and artist residencies.

Dagenham Delivery stage

£11,012
pledged of £29,083

Sorry this project was unsuccessful, we did not reach our fundraising goal.

We want to build a beautiful 80sqm garden at the back of The White House, a former farmer's cottage on the Becontree Estate. We have already raised over £150k to restore the listed house and turn it into a community arts space, but we need more money to enhance the space by building a new Community Garden. The White House Community Garden will be open for all local residents to use, reflecting the historical tradition and importance of gardens on the estate. From the 1920s living in Becontree meant having a place to grow plants, fruit and vegetables and spend leisure time outside for the first time since the first world war. This garden will be open to anyone wanting to learn how to grow plants or garden, or who simply wants to spend time outdoors and meet new people. The garden can also be used as an inspiration for new projects from the resident artists, and for community activities by local groups. It will be a beautiful, green, educational and community strengthening oasis.

What we'll deliver:

  • Fit out the garden with a shed, tools and seating area
  • Hold a launch garden party for all of the community and our backers!
  • Remove the tarmac and create a lawned area
  • Plant raised beds and start a small new orchard

Why it's a great idea:

Our dedicated team, supported by the local council are working hard to restore a listed House, and to create a new garden that will have even greater benefits for the local community and visitors to the area. It will serve as a new place where people of all ages and backgrounds can reconnect with nature, gaining new skills and making new connections across the estate and with their neighbours. It will be a new landmark asset for Becontree and a space for resident artists to produce new work with local people for at least the next 25 years. The new garden will be a source of inspiration for art projects and to be a resource for the production of new community activities. The new space will be a connecting point for local people and the resident artists which will foster community development and make the area more vibrant and a better place to live. We will develop the garden so it can prosper over years, with local ownership and facilitating local pride and individual empowerment.

Steps to get it done:

  • Open the garden for use of at least 1,000 local people engage with over the first year
  • Build the new garden with help of 40 local volunteers
  • New garden space produce
  • Raise the funds for the new garden

The garden will be planted to mark out the natural calendar, passing seasons and years. The Becontree estate famously held competitions for the most well kept garden. The winners were awarded prizes of £2,000 (a substantial amount back then) up to 1970s. This new project will provide a way of restoring an interest and enthusiasm for gardens, the benefits of urban growing and an exploration of and understanding of the value of local green spaces. We wish to revive the community spirit that benefited communities in the past, and whist we won't be handing out prizes, we'll certainly be providing spaces and trowels!

Gallery

Location Dagenham

About the space

Council

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

How will the money be spent?Target (inc. fees)  £29,083

Removal of asphalt - £7,000
Landscaping - £5,500
Planting of shrubbery and raised beds - £3,500
Planting of orchard - £2,500
Project management - £2,200
New fences and borders - £1,950
Purchase of gardening tools and equipment - £1,800
Garden Furniture - £1,600
Volunteer costs - £1,200

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.

Removal of asphalt
£7,000
Landscaping
£5,500
Planting of shrubbery and raised beds
£3,500
Planting of orchard
£2,500
Project management
£2,200
New fences and borders
£1,950
Purchase of gardening tools and equipment
£1,800
Garden Furniture
£1,600
Volunteer costs
£1,200

Target (inc. fees)  £29,083

Our Volunteer List

We're currently looking for people to offer skills and time to develop our project! Check out the list of what we need below and then use the 'Volunteer' button to the right to get involved.

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