An edible wildlife garden in Southwark

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To create an edible wildlife garden at The Bridge in Southwark. Wilder wants to work with The Bridge to turn their neglected outdoor space into a garden that can be used by members and the community.

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

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The idea

Wilder is looking for funding to transform the outside space at The Bridge in Southwark into a wildlife-friendly edible and educational garden.

The Bridge aims to reduce inequalities in health by promoting positive health outcomes in Southwark. They run a female-only gym, and offer tailored programmes and projects to promote healthy lifestyles.

The outside space would be used to grow food to be used in the kitchen, tying in to the nurturing themes of the wider Bridge project. With volunteers, we will also focus on wildlife-friendly planting. This will lead to greater awareness of the benefits of wilding, as well as show volunteers how to grow nutritious food.

What we'll deliver

Plant wildlife friendly shrubs and climbers
Install 4 raised beds for growing edibles
Create a bug hotel and bird boxes
Create educational signs
Plant a screen of pollution fighting plants
Plant a green roof, with sedum and wild flowers

Why it's a great idea

Increased knowledge of the benefits of wildlife gardens
Increased knowledge of growing and maintaining plants
Increased knowledge of healthy eating
Increase in volunteer participation
Increase in volunteer activity
Enhanced bio-diversity in this very urban and polluted area
An increase in wildlife such as foraging bees

Steps to get it done

Creating a garden design
Buying the plants and planters
Recruiting local volunteers
Running a briefing session for volunteers
Creating a wildlife information pack
Digging and planting beds
Seeding a green roof

Wilder will work with Katrina Rawson-Mackenzie who is a project manager at The Bridge. We have had several very positive meetings with Katrina, and are confident we can work together constructively on shared goals.

Location

By Wilder City

Wilder is a new social enterprise creating spaces ... Learn More

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Updates

An edible wildlife garden in Southwark verified by .5 years ago

An edible wildlife garden in Southwark verified by Locality.5 years ago

An edible wildlife garden in Southwark joined: Make London 5 years ago

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https://wildercity.co.uk/

Wilder is a new social enterprise creating spaces for urban wildlife. We are not-for-profit low-carbon organisation whose goal is to promote biodiversity through wildlife friendly planting. We apply sustainability principles to every aspect of our work, and are looking for a grant to instigate our plan to make our local community greener.

Wilder is run by Leanne Werner and Helena Smith, who met when Leanne was chairing Southwark Council's climate emergency scrutiny commission. Leanne put out a call for a videographer to document the drop in pollution during the 2020 lockdown. Helena, a member of Extinction Rebellion’s Southwark Rebel Gardeners group, filmed Southwark Voices in response.

We met again by chance at a gardening project at sheltered housing in Bermondsey, and again by chance a few days later at Walworth Garden’s (brilliant) wildlife gardening course. On a break in the course, we conceived Wilder over lunch at the nearby Electric Elephant Café.

Our combined skills encompass fundraising, policy change, writing, photography and video-making. And we love gardening. Between us we have created a new courtyard garden at the Hackney Pirates literacy charity, nurtured green spaces at women's refuges in south London, and volunteered for Bankside Open Spaces Trust, at Archbishop’s Park and for the kitchen garden project at North London Action for the Homeless.

We need funds to create a wild space at the Bridge (a health and wellbeing centre). This is part of our response to the growing ecological crisis in our cities. Funding will help us to create an edible wild garden at the Bridge. This will turn a neglected and underused space into a wildife haven, and will provide produce for to the community kitchen.

Project Owner: Wilder City The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.