Community gardens

Lewisham Fruit Harvest

Lewisham Fruit Harvest is a volunteer-powered initiative that rescues surplus fruit from local gardens and shares it within the community. Every year, tonnes of fruit go unpicked while many people struggle to access fresh food, and this project helps bridge that gap. A Grow Lewisham project and part of the London Fruit Harvest initiative, we work with tree owners, volunteers and community organisations to harvest seasonal fruit and redistribute it locally. Harvesting is seasonal (roughly July–October) and takes place outdoors in local gardens and green spaces. No prior experience is needed, and equipment is provided for volunteers.

• Address: Across Brockley and Downham – please sign up to find out about harvesting locations 
• Accessibility: Please email the organisers at lewishamfruitharvest@gmail.com if you have any access needs or would like more information about participation.

Contact details:

If you are interested in volunteering as a fruit harvester, have a fruit tree, or would like to receive fruit, please fill in this Google form or email lewishamfruitharvest@gmail.com.  

Coco Collective- Ital Community Gardens, Bellingham

We offer Afrikan- diaspora led community gardens, open to all, where we grow culturally diverse foods, deliver Public Health community-led health checks through The Plantain Programme, and run a range of food workshops and events.

How to get involved: 

• Email: cococollective.org@gmail.com
• IG: @cococollective_org
• FB: facebook.com/cococollective.org
• Eventbrite: cococollective.eventbrite.com

Brockley Energy Garden

Come to a community gardening session in Brockley where we are greening the platform spaces with the local community. In these sessions we do variety of seasonal gardening activities, and we'd love to have you join us. Everyone is welcome, and all tools are provided.

• Address: Brockley Train Station, Coulgate Street, Brockley, London SE4 2RW
• Accessibility: Limited wheelchair accessibility

How to get involved:

Please sign up on our volunteer page or email callum@energygarden.co.uk.

The Plot - Grow Lewisham's community growing space

The Plot is Grow Lewisham’s dedicated growing space, located within the Oldstead Road Allotments. Established in 2021, it provides opportunities for local residents to learn food-growing skills using permaculture and nature-friendly methods through free workshops and regular gardening sessions. In 2026, the project is focusing on developing a new community orchard on the allotment site and growing food to share with volunteers and local food projects.

• Address: The Plot, Oldstead Road Allotments, 1 Southview Road, Bromley BR1 5RD (Look for the black gate with Grow Lewisham and Oldstead Road Allotments signs and follow the driveway down)
• Accessibility: Please contact the project directly for information about site accessibility and any support requirements.

How to get involved:

The Plot is open to Lewisham residents and runs regular gardening sessions on Sundays from 1-4pm between March and October. New volunteers are always welcome. 

To find out more or get involved, contact: growlewishamnetwork@gmail.com.

Honor Oak Park Energy Garden

Join us at a community gardening session in Honor Oak Park where we are transforming the bank space on Platform 2 into a paradise for biodiversity. In these sessions we do variety of seasonal gardening activities, and we'd love to have you join us. Everyone is welcome, and all tools are provided. 

• Address: Honor Oak Park Station, Honor Oak Park, London, SE23 1DY
• Accessibility: Limited wheelchair accessibility

How to get involved:

Please sign up on our volunteer page or email callum@energygarden.co.uk.  

The Railway Garden 

The Railway Garden is a charming community green space just off the busy Brockley Road, running alongside Platform 1 at Crofton Park Station. Created in 2019 by local residents in partnership with Network Rail and Thameslink, this little oasis transformed a previously unloved fly tipping area into a pocket park for wildlife and the local community to enjoy. Open Monday to Saturday from 9am–5pm, the garden welcomes all visitors. It features colourful ornamental planting throughout the seasons, seating areas, and a small children's play space with a bug wall for curious young explorers and a trainspotting platform where they can wave to passing trains.

• Address: Crofton Park Station, the entrance is on Mannock Road, SE4 1EU (off Brockley Road), behind Terry's All Locks
• Accessibility: The garden is step free with a ramped accessible entrance

How to get involved:

Volunteer gardening sessions take place twice a month on Sundays, offering everyone the opportunity to get involved, meet neighbours and help care for this special community-led open space. The garden also hosts occasional community markets and family-friendly activities. Visit the What's On page to discover upcoming events and ways to take part.

• Website: croftonparkrailwaygarden.org.uk
• Instagram: @croftongarden
• Email: croftonrailwaygarden@gmail.com

AA Garden 

AAGarden is a community garden project combining social and therapeutic horticulture, creative activities, and nature-based experiences to support wellbeing, connection, and inclusion. The project particularly welcomes non-native English speakers and people from diverse cultural backgrounds to take part in gardening, creative workshops, and co-creating a welcoming community space through meaningful engagement with nature.

• Address: Royal Naval Place Allotments 2, Royal Naval Pl, London SE14 6LH
• Accessibility: As the garden is still in its early development stage, we are continuing to develop the space and will consider accessibility needs as the project grows

How to get involved:

• Instagram: @aagarden.uk
• Website: www.aagarden.org

Arts Network Community Garden

Arts Network is a charity based in Deptford, reframing mental health through creativity and community. We are building a relaxing, creative, wellbeing garden, especially providing access to those facing barriers to gardening or accessing green spaces due to finances, isolation and/or disability. We are growing herbs, vegetables and native plants. This garden is supported by Grow Wild UK, the national outreach programme of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Bupa Foundation. This summer, we will be hosting community gardening days. We'd love for you to join us to help build this garden, have chats and snacks together and take part in gardening and creative activities!

• Address:  Arts Network, Art Hub Studios, Mornington Centre, Stanley St, London SE8 4BL
• Email: info@artsnetwork.org.uk
• Phone: 020 8852 2849
• Accessibility: Our garden, workroom and toilets have step free access. We will do our best to have gardening activities accessible for all abilities. Please get in touch if you have any questions. 

How to get involved:

Sign up to our newsletter or follow our Instagram to find out more details about upcoming events.

• Website: artsnetwork.org.uk
• Instagram: @artsnetworkldn
• Newsletter: sign-up

The Abeng Garden

A community garden promoting reconnection to the land through food growing, herbal medicine, and holistic health education. We're a culturally safe and welcoming green space committed to addressing health inequities, aiming to empower communities through food sovereignty and health autonomy. We'll be offering volunteer gardening days, educational workshops and events.

• Address: Deloraine Street Allotment, Deloraine St, London SE8 4QH
• Accessibility: Fully accessible, seating, and toilets

How to get involved:

• Email:theabenggarden@gmail.com
• Instagram: @theabenggarden
• Newsletter: sign-up

Come 'n' Grow at The Albany Garden

Get outdoors and get growing at our weekly gardening club, Come ’n’ Grow. Discover how to grow your own veg, learn valuable gardening skills, meet new people and help us protect this urban oasis for all the bees, butterflies, frogs and other wildlife we share it with. Each week a group of volunteers meets to tend to the garden which includes a number of wildlife ponds inhabited by frogs and newts, a polytunnel where we grow culturally important vegetables that reflect the multicultural nature of the beautiful borough of Lewisham! No green fingers or experience necessary as all sessions will be led by our Garden Facilitator and all tools will be provided. 

• Address: Douglas Way, Deptford, SE8 4AG
• Accessibility: We are a wheelchair accessible site 

How to get involved:

Please sign-up to get involved.

Forest Hill Station Garden

In joint partnership between Energy Garden and the Forest Hill Society, we have been improving the green spaces across Forest Hill Station. With plans to convert a newly accessed space into a food growing oasis and plenty of planters to tend to across the station, in these sessions we do variety of seasonal gardening activities, and we'd love to have you join us. Everyone is welcome, and all tools are provided.

• Address: Forest Hill Station, Devonshire Road, Forest Hill, Greater London SE23 3HB
• Accessibility: Fully wheelchair accessible

How to get involved:

Please sign up on the volunteer page or email callum@energygarden.co.uk. Alternatively contact email@foresthillsociety.com

Coco Collective- Ital Community Gardens, Catford   

We offer Afrikan-diaspora led community gardens, open to all, where we grow culturally diverse foods, deliver Public Health community-led health checks through The Plantain Programme, and run a range of food workshops and events. 

• Address: The white gate next to 104 Engleheart RD, SE6 2HW

How to get involved: 

• Email: cococollective.org@gmail.com
• Instagram: @cococollective_org
• Facebook: facebook.com/cococollective.org
• Eventbrite: cococollective.eventbrite.com

Wild Cat Wilderness

The Wild Cat Wilderness is a community green space and food growing garden, with an outdoor kitchen and classroom, orchard, bee hives and dye garden coordinated by the charity Lewisham Local in Catford, Lewisham. Since September 2014, volunteers have transformed a neglected, overgrown, rubbish-strewn space into a thriving community space for volunteering including corporate volunteering, events and activities, forest schools, social and therapeutic horticulture projects and so much more. We connect the local community with nature, to promote physical and mental wellbeing, community cohesion, social inclusion, volunteering and learning new skills - whilst improving the natural environment. 

• Address: Gate next to no 53 River View Park, Catford SE6 4PL - no access from the River Pool
• Accessibility: We have a compost toilet. Ground can be uneven and we aren't wheelchair accessible. Assistance dogs only

How to get involved:

To get involved visit our website for more information.

• Website: wildcatwilderness.org 
• Email: wcw@rgtb.org.uk
• X: @WCWCatford
• Facebook: facebook.com/wildcatwilderness
• Instagram: @wildcatwildernesscatford

Sydenham Gardens

At Sydenham Garden, we promote health and wellbeing, support recovery and build connection with nature, gardening, creative expression, and with each other.
We provide therapeutic group activities for people who are referred to us, with group sessions supported by volunteers. We nurture and grow our community by providing community activities and enabling other local groups to benefit from spending time in our gardens. We nurture and grow fruits, vegetables, herbal remedies, flowers and trees in our gardens, nature reserve, orchard, greenhouses and polytunnels. 

• Address: Sydenham Garden Resource Centre, 28a Wynell Road, London SE23 2LW
• Phone: 020 8291 1650
• Email: info@sydenhamgarden.org.uk
• Website: sydenhamgarden.org.uk
• Accessibility: The Resource Centre is fully wheelchair accessible, as is the majority of the garden site at Wynell Road which has been designed with people with diverse needs in mind. We have raised beds of different heights and provide seated gardening activities. 

How to get involved:

We are open for referrals for supported placements in our groups for people who want to come and improve their wellbeing through therapeutic gardening and creative activities as coworkers. See our website for our eligibility criteria and information about how to make a referral to our various groups.

As a volunteer (to support others to get the most out of their placements, or helping out in the office) – find out more about how to get involved.