Everyone deserves a green space. We all know how important connecting to nature is, but lots of us don’t have access to a garden. That's why spaces like Canal Club Community Garden in Tower Hamlets are so important. The space is used for growing fruits and vegetables which is particularly popular among local Bangladeshi families. There’s also Canal Club community centre there, which has a programme of arts and crafts, book clubs and tai chi (to name a few activities). 

Our ‘Touching Safe Ground’ project facilitators and attendees love coming to the space to practise trauma-aware yoga and English language for women refugees, as well as making use of the outdoor space. It’s got a particularly special place in our hearts which is why after a 4-year campaign to save the space from threatened demolition, we are delighted to hear that the council have decided not to demolish it - for now! We are still waiting for official confirmation that it’s here for good. 

This summer we postponed our usual summer pause, so that we could prioritise helping refugee children and mums get out of the hostel and into the fresh air. And what a delight it was. Many of the women formed a supportive community together, with friendships and peer support blossoming. We have had new women join the group this summer who arrived speaking almost no English. They are all growing in confidence and, like the beautiful gardens, are blooming now. We’re grateful to our fantastic volunteers, without whose generous contribution, none of this would be possible.

We now turn our minds to finding further funding to continue this much-needed work. If something you read here felt significant to you and you’d like to donate to GCP to make this project continue, please click the link.