Over the past month residents of a street in Kew have come together to rejuvenate a neglected patch of land at the end of their road.

Over lockdown people living on Taylor Avenue started a WhatsApp support group which brought the community closer together. One day, a member commented about an ignored, small piece of land at the end of the road that had been left to accumulate rubbish. The whole community rallied around the idea of turning this forgotten patch into a small garden. A committee was set up and the coordinator sought permission from the council. She said that, “it seemed to me that it was a great opportunity to create something that was a street, community project”.

The whole project has had an overwhelmingly positive response, with Richmond Council and Kew Society being supportive. Nearly half of the fifty-seven households in the street have donated money towards the project, with many of them also offering to help with the upkeep of the area. Commenting on the enthusiastic response from the whole community, the coordinator said, “I feel very lucky to live in Taylor Avenue”.

The whole street community has come together in support of the project, with committee member Faith organising the volunteer gardeners. “Faith has been amazing,” said the coordinator. Faith organised the volunteers into working parties, who have already cleared the sight and planted bulbs. Faith said, “It has been great to combine a fresh air workout, a social event and improving an environment.” The project has been important to the community as it has shown how everyone has really come together despite the difficulties presented by the coronavirus. People have contributed their individual skills to create a community garden, such as one committee member who drew up a detailed plan for the garden.

The garden has been created to have a positive impact on the natural environment and biodiversity of the street, with Faith saying, “the aim is that, as well as looking pretty, the wildflowers will provide food and habitat for a wide variety of insects.” The planting of wildflowers, a bird nesting box and a formal shrub area have all been planned for the coming year.

Over the coming months, the once abandoned piece of land, will have been replanted and kept clear thanks to the joint effort. The project is set to continue, making it somewhere the entire street can enjoy and be proud of.