Incredible Edible Lambeth

IEL and Engie; a new collaboration

Written by

Some observant attendees will have noticed that there were Engie banners at our recent Blooming Lambeth Awards in Brixton Town Hall; they sponsored us this year, and we are excited to announce that we are now developing a great partnership with this renewable energy company.

So here is what Engie is offering us through 2020:

An offer of volunteers: do you need a big job accomplished in the New Year but are wondering where you will get the people power? Then apply to us and Engie will help you out. We will be creating a schedule of volunteers and the company needs six weeks’ notice, so get your request in before Christmas, so the wheels can start turning.

An offer of trees: would you like some trees for your site? 2020 is going to be the year of tree planting, as we all try to mitigate against our climate emergency. Do you have a patch of land that would be appropriate for a tree? Let us know as soon as you can and we will request them from Engie.

An offer of topsoil: this can be provided upon request

An offer of planks or railway sleepers for raised beds, or any other construction project: as above, just ask and we will see what can be done.

Just email us at incrediblelambeth@gmail.com to get things moving.

Open Garden Squares Weekend

Written by

Would you like to show off your garden next June? If so, why not apply to join the Open Garden Squares Weekend which takes place on 6-7 June 2020. The organisers are reaching out to new hidden gems around the borough, so now’s your chance to shine! Find out more here and ping us an email to say you’ve applied incrediblelambeth@gmail.com

Short Film commissioned

Written by

One, Two, Tree

IEL has commissioned the Independent Film Trust to make a film about our four winning schools in the Blooming Lambeth Awards. The aim of making the film is to reveal what a difference it has made to these four schools, to highlight the successes and pitfalls and (hopefully) to get other schools thinking about outdoor learning in the next season. Thank you to Streatham Wells, Jubilee, Heathbrook and Johanna Oasis primary schools for agreeing to be part of this exciting venture.

Lambeth Horticultural Society; free membership for our group members!

Written by

We have an arrangement with Lambeth Horticultural Society for free membership for all our group members. This will give you access to the Hut where discounted garden equipment is available. Contact us by emailing incrediblelambeth@gmail.com to get hold of your Incredible Edible Lambeth Group Membership card (letting us know the community garden you are involved with).

Garden Tools Giveaway

Written by

Are you looking for a new set of tools for your community garden? The Tools Shed Project beautifully refurbishes old tools and gives them away several times a year to communities. Register your interest here and you will be contacted a couple of weeks before the next giveaway at Wormwood Scrubs on 18th January.   There will also be some bird boxes and planters available, so if you have specific requests, email alisonwillis@conservationfoundation.co.uk and they will try to accommodate you. 

MOST importantly – please drop off old broken tools at our partner The Remakery, 51 Lilford Road, where they will be collected by the project.

Local growing in Vauxhall

Written by

Sukant and Jerome met earlier this year in March. Sukant is a keen community and urban permaculturalist and Jerome is passionate about horticulture in general. They met at Pedlars’ Park in Lambeth, where Jerome was taking some cuttings, soon after they have spent this whole year greening the Carmelita Community Garden, helping with the Vauxhall City Farm garden, taken over neglected planters on Whitgift Street and conducted all kinds of guerilla gardening across estates and communities, planting mainly strawberries and tomatoes around the Vauxhall area. Many children, young people and families were involved throughout the year in these projects simply by passing and getting involved immediately, especially the children who loved to help with planting and watering. 

Having grown rocket leaves, lettuces, spring onions and herbs they decided to throw a community BBQ at the Carmelita Centre in August, to which dozens of people from the community came to enjoy the lettuce harvest and enjoy the food people cooked on the BBQ. And this is the big vision, to develop food resilience and security with the community, to then use the harvests and yields to put on community eating events, to collectively enjoy the food and use it as a means to bring people together, develop understanding of environment, food production and histories, develop health and well being and just enjoy the wonderful sight of the small children picking edible berries and fruits from the plants.  

Sukant has had a green light from Lambeth Council to start a food growing project at Pedlars’ Park, which is the first phase of a multiphase approach across Vauxhall to develop some of the green spaces into edible food forests and gardens that the community can grow and distribute at community events. They are currently enjoying particularly making their own soil and looking towards another big push from the start of Spring next year, but in the meantime you might see them around, please do stop and say ‘hello’ and have a conversation. It’s when Sukant and Jerome are out in the community growing that conversations with members of the community are had and its the best moment in the open and with the plants to have conversations as to what else we can achieve collectively. 

Lambeth Biodiversity Action Plan

Written by

IEL is working alongside Lambeth Council to ensure that our green spaces are protected and enhanced; by making sure that pesticide and herbicide isn’t used, to help with planting of indigenous fruit and nut trees, to encourage wildlife by leaving areas for them to hibernate or nest, by growing flowers that attract pollinators.

We fully endorse the Lambeth Biodiversity Plan and encourage our members to do so too.

To read the full document, click on the link www.lambeth.gov.uk/leisure-parks-and-libraries/parks/lambeth-biodiversity-action-plan

You can also download the PDF version of our flyer, shown below.

Incredible Edible Lambeth Harvest 2019, 19th Sept -6th Oct

Written by

To align with Sustain’s Urban Food Fortnight, from 19th September to 6th October we are promoting everything foodie going on in Lambeth – both on our website and in a leaflet.

We would love you to submit ideas for food-centred events, even if you’ve already registered with Sustain. In order to get onto our IEL Harvest brochure, submit your event via this google form or email us the information by 3rd September. The info you supply will also go onto our website.

Here you will find the full list of events. Each event has its own page, so click on the link to find out more.

DateTimeEvent
20/09/201912:30-15:00Lunch for a Fiver
20/09/201919:00 till lateJane Scott’s Celtic Vegetarian Feast
21/09/201913:00Loughborough Farm Community Shared Lunch
22/09/201911:00-15:00Apple Day at Streatham Community Garden
22/09/201916:30-18:15Lis Stewart and Chris Dyer play a Gig at the Greenhouses 
22/09/201912:00Free community lunch in the greenhouse @ Myatt’s
25/09/20196.30pmFood Waste Workshop
26/09/201910:00Pop Farm @ Pop Brixton Harvest Day
27/09/201912:30-15.00Cafe Lunch for a Fiver
27/09/201919:00 till lateJim’s Mediterranean Supper Club
28/09/201916:00-18:15Lucy Farrell plays a Gig at the Greenhouses
28/09/201919:30Waste Less Supper Club
04/10/201909.30-11:30Incredible Edible Nature Walk
04/10/201912:00Clarkshaws Brewery Tour, Beer Tasting and Lunch
05/10/201910:30Fermenting Fun for Children
05/10/201913:00-15:00Growing winter salads in windowboxes
06/10/201910:00-16:00Apple Pressing
06/10/201910:00-12:30Discover Medicinal Plants
06/10/201916.00-18:15Danzon, Blues Guitars Duo
06/10/201910:30-16:00Squash and Pumpkin Festival
12/10/201911:00Slade Edible Playground Harvest Food Festival