Hackney charity’s growing places at Hoxton station
Finished! What do you think of our pop-up allotments? twitter.com/GrowSkyWay/sta…
— Grow SkyWay (@GrowSkyWay) October 10, 2012
Hoxton Overground Station received its very own pop-up allotment last Wednesday, which will be pruned and preened by young people in Hackney.
Grow SkyWay, a Hackney-based charity, planted the allotment outside the east exit of the station this week. The mini-garden is brimming with cabbages, peppers and herbs and will be tended to by 18-25 year-olds living in the borough.
Explaining the thinking behind the initiative, Louise Braithwaite, Relationship Coordinator, said: “We hope to get local people engaged in SkyWay and get them involved in the community.”
Pauline Lawler, Hoxton Station’s Delivery Manager, said: “We are happy to be working alongside the local community to brighten up the station and give this opportunity to young people”.
Grow SkyWay is also the brains behind a four-week retail training scheme for volunteers, and will be selling Grow Boxes on a stall at Broadway Market from 27 October.
Hackney’s budding carpenters can benefit from skills training too. The charity will be teaching young locals to build the Grow Boxes and allotment troughs from scratch.
With a plethora of training on offer, Grow SkyWay’s scheme encourages growing fruit and vegetables in the community, while allowing young people to grow their own opportunities and skills at the same time. The charity is now keeping its eyes peeled for organizations in Hackney who would be willing to adopt future allotments.