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The theme for this year’s National Gardening Week is ‘Share your passion for plants’. Whether you’re an avid gardener or just enjoy relaxing on a bench surrounded by colour and birdsong, most people enjoy being outside in spring. As our Community Gardener, Victoria Cripps (known as V), says, “As a Community Gardener, it is very important to me to advocate for gardening as a means of supporting wellbeing. I know, through my own daily experience, that being in nature and caring for plants and wildlife has a positive effect on my mental and physical health. Gardening is both physical exercise and a mindful, focused, creative activity.

“The residents here comment daily on the effect the garden has on their wellbeing – from particular plants evoking positive memories, to hearing birdsong and feeling joy, seeing colour and feeling uplifted, and experiencing the pride of new seedlings emerging! Those who actively garden also comment on how it supports them to stay active, as well as the enjoyment of focusing on a project and the sense of achievement in seeing a patch flourish.”

Indeed, many of our residents enjoy gardening. Some are life-long gardeners, while others have discovered their passion later in life.

One of our residents, Ken, says, “I had what you’d call a concrete garden before. I’d never done gardening in my life, apart from tomatoes and a bit of veg. I’d never grown flowers until I came to Sycamore.”

Ken moved here back in 2023 and soon started helping with the communal garden. Before long, he had his own trug outside the greenhouse and then took on one of the almshouse’s small plots of land. Along with bedding plants, Ken is now growing fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes, radishes, spring onions and rhubarb.

Rather than learning from books, Ken has learnt as he’s gone along: “The gardeners have been advising me on what to do and showing me little bits and pieces – when to put the seeds in and so on. I’ve been picking things up that way. One or two of the other residents have been helping me too.”

While his own plot keeps Ken pretty busy, he still enjoys helping with what he terms “the donkey work” in the communal garden, including painting and repairing our garden benches. He’s now in the process of making his own bench out of old car tires and pallet wood. Next on his list is repurposing more discarded tires into a decorative planter in the shape of a garden well.

His advice to anyone thinking of trying gardening is, “Just get on and do it!”

Gardening in later life

Ken has difficulties with his knees so has bought himself a low fold-up chair to use when he can’t kneel.

V has a few other tips for gardening in your 70, 80s and beyond…

• If you have mobility issues, the right tools can make gardening a lot easier. Look for lightweight ones that can be used standing up or from a chair, such as long-handled weed pullers. You can also buy easy grip handles, which attach to your existing tools and are really useful if you have painful or weak wrists.
• If you find it difficult to kneel or crouch, you might want to consider having some raised beds built or investing in a large trug or some pots. They’re much easier to maintain, as you can tend to them while standing or sitting in a chair. Do bear in mind that they’ll need watering more often though.
• Choose low-maintenance plants, such as shrubs that don’t need tying in or deadheading. Plant perennials and bulbs rather than annuals to make your life simpler next spring. Wallflowers, sedums and begonias are all great choices.
• You’ll enjoy your garden more if you feel safe in it. Make sure that paths are wide and even, with no raised slabs that might trip you up. Mobility aids, such as grab rails, can also help you to access your garden, especially if it’s on a different level to your home.
• Full watering cans are very heavy and hosepipes can be challenging to pull around. As our climate changes, we can expect more dry, hot spells throughout summer, so you may want to opt for drought-tolerant plants like lavenders, salvias and verbenas.
• If you love gardening but can’t manage a garden on your own, then volunteering on a shared plot might be the answer. Many of our almshouse residents enjoy working in our communal gardens. If you’re not a resident, you could volunteer with Hammersmith Community Gardens Association, which manages several gardens across the borough. You don’t need any gardening experience to volunteer as you’ll be supported by other volunteers and staff members.
• Having benches and seating in your garden means you can take regular breaks. Gardening, at any time of life, is about pacing. It’s much better to spend as long as you can comfortably on an achievable task, then refresh with a cup of tea before moving on, than trying to do it all at once!
• For times when it’s really difficult to get outdoors, due to challenging weather or mobility needs, looking after houseplants or arranging cut flowers means you can connect with nature indoors. There are houseplants for all ranges of ability, so you can start with something easy and move on to more challenging plants as you grow in confidence.

April 22nd is Earth Day. When we think of climate change, we tend to blame petrol cars or factories churning out cheap clothes, but almost a third of greenhouse gas emissions are due to  food production. Agriculture is also responsible for around 70% of water use, not to mention leading to deforestation, biodiversity loss and pollution.

Reducing food waste, then, could play a crucial role in tackling climate change and many other environmental issues.

Almost 2 million tonnes of food is currently wasted in London each year. At the same time, more than 10% of Londoners are experiencing food insecurity, with tens of thousands relying on food banks to feed themselves and their families.

Back in 2017, a group of children at Old Oak Primary School decided to take a stand.

Lydia Gandaa, Director of Bubble & Squeak, explains, “The children were shocked to find out how much food was being wasted. They asked Waitrose and Marks and Spencer’s if they could collect any food that would otherwise have been thrown away. They also pitched what is now the Mayor’s Fund for London and won £1,500, which they used to set up a weekly food stall in the school playground. East Acton/Old Oak is a highly deprived area, so it was about supporting the families that live locally to access healthy, quality food that would have otherwise gone to waste.”

Almost 10 years later, that project, Bubble & Squeak, is now a community interest company (CIC), feeding hundreds of people every week. Most of the food is provided by City Harvest and The Felix Project, who collect it from supermarkets across London.

Bubble & Squeak’s food stall is open three days a week. It’s still in the playground but in a separate space with its own gate, so that members of the community can also access it. The stall is mainly staffed by volunteers, with the help of older pupils after school.

Lydia says, “We have a wide range of individuals coming for food, including older residents, families and people who live by themselves. Each session is attended by around 60 to 70 people, and they’re often using the food to feed several people in a household.”

The food is given out for free, but if people are able to make a donation, then the money is given to the school to spend on toys and equipment.

As well as distributing food that would otherwise be wasted, Bubble & Squeak runs an after-school cookery club, showing children how to make healthy meals and minimise waste. The CIC also organises community meals and holiday activities.

Hammersmith United Charities’ grant

Many of East Acton and Old Oak’s residents work full-time but in low-paid jobs. Lydia says, “They work during the day so can’t get to our morning or afternoon sessions, but they’re struggling to make ends meet and need support. It isn’t fair.”

Hammersmith United Charities agreed to provide Bubble & Squeak with a grant of £15,000, which it’s using to run evening sessions twice a week for the rest of the year.

Support Bubble & Squeak

Do you have a few hours spare each week to give out food or run cookery sessions? Please email Lydia at bubblesqueakeat@gmail.com

The job market is extremely challenging at the moment. For people with a disability, it can feel almost impossible to find work. Only 6% of people with a learning disability are in paid employment. As Elisicia Moore, founder of Petit Miracles, shares, “Young people with disabilities continue to face disproportionately high levels of isolation, unemployment and learning opportunities. Through regular conversations with referring organisations and young people, we know that motivation is not the barrier – opportunity is.”

Petit Miracles offers that opportunity. The social enterprise trains disadvantaged people, many of whom have a disability or are homeless, how to restore and upcycle furniture that may otherwise go to landfill. Items are then sold in Petit Miracles’ shop at West12 Shopping Centre.

Petit Miracles also offers work experience opportunities, where people can gain experience in different areas of the charity. As Elisicia says, “The people who come through our work experience programmes help to manufacture the furniture, so every single beneficiary is essential to our business.”

Most of Petit Miracles’ staff members have been through the work experience programme themselves and four of the seven employees have a disability or are neurodivergent.

Kabir, for instance, started on the training programme and is now a member of the workshop team. Programme Director Kate Moore says, “After volunteering with us for nearly a year, we were thrilled to offer Kabir a staff role. Now, he’s a key part of our workshop team – always friendly, always positive, and always ready to lend a hand or a listening ear.”

Kabir was drawn to the work because of his interest in sustainability, and he encourages anyone looking for a rewarding career to consider signing up, “Listen lads, don’t stay home! Come and do some work with us! Come and socialise, work as a team! Teamwork makes the dream work.”

The idea for Petit Miracles came to Elisicia almost 20 years ago. She says, “I was working in a homeless organisation, and saw that women weren’t engaging with services as much as men. My background was interior design, so I offered to run some interior design taster days. Women showed up in their droves!”

Today, the furniture restoration programme isn’t Petit Miracles’ only initiative. It also offers a business-incubation project for disadvantaged local people who want to make and sell products. The charity teaches people vital business skills, offers them one-to-one coaching, and gives them free space in the shop to promote and sell their creations.

As one of the project’s graduates, Saba, shares, “When I started my jewellery business, PM provided me a platform to showcase my products … and allowed me to learn and hone my retail skills. They provided me the right tools and skills to move forward. The charity’s ethos and the staff’s passion set them apart. So much so, I became a trustee.”

Miracle Brews

The charity’s newest initiative is Miracle Brews, a mobile cart where people can buy coffee (which is roasted in Shepherd’s Bush), tea, hot chocolate and pastries. As well as generating income to help meet rising costs, Miracle Brews will provide work experience and employment opportunities for people who have a disability. Kate explains, “We’ve got a connection with Fair Shot Café, who train young people with disabilities to become baristas. Our long-term plan is to hire two people who have graduated from the programme so that they can continue their career with us.”

Elisicia adds, “Beyond jobs, it will normalise disability in the workplace.”

At present, the coffee cart is kept inside the shop, but the charity is planning to move it to Shepherd’s Bush Green. However, it’s attached to a bike, so once council approvals are in place, Miracle Brews will be able to serve people across Shepherd’s Bush.

Hammersmith United Charities’ grant

Hammersmith United Charities gave Petit Miracles its first ever grant. That was over 10 years ago, and as Elisicia says, “At the time, we didn’t have any paid staff and our turnover was less than £1,000 a month. The grant was £3,000, which felt like a huge amount of money.

“Since then, HUC have funded us a number of times and we’ve worked together in multiple ways. They’ve been stalwart in their support.”

We recently agreed to grant Petit Miracles £45,000, split over three years, through our Flexible 3 Year Grant scheme. The money is helping to fund Miracle Brews.

Elisicia says, “Knowing that we have funding for a certain amount of time enables us to make solid plans and live up to our full potential. We always punch above our weight, and this funding helps us do that.”

Support Petit Miracles

As well as offering fully funded training for people who have a disability or who are otherwise disadvantaged, Petit Miracles runs furniture restoration workshops for other members of the public. You could learn how to upholster a chair, upcycle a side table, or restore your own furniture. The fee you pay will help to support Petit Miracles’ charitable programmes.

There are also many other ways you can support the social enterprise, including hiring the coffee cart for events.

Elisicia shares, “We’re always looking for reliable volunteers – people who want to give back to the community, learn something new, and open up their horizons. You can also just pop into the shop; you might not need a dining table at this moment, but you can still support the charity in other ways, and now you can have delicious coffee while you’re doing it!”

As most parents will know, navigating the complexities of school life can be a challenge. Knowing who to talk to when your child is struggling, and how to ensure that your concerns are acted on, isn’t always easy. For those experiencing language or cultural barriers, the situation is far more complex. Parents often have little choice but to rely on their child to translate letters from school and act as an interpreter in meetings between parents and teachers, a far from ideal situation, especially when the child’s behaviour or educational difficulties need to be discussed.

Jamal Ismail is the Director of Somali Parents. He shares, “Children may not give you the true picture of what’s happening, so parents need to be able to speak with the teachers directly, but if you don’t speak the language, you can’t express yourself properly. How do you fill in forms and answer correspondence if you don’t have someone who is willing to help? If the parent doesn’t receive that support, then the implications will be felt by the child.”

Recognising the difficulties that families face, Jamal came together with other Hammersmith parents to launch Somali Parents. Meeting demand is an ever-increasing challenge for the charity. Jamal is the only paid staff member, and he only works for the charity part-time. Nevertheless, assisted by a team of volunteers, the organisation offers support to families across the borough.

Somali Parents’ main focus is on education and helping to improve children’s prospects. Jamal or a volunteer can attend meetings at school to act as a translator and as an advocate, and will support parents to get Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in place where necessary.

As one parent, Um Abdullah, shares, “Somali Parents helped my son to get higher grades in their GCSE exams … helping my son and other pupils with the provision of additional  lessons.”

Somali Parents also runs workshops to help parents understand the differences in regulations and expectations around parenting in the UK compared to their country of origin.

Healthcare

Many people new to the UK don’t fully understand the healthcare system or who to turn to for advice. They may not be able to read healthcare communications or easily access information online, and they may have a limited understanding of which situations warrant a visit to the GP.

Jamal recounts the story of a young Somali woman who had cancer but thought her unexpected bleeding was due to haemorrhoids and was too embarrassed to visit a doctor. By the time she did seek help, it was too late, and she sadly died just months later.

Somali Parents runs healthcare workshops about cancer symptoms and support available, as well as drop-in sessions to help ease concerns amongst the community and give people a better understanding of how to access NHS services and what to expect from an appointment. Recognising that women often feel more comfortable discussing health issues with another woman, the charity will sometimes bring in a Somali-speaking female GP to answer questions from the audience and talk to people in private if they need more advice.

Somali Parents also runs blood donation awareness sessions, as the NHS urgently needs more donors from global majority backgrounds to help treat conditions like sickle cell disease.

Additional support

Jamal and the team often find themselves assisting parents in many other ways, particularly when it comes to how to navigate support services. He shares, “People make enquiries on a daily basis – ‘We have housing issues; we have payments in arrears; we need support.’ Asylum-seeking people come to us for information on how to get a lawyer to help with their asylum application. Or they may want to study English, or they need some food from the food bank. Somali Parents also help clients with information about benefits. As a voluntary organisation, we try to help as much as we can, according to our capacity.”

One such service user, Shehnaz, says, “Somali Parents help me to get a solicitor to assist with my asylum claim, and communicated with different agencies to get the support I need.”

To enable people to better navigate these systems themselves, the charity runs free digital education sessions, where participants can get help setting up the NHS app, creating a Universal Credit account, accessing school apps, and so on.

Hammersmith United Charities’ funding

We provided a grant of £5,400 to Somali Parents to help with running costs. Jamal says, “Hammersmith United Charities are a very good organisation in terms of supporting the local community. When you have an idea, you can talk to them. They also try to promote our work and do more to support us. They’re a good partner you can rely on.”

Find out more

Somali Parents is based at 202 Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush, W12 7JP. If you speak Somali and need help communicating with your child’s school, please call 0207 1013426 or email somaliparents@outlook.com

Jamal is also keen to hear from Somali or Arabic speakers who are interested in volunteering to support their community in Hammersmith.