The community comes together to create welcoming communal garden

The community has come together to create a fantastic communal garden on Observatory Walk, Cromwell Estate in Redhill. We’ve been involved by installing benches (bought by our Brighter Communities Fund) and taking part in a community fun day where residents came together to finish the garden. It was a great turnout on the day and now the Cromwell community has this brilliant space to enjoy over the summer and beyond! Thank you to everyone, especially to the Cromwell Community Group for your hard work in making this happen.

Shysta Manzoor is chairperson / community leader for the Cromwell Community Group. Shysta said: “Our group works with other residents and local organisations to improve our community. Before this communal garden project started, we discussed this project in our Cromwell community management group meetings and then as a group we went asked residents what they would like to see / to have in the communal space. We did consultations, asking people to choose which flowers/plants they wanted, we also asked on our social media posts to find out what the residents wanted which we conveyed back to Raven Housing Trust.

Conrad, one of Raven’s wardens, has been working very close with us for several years and we want to thank him for all his hard work. I also want to thank other residents and local partners who all played a contribution towards the area, as this is joint effort whereby together, we can all feel involved and proud. Please can the residents look after this community space. I look forward to starting other communal areas.”

If you have an idea of a community project that you need funding for then have a look at our Brighter Community Fund and apply for money to support your idea or project.