More than a garden: growing community at Delta House

For many years, the garden at Delta House, Hackney, had been given the extra wow factor by one of the residents. When he became unable to, and the wow was fading, Aysun was inspired to take action. 

"I've lived at Delta House for many years. It has always been a good block of flats, well maintained by ISHA and ... we have a small but friendly community. 

"One of the other long-term residents had looked after the garden for many years and, when he was no longer able to, some of the plants started dying, which was very sad to see. I made some enquiries with ISHA to find out if there was any funding we could apply for, and there was! We were able to buy some new plants and compost, and some gardening equipment such as a new hose. 

“Part of the grant application criteria is that a community event is held so that all residents could come together. We arranged a gardening session for the block, and ISHA put us in contact with a gardening charity called Eco Active." 

During the session, "residents were able to come together to help pot up the new plants, do some pruning, get rid of weeds and tidy the area. In addition to this, residents had the opportunity to meet each other and chat while enjoying some refreshments. As part of Eco Active's involvement, they sent a gardener who led the session. It was great having an expert on hand to answer lots of questions. I think everyone in attendance really benefitted from this.

"It was a straightforward application process. ISHA has been very supportive through every stage of the process. I now also have a lot more knowledge about gardening. I would definitely encourage other ISHA tenants to apply for the grant." 

ISHA's Neighbourhood Grant programme helps residents bring ideas to life that improve their communities and create opportunities for neighbours to come together. If you have an idea for your estate or block, we'd love to hear from you. Find out more about applying for a Neighbourhood Grant .