ISHA/ecoACTIVE family fun day

A painted wooden sign for Upcott Community Gardens

Upcott House, Shakespeare House and Lyme Grove residents celebrated the end of summer in style with a family fun day on Saturday, 16 September.

ISHA residents enjoying their family fun day at Upcott House

Beth, our Resident and Community Engagement Lead, joined community garden charity and ISHA partner, ecoACTIVE, and many ISHA residents in the sunny shared garden for food, gardening and a tea-making workshop run by Jyotea.

Children taking part in a tea-making workshop with Jyotea.

Activities for young and old

They were treated to delicious home-cooked food that was brought by residents, and engaged in great discussions around the improvements to be made in the garden, such as communal benches or pest-free bird feeders.

The younger guests took part in painting signs for the garden, planting herbs and playing football.

Two young residents learning about gardening

One young resident also made a sign to remind residents not to climb on the fig tree which lies at the heart of the garden; the tree is actually older than the ISHA buildings themselves and needs to be treasured!

Community grown vegetables

The garden is a wonderful example of how residents can come together to create something sustainable and positive for their community. There are tomatoes, courgettes, lettuces, beans and an array of herbs growing in the garden, all free for residents to take and use in their cooking.

With the cost of living crisis making money tight right now, this kind of project is worth considering, and, if you'd like to do something similar, we are keen to support you.

More information

If you've got an idea for a project or want to get more involved in community projects where you live, email involvement@isha.co.uk to start a chat with us.