Lambeth

Welcome to the Lambeth Page on Project Dirt.

There are a whole range of fantastic/brilliant projects in Lambeth. So much so, we thought they should have their very own page on Project Dirt. It means they can keep an eye on each other, share good practice and enjoy the odd spot of cross-learning. It will also help bring together the groups for communal events and other shenanigans (of which there are plenty).

Lambeth Council helps these project in various ways; from our Green Community Champions initiative where we facilitate, mentor and support the people who want to make a real green difference in our community to our Making a Difference Fund which gives green community projects a little bit of seed funding to get them on their way.

Please see below the various initiatives going on in Lambeth.


Brixton Low Carbon Zone

In September 2009, Lambeth became one of ten local authorities to receive approval for their bid to establish a low carbon zone, and was awarded £295,000 to spend over the two year lifetime of the project. Brixton has been selected as one of ten Low Carbon Zones across London. This is an initiative set up by the Mayor of London and aims to help communities reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20.12% by the Olympics in 2012.


Become a Green Community Champion

Lambeth Green Community Champions Programme supports individuals who want to work with others in their communities to reduce their impact on the environment and ‘make a difference.' This initiative aims to recruit volunteers from across the borough who can help and inspire their neighbourhoods to be more environmentally sustainable.

A Green Champion is anyone who wants to make a green difference to their community and then acts on this. The overall idea behind this program is that the initiative, the ideas and leadership lie within all our champions and it is our job to facilitate, mentor and support in any way we can.

If you’re keen to jump into the mix, you’d better speak to Sue Sheehan (SSheehan@lambeth.gov.uk) – community champions officer at Lambeth Borough. For more information you can check out our Green Community Champions project page here.


Just want to Volunteer
If you would rather volunteer and get involved in something ongoing we have lots of stuff going on all around the Borough. Whether you have specific skills (which can range from web development to darning) or just have some time that you wish to dedicate to making your community more sustainable then please get in touch.

There are many community events that you can be a part of via Green Open Days. This gives you a chance to get your green fingers going from the get go.




Fund your Green Project
Often volunteer groups are very creative and resourceful, and are able to achieve a lot for little or no money – but a small amount of money can go a long way.

Lambeth Green Community Champions Programme wants to help groups by making a contribution towards room hire, refreshments and other project start-up costs. Small pots of funding, up to £500, will be available to each group.
Any Green Community Champion can apply. Making a Difference Fund



Here is a taste of what is going on in our Borough of Lambeth

Cast your eye over the map and links below to see which projects are located where ... and what they are up to.


View Lambeth Map in a larger map

Aardvark Recycling - A social enterprise delivering affordable fruit and veg in the Lambeth area. We support British farmers and local growing groups. We can also supply great quality compost made from food waste collected from city businesses and households.

Abundance Streatham - Abundance is a great non-organisation that started in Sheffield, in the UK. The idea is to identify fruit trees growing in peoples' gardens which are not harvested in the Autumn, to offer to collect the fruit, give the tree owner a box if they'd like some and then distribute the rest to those who need it. In Lambeth, one of the poorest London boroughs, they are working to find organisations to benefit and take the fruit off our hands.

ASSA Climate Action Network - The Albert Square and St Stephen's Association (ASSA) Climate Action Network is rolling out an energy services model to the 300+ properties covered by our residents association to reduce their energy use and carbon footprint.

Brixton Cornercopia - A corner shop in Brixton Village Market selling delicious locally made food products and a hub for community recipes and food stories. Looking for both home made foods, (jams, preserves, chutneys, sauces etc... and story/recipe gatherers.

Brixton Food and Growing Group - This is a working group of Transition Town Brixton and is open to anyone in Brixton or the surrounding areas who is interested in being involved in making our community more sustainable and resilient through local food and growing initiatives.

Brixton Hill Sustainable Neighbourhood - A loose forum for people with 'green' thoughts to meet, swap ideas, make suggestions and make some difference.

Brixton Low Carbon Zone - Brixton has been selected as one of ten Low Carbon Zones across London. This is an initiative set up by the Mayor of London and aims to help communities reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20.12% by the Olympics in 2012.

Brockwell Bake - Is a 'real baking' event aims to get out and about in South London during 2010 with wheat planting in community and school gardens, parks and wasteland. Brockwell Bake will then help people harvest, thresh, mill and bake with your wheat.

CG Brockwell Park Community Garden - BPCG is a volunteer-led community garden and a registered charity, growing a diverse range of plant species and running educational projects.

CG Blenheim Gardens Edible Estate - Incorporating a variety of growing activities on a Brixton Estate.

CG Cottington Community Garden - A new community garden just starting up to grow vegetables on an estate in Kennington, South London.

CG Hillside Gardens Allotment - Funded by Capital Growth, Hillside Gardeners is a group transforming an unused area of Hillside Gardens Park into a community growing space for locals.

CG Loughborough Green and Growing - Loughborough Green and Growing is a community gardening venture run by and for residents of the Loughborough Estate. The project focuses on converting disused green spaces into small, individual, allotment-style plots and communal gardening areas.

CG Newleaf -

Friends of Unigate Woods - There is a agreed management plan for the Unigate Wood as devised by Lambeth Council. The Friends are working with Lambeth Council to implement the detail of the plan.

Go Green Plus - Go Green Plus provides free in-depth environmental mentoring and support to businesses in Lambeth, Richmond, Wandsworth, Sutton, Merton, Richmond, Kingston focusing on energy, water, waste, re-use, recycling, transport and procurement.

Green Community Champions - The Lambeth Green Community Champions Programme supports individuals who want to work with others in their communities to reduce their impact on the environment and ‘make a difference'.

Herne Hill CAN - Is a project committed to carbon reduction and advocating sustainability. The project has set up the Herne Hill Green Drinks. It is also forming an Eco Team to follow a plan over four months to reduce carbon footprints. Twelve households have committed to reducing their energy usage and rubbish by 15%.

Hyde Farm Climate Action Network - Hyde Farm CAN is a network of 200 households who live on or near the Hyde Farm estate and want to do more to reduce their impact on the environment. We get together socially and exchange knowledge and ideas. We organise practical events and have fun!

Hyde Farm Community Garden - An organic community garden being created around on old church hall to encourage everyone to grow food. Started by members of the Hyde Farm Climate Action Network which is helping the Hyde Farm become a low carbon community.

Invisible Food - Invisible Food runs Wild Food workshops to forage and cook with different wild foods After walking, participants make or cook something such as tea, jam, cordials, wild leaf burgers, fritters, soup or cakes with the herbs, flowers or berries that we find.

Lambeth Friends of the Earth - The local Friends of the Earth Group based in the London Borough of Lambeth. FOE Lambeth campaigns on many issues such as climate change, endangered habitat protection, supporting local shops and opposing airport expansion. Meetings are arranged at least once a month.

Lambeth Low Carbon Economy Partnership - Partnership between the public, private and voluntary sectors working to develop the low carbon economy in Lambeth. It will help business to be more sustainable, attract and create green businesses and provide green jobs for local people.

Living Medicine - Living Medicine is a vision for a web of community medicinal gardens nationwide linked to a great new World Herb & Kitchen Garden and centre of excellence in central London.

Local Initiative for Faiths and the Environment (LIFE) - Aims to build bridges between people of faith and ecological action on a grassroots level. We're building a friendly network of people who support and inspire each other.

Myatts Fields Park - Volunteers planted and are caring for a range of vegetables n Myatt's Fields Park greenhouse. Myatt's Fields Park Project Group is enabling local people to grow vegetables in the greenhouse for sale in the park's cafe.

Natural History Exploration of Streatham Common - The project aims to highlight the history and raise awareness of the environmental importance of the Streatham Common by organising nature activities and working with local community groups.

Norwood Park Community Growing - A group working with the Friends of Norwood Park to start growing vegetables in the park. Plans include planting a wild fruit hedge, digging a pond and planting fruit trees.

The Onion Shed - is the name of a local group that undertakes, initiates and supports activities to help make north Lambeth a place where a high quality of life can be enjoyed within a fair share of the earth’s resources

Paxton Greenies - A new time bank, serving the catchment area for Paxton Green Health Centre in Gipsy Hill South London. Recently celebrated their first birthday and now have over 80 members!

Remade in Brixton - Remade in Brixton aims to make Brixton a zero-waste town through making better use of resources locally, including reducing waste, repair, reuse and recycling.

South London Botanical Institute - A small botanical institute in South East London. Established in 1910, they celebrated their centenary this year. They have an ongoing botanical education programme for the general public and hold open days and evenings where people can come to enjoy the beautiful garden or discover botany in more detail.

Streatham Communal Garden Project - We are a group of people who communally grow veg in unused back gardens. We are currently a subsidiary of Food up Front. We welcome new members or new gardens (subject to capacity).

Streets for People - A project which aiming to make their community (Liberty St, Morat St, Hackford Rd, Isabel St, Caldwell St) a safer, nicer and greener place to live.

Sustainable Streatham - Streatham residents coming together to look at sustainable projects. Ideas so far: food growing, Fairtrade purchasing, energy group, composting, recycling, street events and noticeboards, workshops and talks and a community garden.

Telford Park CAN - A network of people who live or work in Streatham Hill, sharing ideas on how we can act on Climate Change. They run seasonal events for the people of Telford Park and with Sustainable Streatham.

The Abundance Project - Growing cabbages on the Guinnes Trust estate, Brixton! The Abundance Project has been turning run-down allotment on an urban housing estate back to full, glorious production!

The Friends of Windmill Allotments - SUPPORT Plot 21 project: to use one of the plots on a community basis for residents of a local care home, with children from local schools and adult volunteers befriending and acting as mentors to garden with the elderly and disabled.

Transition Town Brixton - Transition Town Brixton is a community-led initiative that seeks to raise awareness locally of Climate Change and Peak Oil. TTB proposes that it is better to design that change, reduce impacts & make it beneficial than wait to be surprised by it. We will vision a better low energy/carbon future for Brixton. We will design a Brixton Energy Descent Action Plan - the route-map to the future. Finally, we will make it happen.

Transition Town Brixton Local Currency - The Brixton Pound will be a currency used only in Brixton. Local currencies increase local foot traffic thereby strengthening the local economy and community. To get involved send an email with your name and post code to brixtonpound@gmail.com.

Vauxhall City Farm - VCF is an oasis of country life in the heart of London. Join in, volunteer or just drop by to see the fabulous animals and kitchen garden.

Weekenders - Based in the Tulse Hill Area, this is a project encouraging people with pysical amd mental wellbeing issues to get invovled with there community outside of the normal 9-5.

Whale of a Time - Whale of a Time supports a sustainable culture by connecting people to nature through creative workshops. Their drive is the thought that only if we understand the true beauty of life we can appreciate what we have and have the will and passion to save it.