We visited a new pocket park carved out from the Coulsdon South station car park, created to tempt the local cycling group (and everyone else) away from the tarmac and into a greener, friendlier meeting place. What started as “somewhere nicer to wait with a coffee” has grown into an outdoor classroom and community hub: rail-safety learning for Cubs, Scouts, nearby schools and adults with learning needs; a rest spot for commuters, cyclists and ramblers; and a platform for local volunteering.

Emily joined volunteers to discuss how the space came together on a tight budget, why planting choices matter, how social value is measured, and how the community will shape the space in the future.

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Community voices shaping a new kind of park in East London

At the launch of The Listening Project report, we spoke with volunteers and directors from East London Waterworks Park about what four years of paid listening taught them, and how co-design can turn a fenced concrete depot into a free, biodiverse park with natural swimming, learning spaces, and a genuine sense of welcome for everyone.

In this episode you will hear

• Why ELWP put inclusivity at the heart of the project, and what they learned from 100+ participants across 19 community groups
• Practical design ideas that make people feel safe and included, from friendly wardens to clean accessible loos, quiet spaces, and end-to-end access
• How cultural relationships with nature shape comfort with wildness and swimming, and how to introduce blue space well
• Consent-based governance, inclusive volunteering, and how charities can use these findings in their own work

Links and resources

• Read and share the Inclusivity page, with the Listening Project report and principles: https://www.elwp.org.uk/Inclusivity.htm
  
  elwp.org.uk
• Join a volunteer circle, from Inclusivity to Design to Learning: https://www.elwp.org.uk/JoinUs.htm

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Recorded on-site at Cultivate Colindale with Heather Ring and Thomas Kendall of Wayward—in partnership with Energy Garden—transforming 4,000 m² beside Heybourne Park into a meanwhile destination for sustainability, creativity and community.

Guests
• Heather Ring & Thomas Kendall — Wayward: https://www.wayward.co.uk/

• Project page — Cultivate Colindale: https://wayward.co.uk/index.php/project/cultivate-colindale

Partners & Place
• Energy Garden: https://www.energygarden.org.uk/

• Energy Garden × Wayward blog: https://www.energygarden.org.uk/blog/energy-garden-amp-wayward-present-cultivate-colindale

• Notting Hill Genesis (regeneration partner): https://www.nhg.org.uk/

• Heybourne Park (location): https://heybournepark.co.uk/

What we cover
• Building the House of Wayward Plants Reuse Centre to redistribute rescued plants, trees and reclaimed landscaping materials across London
• How community gardens are a test-bed for circular landscapes and reclaimed materials
• A walk-through of the site: materials yard & reuse centre → propagation greenhouse → courtyard → workshop greenhouse & cultural hub → allotments → tree nursery & pavilion → biodiverse meadow & nature play
• Weekly open gardening sessions with Energy Garden; allotment opportunities; volunteer roles and skills sharing
• Linking old and new Colindale residents through growing, culture and education
(About the House of Wayward Plants: https://www.wayward.co.uk/project/house-wayward-plants
• RHS: https://www.rhs.org.uk/

Get involved
• Join the Cultivate Colindale Community Build (volunteer sign-ups, sessions, updates):
https://www.wayward.co.uk/news-article/join-our-cultivate-colindale-community-build

• Follow @waywardplants on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waywardplants/

• Follow @energygardenldn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/energygardenldn/

• Podcast hub (National Park City): https://nationalparkcity.london/podcast

Credits
Hosted by Do London Differently (London National Park City). Recorded at Cultivate Colindale with Wayward. Special thanks to the volunteer build crew and local partners.

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