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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Emma Griffin (co-founder of Footways London) sits down with the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, to explore why walking is the best way to experience the city from side-road zebras and dropped kerbs to blue plaques, park corridors and the brand-new West End public toilets (yes, really). Recorded live at the London National Park City Visitor Centre during Open House Festival.

• Westminster Footways map & routes: footways.london/westminster
  
  

In this episode

• Why Paul calls himself the “Walking Lord Mayor” and how walking shapes civic life
• How the Westminster Footways
  map helps residents find calmer, greener everyday routes
• Small changes with big impact: dropped kerbs, side-road zebras, lighting, seating, planting, and better toilets
• Favourite routes: Paddington → Hyde Park → Green Park → St James’s Park → Victoria, Serpentine North past the wildlife sanctuary, and Marylebone → Bell Street → Edgware Road
• Themed strolls: tree walks, pub heritage walks, blue plaque trails, and even Nordic walking in Hyde Park

Try these this weekend

• Three-Park Green Corridor: Paddington → Hyde Park → Green Park → St James’s Park → Victoria
• Hyde Park Sanctuary Stroll: Serpentine North path up to Bayswater Road
• Marylebone Heritage Meander: Marylebone Station → Bell Street → Edgware Road

Guest
Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, Lord Mayor of Westminster; Westminster councillor since 1982; former Cabinet Member for City Management & Air Quality (2022–2025).

Host
Emma Griffin, co-founder of Footways London

Recorded at
London National Park City Visitor Centre (Open House Festival, live audience) — learn more about the movement: nationalparkcity.london

If you enjoyed this conversation, share the Westminster Footways map
with a neighbour, pick a themed route, and tell us your favourite Westminster walk in the comments.

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Recorded live at the London National Park City Visitor Centre (80 Mortimer Street), host Michael Shilling speaks with Oli Back, Head of Operations at Street Trees for Living (STfL).

We dig into how community-led planting and long-term care can transform streets: from sponsorship and guardianship, to cooling overheated playgrounds, to tackling tree equity and choosing the right tree, right place — and right reason. We also cover timelines, funding realities, and simple ways you can get involved in your neighbourhood.

In this episode

• Bottom-up planting that lasts: sponsorship, guardianship and three-year care
• Shade, cooling and calmer streets around schools
• Tree equity: targeting low-canopy, high-need areas
• Species choice and the “right tree, right place (and right reason)” approach
• Practical routes to action for residents, businesses and schools

Links & resources

• Street Trees for Living — home: streettreesforliving.org
• Sponsor a street tree (Lewisham residents): I’m a Lewisham Resident
• Schools programme: Plant Trees — I’m a School
• Targeted planting & vacant pits: Grow Back Together
• How to get new trees planted (Lewisham Council): lewisham.gov.uk guidance
• Citywide strategy: London Urban Forest Partnership (GLA)
• Explore trees near you: TreeTalk map
• Environmental data hub: GiGL – Greenspace Information for Greater London
• Visit us: London National Park City Visitor Centre
• Join the movement: London National Park City – website | Join the community

Credits
Recorded live during Open House Festival London.
Host: Michael Shilling (London National Park City).
Guest: Oli Back (Street Trees for Living).

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Underground Connections: London Fungi Festival (4–12 Oct 2025)

Artist–educator Poppy Flint and Lex from Fat Fox Mushrooms join Do London Differently to reveal how art, sound and science come together for a week-long celebration of fungi across London — including (un)common threads, a free interactive exhibition at the London National Park City Visitor Centre, plus Shroom Sunday, workshops and a guided “Walk Under the Trees”.

Programme & tickets

• Festival hub & full listings: London Fungi Festival

Exhibition

• Free drop-in exhibition (4–12 Oct): (un)common threads
  
  

Guests & collaborators

• Urban mycology lab & workshops: Fat Fox Mushrooms
• Interactive systems & lighting: Bailes & Light
  
  

Research thread mentioned

• Profile: Dr Laura Martinez-Suz (Kew Gardens)
• Background explainer: Europe’s forest fungi & nitrogen deposition
• Supporter: British Mycological Society – Massee Arts Grant
  
  

In this episode: biosonification soundscapes; why nitrogen pollution reshapes fungal diversity; cultivating UK-native strains; mycelium materials you can make at home; and a “loosely guided” walk that sends imaginations underground.

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What if walking was more than just a way to get from A to B?
In this episode of Do London Differently, author Annabel Abbs (also writing as Annabel Streets) shares the powerful benefits of walking for health, wellbeing and inspiration.

We talk about her books Windswept, 52 Ways to Walk and The Walking Cure, and explore why walking matters — from London’s hidden gardens and Wren’s churches to the science of sea air, forest terpenes and mountain hormones.

👣 Topics covered:

• Benefits of walking for mental and physical health
• Hidden walking routes in London, from Temple Gardens to the City
• How posture and small walking hacks build confidence and endurance
• Walking in cemeteries and finding perspective in grief and gratitude
• The London Walking Festival and making walking more accessible

If you love walking, London’s history or exploring the science of wellbeing, this episode is for you.

📚 Learn more about Annabel Abbs

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In this episode, host Emily Langston heads to Morden Hall Park in South London, one of the National Trust’s lesser-known gems, to explore how history, ecology, and art come together in a unique creative project.

Our guest is textile artist Ranger Elly Platt, who has been running an inspiring week-long workshop with young people, helping them connect with the rare chalk stream habitat of the River Wandle through embroidery and reclaimed fabrics. Alongside her are Isabelle Bryan (Programming & Partnerships Officer) and Emma Hutchinson (Volunteer & Community Manager) from the National Trust, who share why projects like this matter for both biodiversity and community engagement.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• 🌿 Lockdown walks and hidden histories: Ellie shares how walking along the River Wandle during lockdown led her to discover the river’s fascinating past as a hub of the textile industry – from William Morris’ natural dye revolution to Liberty print works.
  🎨 From chalk streams to stitchwork: How the habitats of the Wandle – gravel beds, water weeds, caddisfly larvae, and fish – inspired textile artworks created by young people.
• ♻️ Sustainability in practice: Using reclaimed fabrics from scrap stores, community donations, and personal stashes to keep the project eco-friendly.
• 👩‍🎨 Empowering young people: Aged 15–23, the group learned sewing techniques, built friendships, and curated their own exhibition in the historic Snuff Mill building.
• 🦋 The magic of caddisflies: Why these tiny invertebrates became the glamorous stars of the embroidery hoops – and how hands-on river monitoring inspired the artworks.
• 🏭 Industrial heritage: A walk through Morden Hall’s Snuff Mill and the story of the Wandle’s 90 mills, once producing everything from gunpowder to flour.
• 🌊 Protecting a rare chalk stream: The ecological importance of the River Wandle, recent pollution threats, and why it remains a habitat worth fighting for.
• 🤝 Community, creativity, and connection: How the project helped combat loneliness, gave young people portfolio-ready work, and strengthened ties with nature.
• 🧵 Textiles as activism: From Elly’s wearable art piece Wandle vs the Wet Wipes to playful "walking and stitching" workshops, discover how fabric and thread can tell stories about rivers, waste, and resilience.
  
  

Exhibition Details

The young people’s work is on display in the Kiln Room at Morden Hall Park until 3rd November. Entry is free, and visitors are encouraged to explore the park, the Snuff Mill, and the river while they’re here.

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