Community growers in Tower Hamlets push forward the “Right to Grow”
Across the UK, more people are becoming interested in growing food in their neighbourhoods, from small community plots to shared gardens in towns and cities. In East London, a local campaign called Right to Grow Tower Hamlets has been working to make it easier for residents to access land for community food growing.
The campaign had a strong start to the year. In January, organisers presented their Right to Grow petition to the Tower Hamlets Council meeting, receiving what they described as a rare unanimous and enthusiastic cross-party response. Following the presentation, discussions have begun about how the Right to Grow campaign could help shape the borough’s upcoming Community Gardening Strategy.
Consultations around this strategy are expected later this summer, and campaign organisers are also supporting work on a potential formal council motion that could help embed community growing into local policy.
For those interested in getting involved, the group has organised a series of public events this spring:
- Banner-making session – 24 March (5–8pm) at Limborough Hub
- Volunteer days, film screenings and socials throughout April
- Community food garden walking tour – 7 June, as part of London Open Gardens
The events aim to bring together growers, residents and supporters to celebrate community gardens and encourage more people to get involved in urban food growing.
While many WWOOF experiences take place in rural settings, the values of learning from the land, growing food and building community can happen anywhere. Initiatives like this show how people in cities are also finding ways to reconnect with soil, plants and shared spaces.
If you’d like to learn more about the campaign or join upcoming events, you can visit the Right to Grow Tower Hamlets page and sign up to their network.
