WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY GARDENING, WOODWORKING OR COMMUNICATIONS?
A friendly, fun & free communiity garden !
About Us
Our Story
Garden volunteering
Garden volunteering
Thorlands Gardens Club was opened to residents, locals, groups and families for gardening or woodworking in 2019. The club was initiated by local gardener Simon J Taylor with Thorlands Estate residents. In February 2020 the project was endorsed and given the branded name Thorlands Gardens and the working title, Thorlands Gardens Club. Si
Thorlands Gardens Club was opened to residents, locals, groups and families for gardening or woodworking in 2019. The club was initiated by local gardener Simon J Taylor with Thorlands Estate residents. In February 2020 the project was endorsed and given the branded name Thorlands Gardens and the working title, Thorlands Gardens Club. Simon became the permanent garden club lead. The first volunteer garden session took place in what is now known as The Walled Garden. The overgrown space was cleared of weeds, brambles and scrub, and an old raised bed was planted with sweetpea seeds and rosemary cuttings. Over the next year numbers were restricted but with two two-hour sessions which reopened over two days. This structured approach during the pandemic actually had the effect of encouraging more attendance as people were eager to be out in the fresh air. Simon and the early bird members created the garden club steering group to oversee planning and concentrate on priorities for funding. A sign-up form was created to develop the membership contact list. Emails and direct messages about workshops, events, and regular sessions were sent out every week to communcate the vision and to share photo documentation of the garden sessions, raising awareness and spiking interest. Two adjacent sites were also developed over the first three years. Simon and the steering group coordinated volunteers, managed the communications and recruited external groups alongside residents in this time. This created a mixed membership representing the estate and local cultural diversity. One high moment was in 2021 when Thorlands Gardens won 'Best volunteer led community growing space,' in the Lambeth in Bloom competition, run by Incredible Edible Lambeth (IEL). IEL also gave us a landing page and put us on the growing map. The regular volunteers were delighted ofcourse! Another high worthy of a mention was In 2022. Thorlands Gardens featured with six of its own pages in the hardback coffee table book, Seeds To Solutions by Pam Warehurst & Ann Sicking of Incredible Edible and SPSquare Publishing. Soon after this, due to the extra social media activity, third party organisations quickly became the focus in order to galvanise volunteer hours during the main opening days. The big-up thank you here goes to Goodgym Southwark who worked tirelssly for the last three years. They initiated a weekly, hour and a half Saturday session, and started a monthly evening GroupRun with a one hour gardening stint in the middle! They also gave us an invaluable landing page in the Goodgym website which really helped spike the interest. More recently we owe another thank you to Goodgym Lambeth who have replicated these sessions. We thank IEL who created a kitchen waste composting area in 2024 and held an induction session on a plot in central Thorlands. This was funded by the National Lottery and Lambeth Council. It is now run by residents and overseen by the garden club. To this day there are over one hundred and fifty members on top of the garden club membership which generates one hundred plus hours per month all year round. With a fourth independant space underway, the club now works on nearly 0.7 of an acre. Details opposite or contact below with enquiries.
Garden volunteering
Garden volunteering
Garden volunteering
We offer two free voluntary sessions per week, on Thursdays and Saturdays, from 12 noon until 3pm, to anyone who is eager to help or willing to learn. We have a Walled Garden where you find our Multi-use Potting Shed. We are also developing our Wild Garden and Kitchen Gardens next door as well as our Community Garden. We take a sit down
We offer two free voluntary sessions per week, on Thursdays and Saturdays, from 12 noon until 3pm, to anyone who is eager to help or willing to learn. We have a Walled Garden where you find our Multi-use Potting Shed. We are also developing our Wild Garden and Kitchen Gardens next door as well as our Community Garden. We take a sit down T-break at about 1.30pm. So thats a good time to pop in. Whilst we work collaborativley, we also have tasks fit for individuals. To help learners with the ropes we may buddy you up with a regular. We are always looking for avid food growers with a bit of time. And could always do with a media savvy pair of hands in The Clubhouse. Please sign up below with your name and email, ask any questions you may have and we will keep you posted with our e-Update. We have a great Instagram @thorlandsgardens with reels, videos and photographs which gives you a very visual idea of what to expect. We meet at The Walled Garden, Elsinore House, Denmark Road, Camberwell, London SE5 8EJ. Contact Thorlands Gardens Club -info@thorlandsgardens.com or hit the button below to find out more..
Potting Shed
Market Stall & Selling
Market Stall & Selling
In our coomunity garden you will find our multi-use potting shed. We sow, pot-on, shelter and socilise. We also set up stall on some Saturdays and run workshops at the central table. We are looking for volunteers who are interested in helping meet-n-greet visitors and set-up shop. If that is you, sign up or pop down on a voluntary session
In our coomunity garden you will find our multi-use potting shed. We sow, pot-on, shelter and socilise. We also set up stall on some Saturdays and run workshops at the central table. We are looking for volunteers who are interested in helping meet-n-greet visitors and set-up shop. If that is you, sign up or pop down on a voluntary session to say hello. In addition, to encourage food growing and crafting industries in Camberwell we invite skilled crafters and trainers to run workshops. If you would like to pilot a 'crafty' idea or are in the business of training get in touch below to arrange a visit and a chat.
Market Stall & Selling
Market Stall & Selling
Market Stall & Selling
We partner with community groups and individuals to promote our multi-use garden spaces. By selling at our on site stall and at a local grocers we provide a small income to support our garden project. In our Clubhouse we use social media and our website to network, encouraging new volunteers and raise awareness of our garden and produce.
We partner with community groups and individuals to promote our multi-use garden spaces. By selling at our on site stall and at a local grocers we provide a small income to support our garden project. In our Clubhouse we use social media and our website to network, encouraging new volunteers and raise awareness of our garden and produce. Our ambition is to train up volunteers to do more of this and to take on interns who will be trained and paid in Market Gardening to help grow our social enterprise. If you are interested in 'market garden' training, please get in touch below.