Supporting the Hackney Buzzline

Hackney, London; November 2024 – ecoACTIVE, an environmental education charity based in Hackney, is thrilled to announce a transformative partnership with GrowN22, a community interest company from neighbouring Haringey. This collaboration brings together ecoACTIVE’s deep-rooted commitment to community-led environmental education with GrowN22’s expertise in delivering sustainable landscaping and garden maintenance services. Together, they aim to create and maintain wildlife-friendly, green spaces across Hackney that support both community wellbeing and biodiversity.

Partnership to Support Hackney’s Hackney Buzzline Project

One of the key initiatives that ecoACTIVE has been leading is the Hackney Buzzline, a 4 km pollinator corridor designed to increase biodiversity across Hackney. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, this ambitious project seeks to bridge green spaces, creating safe habitats for pollinators and encouraging community engagement with nature. However, as a charity, ecoACTIVE faces limitations in generating ongoing income to sustain and expand its community greening efforts.

This new partnership with GrowN22 is a strategic step towards financial sustainability. GrowN22, which specialises in community-focused landscaping, complements ecoACTIVE’s mission by providing a reliable commercial partner for delivering paid gardening services. Together, the two organisations have developed a framework for cooperation that not only supports ecoACTIVE’s grant-funded initiatives but also generates new income to fund further community greening projects.

The Kingsmead Medical Centre Pollinator Garden – A Milestone Project

The first major project under this partnership was the creation of a pollinator-friendly garden at the Kingsmead Medical Centre. Originally envisioned as a community initiative, the garden’s development was hindered by limited public access. With GrowN22’s involvement, ecoACTIVE was able to transition this project into a commercial opportunity that aligned with community values. This arrangement allowed the project to proceed as planned, providing local employment, utilising recycled materials, and contributing to the overall impact of the Hackney Buzzline.

The Kingsmead Medical Centre garden was completed in October, and ecoACTIVE’s Postcode Gardener, employed by GrowN22, will be planting it in the coming weeks. The project also generated a £500 donation from GrowN22 to ecoACTIVE, which will directly support future greening initiatives.

Maintaining Hackney’s Street Parklets

In addition to the Kingsmead Medical Centre garden, ecoACTIVE and GrowN22 are collaborating on the maintenance of 15 street parklets across Hackney. These small, green spaces contribute to Hackney’s green infrastructure, supporting both urban wildlife and community wellbeing. Hackney Council, seeking a local partner with a wildlife-friendly approach, awarded a 12-month parklet maintenance contract to GrowN22 under this new partnership framework. This initiative will see the parklets maintained using pollinator-friendly, drought-tolerant plants, contributing to Hackney’s nature recovery goals.

Thanks to this project, ecoACTIVE has also secured funding for a cargo bike, which the postcode gardener will use to maintain the parklets with zero emissions. The collaboration demonstrates a commitment to sustainable, community-centred solutions for urban greening.

Creating a Model for Sustainable Community Greening

This partnership between ecoACTIVE and GrowN22 is setting a powerful example of how charities and businesses can work together to support community-led, environmentally friendly projects. By sharing revenue from paid services, with up to 50% of GrowN22’s profits donated to ecoACTIVE, the partnership generates a steady income stream that strengthens ecoACTIVE’s ability to deliver meaningful, grant-funded projects.

“Our partnership with GrowN22 goes beyond financial sustainability; it’s about creating lasting social and environmental impact,” said Jess Dolan, Director of ecoACTIVE. “Together, we’re building a model for community greening that combines environmental responsibility with business sustainability. We’re excited to bring more green spaces to Hackney and show what’s possible when organisations unite for the common good.”

GrowN22’s Director Luke Newcombe added, “We are proud to work alongside ecoACTIVE to create sustainable green spaces that benefit both people and nature. This partnership allows us to support ecoACTIVE’s community projects while contributing to local employment and environmental resilience.”

Looking Ahead

As this partnership grows, ecoACTIVE and GrowN22 plan to continue exploring opportunities to expand sustainable community greening projects across Hackney and beyond. Their collaboration demonstrates that community greening projects can deliver tangible environmental, social, and economic benefits, inspiring similar initiatives across London.