This Spring we carried out a participatory grant making process to decide which Tower Hamlets projects should receive Action Learning Grants.
We’re delighted to announce that 6 projects will be joining the Just FACT programme this summer; and will be part of the growing network of organisations and groups working towards a resilient, environmentally sustainable and socially just food system for the borough.
Community Lab Projects
Sustainable Food Growing, Stepney City Farm
SOURCE Tower Hamlets, MAD LEAP
SOURCE Tower Hamlets will see the installation of an urban farm on a school rooftop that will grow food for the kitchen and be integrated into the curriculum. The farm will use compost and bio-fertiliser made nearby from food waste generated by the school and local residents, using composting and micro anaerobic digestion. MAD LEAP are looking to make this model as replicable as possible by generating income from the produce so that it becomes economically sustainable. Follow @leap_mad
Farming on the Barkantine, Seeds for Growth
Farming on the Barkantine will inspire tenants on social housing estates to grow food and to compost, as part of their Greening Communities programme. The project will work with 2 community gardens and a local school, and create growing beds at the heart of the estates. As part of the project there will be family-friendly community day events, after school growing sessions, workshops and training sessions for residents and drop-in gardening sessions. Follow on Twitter or Instagram.
Community Hub Projects
Bottling Futures, Oitij-jo Collective
OITIJ-JO Collective’s ‘OITIJ-JO Kitchen’ will explore traditional practices of preserving, pickling & fermenting. They will share recipes and cook seasonal healthy food and make new products such as: Jams and preserves from the English community; Pickled gherkins and bagels from Jewish migrants; Chutney and pickles from British Bangladeshi community; Injera from Ethiopian and Somali community; Sauerkraut from Polish community. Follow on Twitter or Instagram.
Misery Medicine: Plant magic for QTBIPOC
Misery Medicine will deliver a monthly programme guiding queer and trans black, indigenous and people of colour into natural spaces across Tower Hamlets to connect with the earth and each other, to learn about herbal remedies, sustainable foraging & communal ways of being. They will be meditating alongside learning about & making medicine with a seasonal herb, to witness how the seasons and landscapes change each month! Follow on Twitter or Instagram or sign up to their newsletter.
Mapping redistributive food systems, House of Annetta
House of Annetta will be a space from which to analyse and take action in wider food systems. The project will map local food waste production, and explore setting up a food redistribution network. It will build conversation, connections, knowledge and infrastructure to address the gap between the waste food produced through commercial activities in Spitalfields and Banglatown, and people impacted by an unfair food system. Follow on Instagram.