Fit to BOST...

In this concrete jungle which we called London, it can be very difficult for everyone to have access to green space.  Furthermore, even when they do have an area of green space, the area can be run-down, degraded and just generally left in a poor space, deterring anyone from spending recreational time there.

This is where BOST (Bankside Open Spaces Trust) comes in.  BOST are a charity based in Southwalk, working with the local community and volunteers to develop local parks and gardens so that residents have the opportunity to have access to functional and practical green spaces.

 For my next placement I was lucky enough to get involved with BOST and spend the day with a community gardening project based in Southwalk.

The time was 07:30 on a Saturday morning, it is a time on a Saturday that should be a myth, very early indeed and not many people experience it.  The weather was dull to begin with, but as the morning progressed, the sun peeked out from the blanket of clouds.  It was the first bit of warm sun that I think we had experienced in a long while; the burning sensation on the neck was an unfamiliar one.  The positive change in weather seemed to represent the change BOST would implement onto the selected green space.

The person running the ship is Helen John – Hej for short.  A great character who’s vision and commitment to helping the local community is an inspiration and is what gives BOST the drive it requires.

The purpose of the days work was to take an average green space of a local housing estate and create raised capillary beds so that the local residents had the opportunity to grow their own vegetables.  These raised beds were no easy task, with massive timber sleepers, tonnes of gravel and mulch, this was one serious operation.

We got to work straight away, clearing and tidying the area ready for the beds to go on. As the morning rolled on, the local residents began gathering to the site, with their excitement and anticipation being the driving force for the project. 

Once the area was prepared, we then laid down the capillary sheet.  The purpose of this capillary sheet was to prevent any toxins or metals coming through the soil and contaminating the pH of the soil in the raised beds.  Personally, I had never worked with this before so it was a learning experience for me.

Once that was down and cut to size, we then laid down the gravel at the base to keep the capillary sheet down and also make the surface level in order for the timber sleepers to lay on.  Adjusting the timber sleepers in order for them to fit, be straight and level was a very tedious process indeed.  After much tweaking we finally got the base of the beds level.  This is very important to get right as if the foundations are not level, then the whole thing will be wrong.  Moreover, once this complete, they are then screwed together using very thick bolts.  Fail to prepare, then prepare to fail. 

No time for tea break this morning as the team were too keen to stop and we worked straight on through.  The next stage was to fill the beds with gravel to 15cm.  After this it is time to put the second layer of sleepers on top of the bottom sleepers so that the beds are nice and high.  Then they are tightened again.  These raised beds are going no where.

We must have prepared six beds in all.  However, the time was 17:30 and we had ran out of time.  Time files when having fun.  Mot of the hard work was done, the only thing left to finish was filling them with soil and getting the seeds and seedlings planted.  This is to be finished another time.

What I found inspiring to see was the community spirit that the project sparked.  The neighbours flocked to the site, some not knowing anyone initially, but conversation flowed and laughter followed and by the end of the day everyone knew each other and it felt like a real team effort.

In London, it is such a densely populated area, with so many people from different backgrounds, but yet it can feel very isolated at times as people are always in a rush and no one has time for one another.  However, on this project, things slowed down and people made the time for one another and it was really great to see everyone working as a team and becoming friends.

As well as creating and developing green spaces for local communities, one of the main objectives of BOST is to get people together and have a collective goal in which the whole neighbourhood can be proud of.  Using green spaces as a way to unite people and create a sense of pride of where they live can only be a positive thing and the work that BOST do is something we can all learn from.