Habitats & Heritage to transform garden site on Grimwood Road

Following a tender process, we are delighted to announce that Habitats & Heritage has been selected as the successful tenant for the Grimwood Road Garden lease.

We have been working to identify a suitable new tenant to manage the garden site at Grimwood Road to bring it back into use for wider community benefit. Following a tender process to identify a suitable tenant, we are pleased to confirm that local charity, Habitats & Heritage, will be taking over the management of the Grimwood Road Garden site. Achieving for Children (AfC) will continue to run the Twickenham Training Centre.

Habitats & Heritage are a local charity that acts for the natural and historic environment in south and west London. They use their local knowledge and experience to lead the way in protecting and creating a better and more sustainable environment for everyone. Habitats & Heritage will help turn Grimwood Road Garden into an inclusive and environmentally conscious community space.

Councillor Nancy Baldwin, Vice-chair of the Finance, Policy and Resources Committee (Spokesperson for Communities, Equalities and the Voluntary Sector), said:

"We’re pleased to welcome Habitats & Heritage to Grimwood Road. We look forward to the creation of a vibrant, inclusive space where residents can connect with nature, learn new skills, and support one another."

Paul Jennings, CEO of Habitats & Heritage said:

"We have exciting plans to bring the community together to learn more about gardening and caring for our environment and making the most of this space."

Habitats & Heritage plans to develop the offer from the site over time, but have plans on how to use the space, including:

• A neighbourhood centre to host talks and workshops on wildlife gardening
• A space to support growing projects for unpaid carers, young people experiencing mental health challenges, and other community groups
• An educational space for courses in horticulture
• A site to support the aims of the Richmond Biodiversity Partnership
• A demonstration centre showcasing sustainable approaches to gardening, water, waste and energy

Site tidying and maintenance are currently underway and will continue through early August. A council contractor is scheduled to be on site on weekdays from 8am to 4pm. No work is planned for weekends at this time.

Have your say

Habitats & Heritage have created a survey to understand what residents might like to see offered on site. It also gives you the chance to sign up to a Grimwood Road mailing list so that they can stay in touch and let you know what is going on.

Save the date: Saturday 13 September 2 to 4pm.

Habitats & Heritage are planning a formal opening of the garden site and invite local residents to come and share some tea and cake with them. There will be some activities for adults and children and a further chance to share your ideas and have your questions answered.

Complete the survey and sign up for the mailing list.