The Garden Classroom is a charity dedicated to reconnecting people with nature.
It improves mental health, wellbeing and resilience, and increases respect and protection of the natural world.
Climate change and sustainability are themes that run through all TGC programmes.
TGC (The Garden Classroom) is a multi award-winning charity based in Islington, England’s most nature deprived borough. Since 2008, it has been offering the most comprehensive nature connection service to thousands of people in Greater London. It was one of the first organisations in the country to earn the Quality Badge from the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom.
Further afield, working with farmers, landowners and partners in Kent and Sussex, TGC also hosts experiences in the countryside from day visits to residentials.
TGC is based in Islington, the second most densely populated local authority in England and Wales. Only 13% of the borough’s land is green space, the second lowest proportion of any local authority in the country and an incredible 71% of residents have no direct access to a private garden (compared to a national average of 13%). Friends of the Earth describe this as a ‘nature deprived’ environment – which is why our work is essential.
We believe nature should be accessible to all, not just for it’s multiple human benefits but more importantly so that everyone learns to respect and protect the natural world.
Over the 2023 – 24 academic year we:
- Welcomed almost 40,000 (non-unique) visitors across 1,600 sessions, which means that each week we were open we delivered an average of 41 sessions, welcomed an average of 276 beneficiaries and received an average of 980 visits
- Upgraded parks and public gardens across Islington improving public realm greenspace and increasing biodiversity
- Worked with 20% of Islington’s schools providing high quality outdoor nature connection experiences to local children in local parks
- Ran programmes for old and young for the isolated and the vulnerable.
- We are proud that our work helps every part of our community
You'll enjoy being part of a practical, hands on volunteering group, gardening in our public green spaces. You'll enjoy learning and sharing new skills, meeting new people, spending time in nature and becoming part of our small community.
You dont need to have any gardening skills or expeirence, just enthusiasm, and a warm coat. We provie gloves, tools, guidance and refreshments.
We're different because we are visibly and actively contributing to our local community by gardening in local green spaces. We garden in Newington Green, Market Road Gardens and Whittington Park were we make an enormous difference.
Our Opportunities
We run community gardening sessions every Tuesday and Wednesday at Market Road Gardens and on Wednesdays at Newington Green. from 10am to 12pm. We are also running six nature conservations sessions at Whittington Park between October and January.