It’s not an uncommon problem for those of us who live in London (or any major UK city), but one movement is looking to make a change.
The Right to Grow movement puts together the public land that is unused, and unloved, with the people that want to use and love it.
This unused land costs local authorities money to care for, without providing any real benefit.
Instead, the Right to Grow movement looks at how these spaces can be turned into havens for wildlife and spaces to grow food.
There’s definitely an appetite for it – a 2023 report said that waiting lists for allotments in England doubled in 12 years.
Sandie Clarke via Unsplash
What’s happening in Lewisham?
Some councils have already passed a Right to Grow motion, including Hull, Cumberland, Southwark, Brighton and Runnymede.
Lewisham Council is working towards one too. In January 2025 a motion for a Right to Food in the borough was passed. This is an important moment in itself but also is an early step towards a Right to Grow.
In the meantime, there’s a thriving WhatsApp group, and councillors coming on board to support.
All of this is supported by Good Food Lewisham, a network that works to bring the right people and the right spaces together, to champion and support people growing their own food.
‘We did a survey within Lewisham… of what people wanted from Good Food Lewisham and the majority of responses were we want to grow vegetables, we want access to land’ Laura Tilbury, Good Food Lewisham Coordinator told me. ‘Food is actually such a big topic but there’s not always someone coordinating anything to do with food.’
In 2025 Good Food Lewisham held a network meeting here at the Horniman to promote Right to Grow, with speakers from Capital Growth and Grow Lewisham.
Theodor Sykes via Unsplash
What happens then?
It’s not just the food itself that is the outcome. Right to Grow and other similar networks and movements bring together communities. There are also huge benefits to spending time outside among the soil.
‘Growing basically ticks every single step to wellbeing’ Laura points out. The NHS lists five steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing –
- Connecting with other people
- Being active
- Learning new skills
- Giving to others
- Being mindful and present in the moment.
Like Laura says, all of these are served by growing your own food with Right to Grow!
How to get involved?
- Good Food Lewisham have made an online map of all the Gardens you can grow in, and you can also filter these by which have raised beds, disabled access, and toilet access.
- Or you can use their paper map
- They also have food growing resources and a directory of community gardens on their website.
- Sign up to the Good Food Lewisham mailing list and take a pledge to get involved.
- You can also sign up to Lewisham Local as a volunteer.
We agree with Laura – ‘It’s amazing what can be achieved if people get out of their houses and start connecting with nature.’
Lead image: Roberto Catarinicchia via Unsplash