Community garden opens at Oru Sutton

A new community garden has opened on Oru Sutton's rooftop, located in the centre of Sutton. This garden brings together people of all ages for educational workshops and activities focused on planting and growing.

The garden is in partnership with local community groups, including Age UK, and is connecting with local schools for their participation. 

The community garden hosts a series of events, including:

• Outdoor yoga classes
• Community gardening volunteering sessions
• Free Gardening Club
• Corporate away days
• Private hire events

The garden space is on the fourth floor of Oru Sutton and is wheelchair accessible with a nearby lift offering access from the ground floor entrance via Times Square Shopping Centre.

Increasing biodiversity in the local area, the garden includes 60% of native plant species. Within the greenhouse, there are a vast mix of plants, species and edible flowers. These will be harvested and used by Trinco, the first-floor café.

This work is funded by the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund which has delivered £1.3m, and Groundwork’s Grow Back Greener Fund.

Gardening club 

There is a free weekly Gardening Club for adults every Tuesday from 2.30pm to 5.30pm.

If you are interested in being involved, please get in touch with Oru Sutton via Gardens@oruspace.co or drop-in to the weekly session.

Jules Pipe CBE, Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service, said: 

“I’m delighted that the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund has delivered £1.3m to support the creation of a new community garden at Oru Sutton, bringing a vibrant green space and new amenities that will benefit Londoners of all ages. With a strong emphasis on sustainability and increasing local biodiversity, this new space exemplifies our mission to create a better, greener London for all.”
 
Cllr Barry Lewis, Leader of Sutton Council, said: 
 
“This is a beautiful garden in the heart of Sutton where young and old together can get some dirt under their fingernails and have fun learning new gardening skills. There will be teaching workshops and other activities if you want to get involved or you can just sit in the shade and enjoy nature's peace and quiet.”
 
Paul Hepworth Nelmes, Director of Oru Sutton, said: 
 
“Prioritising community spaces at Oru Sutton is important to us, as we aim to create a destination in Sutton that is accessible for all, cultivating a sense of belonging and connection across groups of the local community. For example, part of the space will be a sensory garden, which will be used by local SEN schools to support education. 

“The rooftop will also embody our values of sustainability, with growing and composting fruit and vegetables, using rainwater collection tanks and second-hand furniture being some of the ways that we plan to build an environmentally conscious space. 

“By providing a garden that encourages interaction and shared experience, we hope to enhance the quality of life for everyone in the local community and contribute to the overall well-being of our members.”

• Oru Sutton was the first of the Council’s “big five” groundbreaking regeneration schemes to open its doors to the public in the high street. It models a new approach to work life balance, bringing together collaborative business working spaces with leisure activities, wellbeing classes and the award-winning Trinco restaurant. Find out more: https://suttontowncentre.sutton.gov.uk/projects/oru-sutton