Sadiq announces new £6 million investment to improve green spaces

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced a further £6 million of fresh investment in improving green spaces across London.

The £1.2m Grow Back Greener fund, with £500,000 provided by Thames Water,  will offer grants to dozens of  community-led projects to help more Londoners access green space in their neighbourhoods. It will focus on the most disadvantaged  areas, supporting community gardens, food growing projects, pocket parks and  cleaner waterways.

Separately, the new £4m Green and Resilient Spaces Fund will support large-scale green space  projects,  helping  to tackle the climate emergency  by reducing the risk of floods and keeping our city cool. This could include restoring rivers, creating new wetlands, opening up new green connections between parks, or creating new woodlands.  

Funding will be targeted where it is most needed, using "cutting-edge data", including new climate risk mapping, that highlights where Londoners are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It will also target areas with the least access to public open space.  

Earlier in the week, Sadiq visited the Cookbook Edible Library project - a partnership between Haringey Council, Edible London and Volunteer It Yourself - awarded funding through the first round of the Mayor’s Grow Back Greener Fund in December 2020. The project has transformed an unused piece of land to create a community kitchen and a garden at St Ann’s Library, which is helping local families and young people learn to grow and cook their own food, as well as giving 14-24 year olds the chance to learn new skills whilst participating in outdoor activities, including construction and gardening. By providing these opportunities for young people, the project is also offering positive alternatives to young Londoners who might be at risk of getting drawn into gangs.   

Cllr Zena Brabazon, Haringey Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children and Families said: “This fantastic garden is the result of hard work by dedicated volunteers and community groups, delivering a wonderful local resource. It connects this lovely local library even more to our community. Our libraries are a real haven and I am proud we are seeing further developments. At St Ann’s, the garden provides children and young people with real life experience connecting valuable life skills on good nutrition and food budgeting with reading and study. A great combination of learning and activity, and we will continue to invest in training and skills for all of Haringey’s young residents.”