What We Do

Sydenham Garden is a community that cultivates the benefits of nature and togetherness.

From our gardens and nature reserve in South London we run gardening, wildlife, creative arts and wellbeing groups for around 350 local people a year.  

Referrals come to us from GPs, social prescribers, community organisations and individuals to support people with different mental health experiences and disabilities to access therapeutic placements and wider community offerings 

We were founded in 2002 by a partnership of Lewisham residents and a local GP looking for an alternative to formal clinical mental health services in their local community. Belief in people shaping their own services still guides us today: our group participants are called co-workers because they help shape and care for our garden and community.  For more than 20 years, Sydenham Gardens’ co-workers, staff and a large network of dedicated local volunteers have come together through gardening and creativity.

We believe happiness and wellbeing grows through connection: to nature, to community, and to shared purpose.  
 
Our mission is to promote the physical and mental wellbeing of residents living in South London, in particular by providing:  

• a community garden where horticulture is used for therapy and rehabilitation
• opportunities for training for work and education
• opportunities for artistic and creative expression
• the protection and preservation of the environment for the benefit of the public through nature conservation or the promotion of biological diversity