About Harlesden Town Garden
This community garden has been created through the hard work and generosity of the Friends of Harlesden Town Garden, which consists of local volunteers, charities and funders. The main aims of the garden are to promote health and well-being in the local community by providing a tranquil green space where local people can exercise, grow food, enjoy nature and ensure that biodiversity can flourish in this urban environment.
The Friends of
Harlesden Town Garden
FHTG is all about supporting local people to grow food in a sustainable way that allows wildlife to flourish. With this aim in mind, our keen volunteers have created raised beds, planted flower borders and fruit trees, and run workshops and events —and continue to do so. We have won several prestigious awards that celebrate our beautiful garden and honour community efforts.
Our Visitors
We love to see you visit and enjoy the garden. That’s what it’s all about.
We also love to hear about your experience of the garden and your ideas.
Our Volunteers
A big thank you to all volunteers, past and present. Everything you do and bring to the garden helps to make it special. The garden is managed by an enthusiastic committee – a team of volunteers who bring an overview, advice, consultancy and particular skills to the running of the garden. Without them, this garden couldn’t continue.
Our Key Aims
To promote the health and well-being of residents of the area
To involve local people and support them, through training and guidance
To offer volunteering opportunities in a healthy environment
To carry out and promote environmental improvements and conservation
To involve local people and support them, through training and guidance
To work with similar groups and exchange information
Harlesden Town Garden provides a local green space where people can:
have an outdoor place that belongs to them where they can garden, meet neighbours, exercise, learn about nature, or simply enjoy being in the open air
feel safe and more connected to other local people
engage in outdoor activities near their home
Local residents can learn about the importance of biodiversity, food growing, and gardening using sustainable practices and why these practices matter.
FHTG hope to contribute to outcomes such as the consumption of fresh produce, a reduction in carbon emissions and an increase in individuals eating a healthier diet and improving overall health ― and the steps they can take to achieve that in their own homes.
We have taken Sustain’s Growing for Change pledge.
This means that alongside our aims, we agree to the following Core Values and Guiding Principles:
Core Values
Respect people and nature
Be tolerant (every view is welcome) and open to change
Have health, wellbeing and healing at the centre of the garden
Incorporate celebration in everything we do
Guiding Principles
Welcoming – intentionally create a space that is friendly and can accommodate different needs
Safe – create a safe space that feels relaxing and accessible to all
Low impact and wildlife-friendly – use environmentally-friendly growing practices including organic, agroecological, permaculture and peat-free
Experimental – try things out, don’t worry if you fail, and be ready to change your practices
Adaptive to Climate Change – actively encourage reparative practices that build resilience and address inequalities that can be overcome as a collective
Sharing – share food, knowledge, and anything else you can think of so everyone can learn from each other
Collaborative – no one view should dominate; try to co-design, co-build and co-manage to cultivate a sense of shared ownership
To find out more about Sustain you can visit their website.
A brief history of
Harlesden Town Garden
Over the years, Harlesden Town Garden has developed with volunteers contributing their expertise to plant and extend the borders, train, plant the meadow, paint murals, run events, build a Hub House and more to make it what you see today. It continues to change and grow, and we welcome any contributions.
Garden nursery buildings dominated the site.
The buildings were demolished to make way for the 32 domestic garages.
The garages were cleared to create an open space and playground. Sadly, in later years the park became a magnet for antisocial behaviour and no longer was a welcoming space for the community.
A community consultation on how to improve the area – part funded by Catalyst Housing Association – was carried out by local homeless charity Lift. As a result, the Friends of Harlesden Town Garden (FHTG) was formed in partnership with Lift (now Crisis Brent) and Brent Council.
FTHG redesigned the park and, with the help of its partners, reintroduced a community asset that offers something for everyone to enjoy: a play area for children, a green lawn and wildflower area, beautiful mixed flower and shrub borders, a multi-use games area and raised bed allotments.
An award-winning community garden
We have won several prestigious awards that celebrate our beautiful garden and honour community efforts.
RHS London in Bloom, It’s Your Neighbourhood – Outstanding (2021 and 2022)
RHS London in Bloom, Best Small Garden – Gold (2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024)
UCL Public Engagement Award for the Community Hub House project (2020)
Explore the garden
Explore Harlesden Town Garden to learn more about the different areas, and remember to enjoy all the beautiful murals found around the garden. Each one has been lovingly painted by volunteers and members of the community.
Code of Conduct
Harlesden Town Garden belongs to all of us. Please respect the code of conduct so that all visitors have an enjoyable visit.
Only guide dogs are allowed in the garden
No cycling on lawns or pathways
Do not pick the flowers or vegetables
No littering
CCTV in operation