A new London-wide project, Sharing Spaces, is enabling eight community organisations in London to set up their own centres to provide community learning on climate action and build community connections at under-used spaces such as libraries, cinemas, churches and tenants and residents halls.
The areas covered are Camden, Ealing, Barnet, Bromley, Finchley, Kentish Town, White City and Croydon.
Sharing Spaces benefit all who attend, from those interested in what climate action is to those looking for advice on how they can adapt their lifestyles because they want to reduce their bills, lower their cost of living or learn how to protect nature.
The aim of the project is to provide local people with community spaces to learn a wide range of skills, allowing everyone to learn how they can benefit from taking positive climate action.
‘Creating the spaces is low-cost, good for the community, and good for individuals.
‘And using spaces that are either vacant or not getting the best community use for people to meet and enjoy time together in, is a no-brainer.’
ROBIN DE KRETSER
Sharing Spaces Coordinator
Sharing Spaces are being set up in eight locations across seven London boroughs.
So far, residents in active Sharing Spaces have swapped clothes and learnt sewing and upcycling skills, learnt how to save money on energy bills, got involved in neighbourhood planting and growing schemes and taken part in low-cost, low-carbon, meat-free cooking sessions.
The Sharing Spaces project was devised by Think & Do Camden – a community space for climate and social action in Camden, North London which has been running Sharing Spaces since 2021 across Tenants & Residents Association (TRA) Halls.
They successfully brought together communities in Somers Town, North London to build new relationships, learn new skills and enhance their local area.
‘Over a thousand people came through the doors at our first pop-up and we realised this was a success story that needed to be replicated. With the support of climate solutions charity Ashden, Sharing Spaces is now doing just that – using the learning from Think & Do Camden and sharing that with other communities in the city.’
ROBIN DE KRETSER
Sharing Spaces Coordinator
Sharing Spaces launched in April 2024, with more than a thousand residents attending Sharing Spaces in Ealing, Barnet and Bromley.
More Sharing Spaces are now taking place in White City, Camden and Croydon and a further two in Islington and Camden launching in September.
The spaces are using a disused community centre, a library, a primary school garden and TRA halls.
Each Sharing Space runs for approximately three months with some happening over the summer to provide fun and useful activities for families.
Weekly workshops provide space for residents to share their knowledge and skills with others.
Many spaces are working hand in hand with their local authority to co-create climate action in their community.
A resident at the Finchley Sharing Space, which takes place at Barnet’s Church End Library as well as the Jewish Vegetarian Society, and who was taking part in a pollination planting session, said: ‘I think it’s very important for people to have contact with nature, it can bring a sense of connection to our wider environment, a sense of wellbeing and it’s a really empowering skill to know how to grow.’
An elderly resident in Bromley, attending the Greener & Cleaner Sharing Space in The Glades Shopping Centre, said: ‘This space is invaluable. There is an incredible generosity of spirit here. I came in not knowing anything about sewing but everyone else was kind enough to show me how to use the machines, offer advice on how to get started. Now that I’ve been here and seen the benefits of it, I would be very sad to see it disappear.’
‘It’s brilliant to see Londoners benefiting already from the Sharing Spaces. Having places like these also helps normalise the protection of our local environments and creates the habit of coming together to respond to the challenges that climate change can bring to everyday lives.’
MATTHEW AHLUWALIA
Senior Programme Officer at Ashden
It is hoped that communities and local authorities across London will be inspired by these projects and develop similar Sharing Spaces.
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