We are incredibly proud to have been awarded Garden of Sanctuary status. It’s recognition that our organisation and Hawkwood Nursery is welcoming for everyone.
This includes people who came to the UK as refugees or are seeking asylum. OrganicLea is somewhere that everyone – the workers’ co-operative members, volunteers and the wider community – can learn what it’s like to seek sanctuary.
We come together to create a safe space where people feel valued. No one is left out and everyone is encouraged to join in with the joy of growing, distributing and preparing food.
English for Action at OrganicLea
We regularly run English for Action (EFA) courses for speakers of English as an additional language. We create the classes together, based on what the group wants to focus on.
We work together in the gardens and in the kitchen to practice our English, connecting with people and nature. We have held art workshops, cooked our favourite dishes for each other and spoken about experiences of making London our new home.
Some of our EFA graduates have gone on to complete further qualifications in horticulture and others work in key community roles, supporting others navigating migration.
If you are interested in joining an EFA class, or want to know more about practicing your English with us, email alice@organiclea.org.uk.
Work Experience Placements
Every term, we offer work experience placements for 17-19 year old English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students at Waltham Forest College, many of whom have recently arrived in the UK, and face an uncertain future. These students join our team of workers and volunteers to practice their English in a work-related setting.
In 2024/5, 28 students took part, and four students with the right to work went onto paid work placements with OrganicLea as part of the UK Summer Jobs Programme. Building on the term-time experience, these placements supported confidence in English and other employment-related and practical skills, helping the young people feel able to take next steps towards realising their potential, and celebrating their achievement together.
Of the four summer placement participants in 2024, two were able to enter mainstream further education, one gained youth project work as videographer and is now training to be a firefighter, and another started work in a restaurant..
This is what a couple of students had to say about their experiences at OrganicLea:
“I learn about planting and more here. The people are very special. It supports me to help myself and take care of other people. This is how things are here at OrganicLea. I have felt a freedom to ask questions and this has given me so much confidence. I want to keep this in my life and will look for new opportunities. I have signed up for more English and Maths learning. This place encourages me”
“I feel like my energy is back being around the flowers and plants. Everybody has been so helpful… At OrganicLea everyone is equal and I like that”