BOST celebrates Sumner Street Garden and Bankside food-growing

The garden was launched with a ribbon cut by Jebrael Boston and a Bankside apple pie ceremonially cut by Cllr Adele Morris and Corporation of London area housing manager Robert Jack.

"The Sumner Garden is not just a beautiful and useful place, this is proof that local members of the community are willing to give time, skill and effort to make things better – not just for themselves but for their neighbours," said Simon Hughes MP.

"BOST reminds us that growing things in our city is possible and fruitful."

The new garden at Sumner Buildings was funded with contributions from the City of London Corporation and Borough, Bankside & Walworth Community Council's Cleaner Greener Safer programme.

At the event, BOST thanked everyone who had made the Sumner Street Garden possible, as well as those who had contributed to the 24 food gardens on local housing estates over the last four years.

BOST director Helen Firminger said: "It's been a great growth spurt since we seeded Edible Bankside in 2008 and I would like to thank our hardworking staff, trustees and volunteers for all we have achieved.

"Together we have built in Bankside a combined food growing area the size of three tennis courts, and brought 24 communities together to grow on these! I am very proud.

"Now we need to work to protect these spaces into the future, and help more communities build positive interactions and grow their own potatoes too."

Edible Bankside was funded by a £233,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund.