A Working Party! Hendon Tiny Orchard

Event Information

Meet us at Hendon Tiny Orchard - a tiny by name, tiny by nature patch of soily resistance somewhere between The Claddagh Ring pub, Middlesex University and the Hendon Bagel Bakery… 

We’ll talk about the importance of ‘tiny orchards’ for biodiversity, food sovereignty and community - and the hard work of making it happen. The majority of the session will be dedicated to helping with tasks like fence weaving, watering and planting fuelled by lots of par-tea and cake of course! You’ll also have the opportunity to contribute a page to an artist fanzine. 

Useful information 

• 9 Church Rd, London NW4 4EB or what three words: ///gains.neon.caves - we are the patch of soil opposite The Claddagh Ring pub - you can’t miss us!

• It’s a 13 min walk or 9 min bus from Hendon Central Station on the Northern Line - welcome to the ends of the Northern Line!

• This event will take place outside so come dressed for the weather - in whatever style you like! 

• This event involves hands-on volunteering so wear clothes that you don’t mind getting a little soily. Working boots aren’t necessary - just closed toed shoes. There will be a range of activities to suit but rest assured there will be no heavy lifting. 

• New to Hendon and want to hang? If you’re making the trip there are lots of yummy places to grab food along the high street and some hidden nature gems - we’ll send a list when you sign up!

If there is anything that would make participating feel more accessible or safe for you please drop me a note at beckyl.lyon@googlemail.com and I’ll try my best to support. By signing up to this event you agree for your contact details to be shared with the organisers.

About these events

This is the first in a series of critical conversations-with-conservation across London’s diverse spaces. Volunteer sessions in nature are often called “Working Parties”.

They are a celebration of the grassroots organisations seeding the grassroots but also the reliance and (burden of) volunteer labour that the sustenance and maintenance of our green-blue-brown-pink-yellow spaces have become dependent on amongst strained budgets and increasing privatisation. At the same time we’ll ask - who gets to volunteer and what might be a barrier or exclusion? We will take time to acknowledge that volunteering is a resource-heavy endeavour of physical, emotional and intellectual labour and can become another form of exclusion - who has time to spare? who can afford the bus fare? who feels safe or welcome? who can do the physical labour?

Contributors

Becky Lyon, Daniella Levene

Becky Lyon is an artist and PhD researcher based in London. She has an MA Art & Ecology and MA Art & Ecology and is currently researching for her PhD at Goldsmiths University, “Performing objects, tactile data, sense-ative documents and feelwork: touch as method for critical ecological stewardship in England. She run’s Ground Provisions, a ‘schooled-by-the-forest’ for adults and The Department of Artecology for renegade conservationists.  She is a volunteer ranger for London National Park City and a member of the All The Elements  broadening participation in the outdoors. 

Daniella Levene is a community activist and landworker. She is the founder of several environmental initiatives including Hendon Tiny Orchard, Friends of the Welsh Harp and various community garden and fruit harvesting projects. She is one third of an award-winning creative collective, Edgy Collective. She is Orchard Support Coordinator at The Orchard Project and a keen naturalist. 

@elastic_fiction

@edgycollective

elasticfiction.co

Location of event

Location: 9 Church Rd, London NW4 4EB

What three words: ///gains.neon.caves

Meet us at Hendon Tiny Orchard - a tiny by name, tiny by nature patch of soily resistance somewhere between The Claddagh Ring pub, Middlesex University and the Hendon Bagel Bakery