Core costs to unlock time for the Grow2Know team to plan their growth, and unlock opportunities to work together in person. (360G-zing-112)

Based in West London, North Kensington, members of the community unified through guerrilla gardening as a way of healing in response to the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. With no plan or strategy, the community turned to nature to gather and unify in what was a baron, neglected and unloved space. A transformation occurred as people came together to dig, plant and discuss and the space came to be known as the Grenfell Garden of Peace. The community would then go on to reclaim three more spaces – completely unresourced: Acklam Nature Project, Maxilla Nursery, Kingsnorth House. Grow2Know’s heart lies in reclaiming space and reconnecting people with nature and each other. Putting community at the forefront in the creation of public, outdoor spaces, Grow2Know is pioneering a model that pivots on consultation, collaboration, and place-making. Building partnerships to activate spaces, the grassroots non-profit is committed to inspiring a culture change to implement more sustainable systems that promote biodiversity, circular economies and regenerative practices. Grow2Know is on a mission to inspire, heal and educate through horticulture – embarking on a journey to make gardening more inclusive and nature accessible to all. Tayshan Hayden-Smith, born & raised in North Kensington, brought love & life to his community surrounding Grenfell Tower, initiating the ‘Grenfell Garden of Peace’ among several other pivotal green spaces in the local area, adopting the name The Grenfell Guerrilla Gardener at the time. Tayshan is a young man of mixed heritage & is passionate about being a part of a more inclusive environment on the horticultural scene, keen to empower young people through gardening & nature. This grant is for core costs, to give Tayshan and his team more time away from commissioned projects to plan their growth, proactively pitch for new projects, and unlock more ways for them to work in person, including access to office space.