IN FOCUS: ACCESSION
Site manager John Thorne-Simpson with original orchard trees
Let it grow
Somewhere to buy
organic fruit and
veg, and plants for
your garden, should
be opening on
Horsenden Hill in the
spring – coinciding
with the reopening
of a popular vintage
tearoom. But your
help is needed first.
L
and at Horsenden
Farm has been leased
by Ealing Council for a
25-year period to a local social
enterprise, Accession. The organisation
was born in 2011 after evolving from
services run by the council and West
London Mental Health Trust.
The picturesque location on the
side of the hill sits next to an open car
park serving the farm and a section of
6
around ealing
Winter 2015/16
or learning disabilities. They
can work at the centre to
gain confidence, get fresh
air, learn new skills and, in
some cases, the aim is to get
back into employment. But
the foodstuffs grown will also
help supply the reopened café
and any money from sales will
pay to keep the centre open
and be ploughed back in to
Accession’s services.
HELP FOR THE FINAL PUSH
Although preparation of the
site, which was formerly the
farm’s orchard and garden, is
well under way there is plenty
left to do to get it ready – and
volunteers are being sought.
Managing director of
Accession, Penny Newman
OBE, said: “We hope the
centre and also the café,
which we already know
is popular, will together
become a destination
that local people will want
to visit – families, walkers,
gardeners, local people in
general. It has been three years in the
planning and we’re so pleased we’ve
come this far. However, we now need
some help for the final push – we need
some further investment to get the café
ready and we also need volunteers for
things like watering, digging, planting,
to help finish the site.”
Read
y
full stor
here
the Grand Union canal’s
towpath; and a children’s
playground owned by the
council is close by, too. It is on the Capital
Ring walking route which encircles
London and is popular with hikers.
By the time Accession’s staff and
volunteers are finished, the land in
front of the farmhouse will become a
fully-functioning horticultural centre
where people can buy a wide range of
flowers, plants, fruit and vegetables.
And the popular tearoom, which was
open in 2014 but closed to allow
the work on the centre to take
place, will reopen.
The primary purpose of
the site is to provide a
therapeutic and educational
place to support those with
mental health difficulties
COULD YOU HELP?
Visit Bubble to find out how
to volunteer at
www.dosomethinggood.org.uk
or call Accession on 020 8567 3777.
For more on Accession, visit
www.accessioncic.com
Managing director Penny Newman with herbs in new polytunnel