Sunnyside Community Garden’s Toilet Block Fire
On the evening of Friday 2nd May 2025 Sunnyside Community Garden’s toilet block was set on Fire. We don’t know if it was vandalism or an accident, but it has highlighted Sunnyside’s desperate need for a fully accessible volunteer building that isn’t made of wood. Many thanks to local people who called the emergency services and the fire brigade who came to put the fire out and saved the toilet block.
Manager Anna Portch says, “It is such a shame that this has happened just when our volunteers’ hard work is paying off and the gardens look so beautiful. We really just need to get a proper volunteer building”.
In the meantime, Sunnyside volunteers are going to try and patch up the toilet block for our volunteer gardeners. Sunnyside Community gardens are open to the public every day, so local people are very welcome to come and enjoy the flowers.
If you would like to help come alone for drop in volunteer gardening or donate to Sunnyside’s Go Fund Me; https://gofund.me/dcfa5356
Sunnyside Community Gardens are always open to the public
Sunnyside Community Gardens are unique as we are always open for the public to enjoy. Our gardens are a massive back garden for local people who live in near by flats with no or very small gardens and we are run by the tiny Sunnyside Community Gardens Charity #1092031.
New gardening volunteers are made very welcome.
Sunnyside has a long history of providing therapeutic horticulture for people with disabilities, and those recovering from illness. This means we are a truly diverse community with a real mix of local residents involved. Though you do not need to be an expert in disabilities to volunteer at Sunnyside, you need to have a friendly and positive attitude towards people with disabilities.
Sunnyside Community Gardens were formed after a campaign by local people and they started working to create the garden in October 1977. The gardens had a grand opening on 29th July 1978 and first registered as a charity in 1992 and registered in its current format on 15th May 2002. Volunteer gardeners from the local community have looked after Sunnyside for over 40 years. Everyone is invited to come and visit the gardens and appreciate all their hard work. Sunnyside is now a beautiful organic garden, designated as a site of importance for nature conservation, with a wildlife pond. As well as the nature reserve we have a fenced off plant nursery across the road where we grow plants to use in Sunnyside and we also garden in the formal Peace Garden in Elthorne Park.
This means Sunnyside is a big and varied garden that is always needs lots of volunteer gardeners to keep it looking its best. Come join us for gardening and getting to know your neighbours in Hillrise.
Please show your love for our gardens by;
Taking only pictures & leaving only footprints
Picking up your dog’s poo and taking litter home with you
WE NEED VOLUNTEER GARDENERS
Look on our volunteer page to find out more about how to join our friendly community
We love our local community and welcome your feedback and suggestions. Pop comments and offers of help into our post-box.
