More About Our pick-up points
You can pick up your produce from over ten different locations around Hackney. The box scheme is collection only to cut down on pollution and food miles but also to encourage the sense of community for our members. Growing Communities is incredibly grateful to all the community organisations that host pick-up points, making it possible (and enjoyable) for us to run the box scheme the way we do. It also provides a brilliant opportunity for us to make stronger links with other local organisations.
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The Old Fire Station
The Old Fire Station, a historic building in the heart of Stoke Newington, has provided long-term space for the voluntary sector, not for profit & charitable organisations, and community groups since 1982. It also provides the local community a wide variety of rooms and halls for short-term hire. Permanent tenants of the building currently include Growing Communities and The Fire Station Community Nursery.
61 Leswin Road, N16 7NX
Staffed pickup times:
- Wednesdays: 3:30pm to 7:30pm
Self-service pickup times:
- Wednesdays: 7:30pm to 9pm
- Thursdays: 8am to 9pm
- Fridays: 8am to 5pm
If you pick up from the Old Fire Station, you can use the Growing Communities Urban Farm Shop, which is open at the same time as the (staffed) pick-up - and only available to people on the box scheme. The shop sells extra organic items such as eggs, as well as organic veg and fruit and Growing Communities' own Hackney-grown produce (such as figs, salad, strawberries, rhubarb, herbs, artichokes, tomatoes etc).
St Peters - De Beauvoir Town
**NEW PICK UP FROM OCTOBER 2012.**
St Peter's has been the parish church for De Beauvoir Town since 1841. Today we are a lively mix of people of all ages from all parts of the world. The church is a focus for all sorts of community events during the week.
St. Peter’s is transforming its Crypt into a real community asset - a thriving centre for social interaction, creativity, cultural expression and community support. We’re making the space fully accessible, flexible, practical and welcoming.
For over 160 years St Peter's Crypt has provided the local community with a wide range of services – it’s been used as a community school, a soup kitchen, even a refugee centre. Today it‘s home to the cold-weather night shelter, a thriving community café and many groups promoting creativity and healthy living.
Plans for the new Crypt include: a refurbished hall, a smaller meeting room, private counselling rooms and a new cafeteria area.
Northchurch Terrace, De Beauvoir Town, N1 4DA
Staffed pickup times:
Self-service pickup times:
- Thursdays: 1pm to 8:30pm
- Fridays: 8am to 8:30pm
Chats Palace
Chats Palace was established in 1976 to act as a focal point for the neighbourhood of Homerton and Lower Clapton. It has been nurturing the creative talents of children, young people and emerging artists for 35 years. Chats Palace is available for hire for community activities, rehearsals, private parties, film shoots and events. It has been nurturing the creative talents of children, young people and emerging artists for 35 years.
42-44 Brooksby's Walk, E9 6DF
- Wednesdays: 4pm to 8:30pm
- Thursdays: 10am to 5pm
Sorry, our Chats Palace pickup point is not open. Pick-up full at the moment. Please email us if you would like to join a waiting list for this pickup point.
Hackney City Farm
For over 20 years, Hackney City Farm has been giving the local community the opportunity to experience farming right in the heart of the city. The farm offers children and adults the opportunity to get up close to a range of farmyard animals; see, smell and plant vegetables and other food plants; and learn new skills to live a healthier, happier life with a lower environmental impact. As well as running their own courses and volunteering sessions, they are a home to various other social enterprises and community groups. They aim to be a centre for environmental improvement and a hub for projects for the improvement of the community and local environment.
Hackney Road, E2 8QA
- Wednesdays: 6pm to 9pm
- Thursdays: 10am to 9pm
- Fridays: 10am to 4:30pm
Pogo Cafe
Pogo Café is an autonomous, non-hierarchical 100% vegan space run completely by volunteers. The cooperative aims to encourage veganism and animal liberation by providing delicious, affordable food and useful information to the local community and beyond.
Running a host of events including regular film nights, one-off dinner nights, raw food parties and poetry evenings, Pogo Cafe is always looking for new volunteers.
76 Clarence Road, E5 8HB
- Wednesdays: 6pm to 9pm
- Thursdays: 12:30pm to 9pm
Mother Earth (Albion Rd)
Mother Earth is a vibrant and independent, ethical retail business based in North East London for more than 20 years. In their own words: ‘if it’s healthy, whole, organic, natural, local, fair-trade or even (ever-so fashionably) “real” then we say it’s all good and we’ve crammed only the best of it into our three fantastic little shops in lovely, sunny Stoke Newington and just next door near Newington Green and in Highbury. Other highlights of Mother Earth include a delicious cafe and a recently opened ‘unpackaged’ shop on Newington Green Parade.
5 Albion Parade, Albion Road, N16 9LD
- Wednesdays: 5pm to 8pm
- Thursdays: 9:30am to 8pm
- Fridays: 9:30am to 7pm
Mother Earth (Newington Gr.)
Mother Earth is a vibrant and independent, ethical retail business based in North East London for more than 20 years. In their own words: ‘if it’s healthy, whole, organic, natural, local, fair-trade or even (ever-so fashionably) “real” then we say it’s all good and we’ve crammed only the best of it into our three fantastic little shops in lovely, sunny Stoke Newington and just next door near Newington Green and in Highbury. Other highlights of Mother Earth include a delicious cafe and a recently opened ‘unpackaged’ shop on Newington Green Parade.
101-103 Newington Green Road, N1 4QY
- Wednesdays: 5pm to 8pm
- Thursdays: 9am to 8pm
- Fridays: 9am to 7pm
Castle Climbing Centre
The Castle is run by climbers for climbers and receives more annual visits than any other climbing centre in the UK. It is housed within a striking Victorian building, formerly a water pumping station near Manor House tube station. The Castle has an extensive range of facilities for beginners and advanced climbers alike. The Centre houses over 450 routes serviced by more than 90 roped lines. The extensive range of bouldering surfaces display some 250 marked problems. The climbing areas are spread over two floors of the unique atmospheric building.
In the last 3 years the Castle Climbing Centre has been massively committed towards becoming a sustainable business, reducing its carbon footprint and increasing its environmental performance. The area that has most obviously undergone huge change has been the development of the 1 acre of green space at the back of the centre into a market garden which now provides fresh, organic produce, not only for our the centre’s cafe but also for Growing Communities and other local businesses and the local community.
Green Lanes, N4 2HA
- Thursdays: 1pm to 9pm
- Fridays: 1pm to 9pm
- Saturdays: 10am to 12pm
St John of Jerusalem Church
St John of Jerusalem Church is situated in Lauriston Road, South Hackney, and the rector is The Revd Andrew Wilson. It is a Church of England parish church which welcomes people of all church traditions. For over 150 years St John of Jerusalem has served the local community and the current. The church seeks to serve its neighbourhood in a variety of different ways and has close ties with its church school, St John of Jerusalem Primary School.
Lauriston Road, E9 7DH
- Thursdays: 11am to 7pm
- Fridays: 10am to 7pm
- Saturdays: 10am to 1pm
Sorry, our St John of Jerusalem Church pickup point is not open. Oversubscribed. Please email us if you would like to join a waiting list for this pickup point.
Dalston - Eastern Curve Garden
The Dalston Eastern Curve Garden is open daily to the local community. The Garden was created on the old Eastern Curve railway line which once linked Dalston Junction Station to the goods yard and the North London Line. The garden now also houses a spacious, wooden garden pavilion for events, workshops and gatherings. Wildlife-friendly trees and shrubs, including hazel, hawthorn and birch have been planted alongside butterfly bushes, bracken and other plants that were already growing on the derelict site. The Garden also includes large raised beds for growing food, which are already filling up fast with tomatoes, peppers and scented herbs, all grown by Dalston residents.
A beautiful oasis in the middle of Dalston and a fabulous community resource for local residents and businesses alike!
13 Dalston Lane (next to the Hackney Peace mural), London, E8 3DF
Staffed pickup times:
Self-service pickup times:
- Thursdays: 12pm to 4pm
- Fridays: 11am to 4pm
- Saturdays: 11am to 3pm
To find pick-up boxes: Enter garden and the Growing Communities boxes are on the right against the wall. Please make sure you pick up the bags during the pick up times - many thanks.
The Russet
The Russet gathered its name from the orchard planted by The Tree Musketeers in Hackney Downs Park. Fifteen heritage apple trees were planted there in 2009 and are now close to fruiting, four of the varieties are russeted. An Egremont Russet, which is seen as the classic Russet was planted around our opening, and will grow and flower as we also do.
Our cafe aims to serve local people with good food at reasonable prices. We take pride in where our produce comes from and believe that the re-localisation of the current food system is important and necessary. It’s also nice to know local people.
The space will also act as an evening venue showcasing the best in local and global arts. The Russet is a new space for food to be shared, but also a space for discussion, for creation and for entertainment. This will take place through talks, workshops and discussions that engage with the wider community.
Hackney Downs Studios, Amhurst Terrace, London. E8 2BT
Staffed pickup times:
Self-service pickup times:
- Thursdays: 2pm to 8pm
- Fridays: 8:30am to 8pm
Organic & Natural
A great health food shop in the heart of Clapton and managed by the same owners as the wonderful Palm 2 across the road. Fab garden cafe in the back serving really delicious, hearty food and open for all-day lunches:-) Miranda and her team are super friendly and will order things in if you can't find what you're looking for...
191 Lower Clapton Rd, E5 8EG
- Wednesdays: 6pm to 8pm
- Thursdays: 10am to 8pm
- Fridays: 10am to 8pm