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Margate High St Community Garden

Led by The Margate School community in collaboration with Our Kitchen.


We have been busy clearing and adapting a piece of derelict land at the back of our School to create a community garden guided by permaculture principles to benefit our community, our neighbourhood, local schools, and community groups.


🌳Would you help us set up a community garden?

It doesn't matter how little you donate, it will help up demonstrate the support and need for it. Deadline for donations: August 1st, 2022.



It will be a place for respite & contemplation; experiencing nature in an urban environment; art through sculptural objects; social community events; educational purposes, e.g. growing herbs, fruit + veg. Explore seasonal eating with the users of Our Kitchen (also in the High Street); research + experiment with plant based extracts to create natural fabric dyes or sustainable photography. We will also offer workshops, continue to develop our Eco-conference series, and develop sustainability-focused courses + qualifications. What we plan to deliver:

  • Clear the site of rubbish resulting from fly-tipping and vandalism

  • Erect fencing and gates

  • Create a permaculture oriented community garden plan

  • Preserve and prune existing trees and vegetation

  • Remove trees deemed dangerous - as assessed by an arboricultural consultant.

  • Install electrical and water supply, compostable toilet

  • Purchase Insurances

  • Create a social & a sculpture area

  • Build a working shed and install a bicycle shelter

  • Plant fruit bearing shrubs, herbs, some veg

  • Employ a coordinator


Images of the garden prior to clearing.


Why it's a great idea:

The Margate School is situated in the High Street of Margate, one of the most challenging high streets in the country and in one of the poorest wards in the country. The rear of our buildings on the High St has attracted anti-social and criminal behaviour, vandalism, and fly-tipping over the years affecting the local residents, traders, students, visitors, shoppers, and tourists. The project is an opportunity to significantly & positively impact the lives of our local community and give our High Street an improved presence.


🌳Would you help us set up a community garden?

It doesn't matter how little you donate, it will help up demonstrate the support and need for it. Deadline for donations: August 1st, 2022.


Benefits include:

  • Neighbourhood and community space

  • Wellbeing and healthy living

  • Regeneration and reinvention of the High Street

  • Greening of an urban environment

  • Diversification of insects, birds, plants

  • Reduced anti-social behaviour

  • Connecting the community with nature and creativity

  • Offering improved educational and skills development

  • Potential for development and employment opportunities

Steps to get it done:

  • Consult and communicate with neighbours and stakeholders

  • Fine-tune project delivery plan

  • Draft longer term vision for the project

  • Recruit volunteers

  • Instruct contractors

  • Clear site

  • Establish fence, gates, shed, plant beds, benches

  • Install electrics

  • Install water supply

  • Host conference

  • Run workshops

  • Install sculptures

  • Host community events


This project has previously been granted planning permission which is due to expire soon. We have re-applied and fully expect this to be confirmed during the crowdfunding campaign. No funds will be transferred to the project until this is confirmed.



The Margate School opened its door in the summer of 2019 taking on the former Woolworths building situated in the High Street of Margate, that stood empty since 2008. It managed to gain some funding to start its operation offering the only European MA in Fine Art: Art, Society, Nature + running numerous community based workshops, exhibitions + events.


The Margate School is actively supporting the regeneration of Margate's high street through its work, facilities, public art, and community projects. We have become a creative community hub working with diverse community groups, schools, professionals + industry alike thus creating a nurturing and collaborative, co-creative ecology.


The community garden will be an extension of our humanist vision. We have now received some funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to kick start the project + allowing us to raise further funds for the project in support of the local community. In 2021 the TMS team had a permaculture workshop for project preparation - you can read more on that here


🌳Would you help us set up a community garden?

It doesn't matter how little you donate, it will help up demonstrate the support and need for it. Deadline for donations: August 1st, 2022.


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