Save Dalston Curve Garden

We need you 
For 10 years we’ve provided a unique, inclusive, beautiful public garden in the middle of Dalston. Our doors are open to all, every day, 12 months of the year, with over 160,000 visitors enjoying the Garden annually.

Our team of staff and volunteers work tirelessly to create a magical, nurturing and much needed self sustaining community space, that still feels like a secret haven in the middle of our busy and sometimes disconnected city. 

This precious green space has never been more vital for the health and well-being of our community than it is now. 

The impact of COVID-19 on the Garden 
The financial losses caused by the Garden’s temporary closure in March, mean we urgently need to raise £100,000 before we can even contemplate reopening our doors to the public. This money is needed to:

• Pay for extensive building works in our entrance area, so visitors can safely adhere to social distancing  guidelines.

• Cover the loss of 50% of the Garden’s annual profits, caused by having to close during our busiest season. 

• Survive the year ahead with far less income, because of the requirement to limit visitor numbers.

How we fund Dalston Curve Garden
The profits from Summer sales of food and drink in our cafe enable Dalston Curve Garden to stay open all year round. This income also pays for our free inclusive workshops, our education programme which connects children with nature and our programme of community events, including our much loved annual Pumpkin Lantern Festival. 

We do not receive grant funding. 

Over 50% of the people who visit the Garden do not buy anything in our cafe, and we are happy for visitors to bring in their own food as a way to be more inclusive. Up until now, we have chosen not to hire out the Garden because we want to keep it as a shared space, open to all.

The need for safe green space 
We will be opening into a whole new climate, following on from a time when so many people have experienced hardship and stress, especially those without access to gardens and safe outdoor spaces. 

Our response is to set aside the early part of each day solely for community groups, supporting people who’ve been socially isolating over the last three months and who may need space to acclimatise.

We would also like to develop a special programme of free well-being events for marginalised groups who may not have access to green spaces and we will be developing a new area behind our stage especially to accommodate this.

How you can help
Our community has always championed Dalston Curve Garden, helped us to grow and weather any storms that have come our way - and there have been many.

This is the biggest challenge of our 10 years and the one that will most highlight how much we are fundamentally a space built by the people who grow with us.

Together we have no doubt we can survive this, emerging even stronger for all our community to benefit. 

We appreciate how tough it is for everyone in this current climate. £100,000 can seem an impossible amount of money,  but if only a few of the people that have freely visited Dalston Curve Garden over ten years donate a little towards our crowdfunder, we’ll reach our target in no time.

Our mission is to come back stronger and as even more of a community asset, sharing many more beautiful moments with you.