Demonstration Held to Save Growhampton
Community garden project under threat due to funding withdrawal
Chickens rescued from the slaughterhouse at Growhampton
March 29, 2024
A protest was held this Thursday (28 March) by the Save Growhampton Campaign at the University of Roehampton.
Growhampton is a community garden and project based on the campus which attracts volunteers, not just from students, but also the wider local community including members from St Georges Hospital, Alton Estate and local primary schools.
It is active in the local area supporting the charities ReGenerate and BeEnriched.
Without warning, the Roehampton Student Union cut funding for the project resulting in two members of staff losing their jobs and the university has declined a request to step in and fund it.
Campaigners say the decision was made without consultation and a campaign has been started to save Growhampton. They argue that Growhampton is invaluable as it has delivered a number of benefits such as bringing students together with staff and residents of the area, boosting mental health, increasing local biodiversity and awareness of food production methods.
The suggestion of it becoming a student led and funded society is dismissed as impractical.
So far 344 students have signed an open letter and 237 statements of support from the community have come in already too.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CbYrJTVJawkdeqHLbjY-mqP8sslijTKm/view
A spokesperson for the campaign claimed that the staff were made to leave earlier than the otherwise might have been because of the strength of feeling on the issue.
The university’s Vice Chancellor declined to meet with campaigners, so this week’s peaceful demonstration was held outside his office at Grove House.
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