Earth Tenders
Enjoy this short interview with Ali and Idman as they tell us about Earth Tenders, the Black-led organisation and community haven in Dulwich Park.
Q1: Where did the idea for the organisation ‘Earth Tenders’ come from?
Earth Tenders started as a roaming workshop provider led by Ali. Both of us met through a programme platforming black women and gender-conforming nature practitioners called Bloom back in 2021. Since then we stayed within the community and occasionally worked together, we shared similar values and ambitions when it came to landwork and community organising. We were both longing for a community space that merged horticulture, creativity and community wellbeing and that centred the needs of racialised communities. In 2023 Earth Tenders CIC was formed and we took over the Dulwich Vegetable Garden bringing the dream that we had to life.
‘We welcome people with all abilities and different knowledge levels to the garden, there are no expectations for volunteers to be experienced growers. We believe that having access to nature and food growing is a human right and there should never be any barriers for participating in landbased activities.’
Q2: How did you come to be in your current location in Dulwich Park?
The Dulwich Vegetable Garden (DVG) was set up in 2009 by a local charity, Dulwich Going Greener, to encourage local people to learn how to grow their own organic produce. The garden was completely volunteer run and they decided to do a call out for another group to come and take over the management of the garden. That is when Earth Tenders CIC stepped in and took it over, transforming the space into a vibrant, multicultural, intergenerational community garden and hub.
‘Currently we run volunteer sessions every Friday from 9.30am to 12.30pm.‘
Q3: As a visitor, it is a wonderful place to visit, relax and/or meet friends. But what should a volunteer expect from participating at Earth Tenders?
Currently we run volunteer sessions every Friday from 9.30am to 12.30pm. We recently introduced volunteer sign-ups to help manage numbers and be mindful of our own capacity as a small organisation. Sign-ups for the volunteer sessions go up every Thursday morning at 9am and they sell out like hot cakes. We are really grateful for the continued support and the enthusiasm people bring to our volunteer sessions. In terms of what you can expect from an Earth Tenders volunteer session: we have an accessible programme filled with activities ranging from seed sowing, planting, watering, garden maintenance, tidying, medicine making, pickling and so much more. We welcome people with all abilities and different knowledge levels to the garden, there are no expectations for volunteers to be experienced growers. We believe that having access to nature and food growing is a human right and there should never be any barriers for participating in landbased activities.
Q4: Tell us what makes Earth Tenders different from other community gardens?
We often get this question and the response to this is ever changing, to keep it plain and simple, it’s a lot about feeling, our garden feels different. The energy that has been cultivated here is so joyful, so warm and welcoming. It was incredibly important for us to create a space that we felt was lacking here in London, an urban garden that is by and for people of colour. A space that celebrates cultural, non-western food pathways and land practices. Our mission is to nurture spaces where everyone, particularly Black and Global Majority communities can reclaim landbased knowledge, build collective power and shape a future where we thrive on our own terms.
Q5: Please can you share what’s coming up at Earth Tenders?
Our next session ‘Open Saturdays’ is on 8 November, from 12-2pm. Book a free space here for the workshop. Tickets go live at 6pm Tuesday 4 November.
tampopo feasts (Maki Ramaditya) will be hosting delicious collaborations: Cultivating radical attention with kimchi in the garden.
What timelines and worlds could fermentation help us navigate? How can cultivating a radical attention help us taste-feel-think our way to delicious futures?
Through hands-on kimchi making, we’ll attune to the very big, the very slow, and the very tiny – from global food systems and climate colonialism, to the worlds of Lactobacillus microbes. Participants will be invited to discuss the importance of rewriting food stories as we collaborate on our kimchi with fresh produce from the garden.
Please bring a jar or tub for your kimchi, and a snack in case you get hungry!
Earth Tenders celebrated their 2nd birthday during Black History, October 2025!
To find our more about the Earth Tenders and volunteering opportunities visit: www.earthtenders.co.uk
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