About Us

Growing Communities South is a not-for-profit, local, organic, sustainable veg box scheme in South London.

We are not a retailer - we part of a food movement. The food system is broken and want to change it - for the better. Rather than just “sell vegetables” we aim to encourage people to find out how food systems currently operate in the UK, and if they are at odds with that, to do something about it. Join the movement; be part of the solution.

Part of our solution is to provide fresh, weekly organic veg boxes in central London - but the other part is education. Most people are unaware that hundreds of farmers are being squeezed out of their trade annually after generations of feeding people or how supermarket practises are leading to poorer quality foods lacking in nutrients. Or, how industrial farming techniques are creating a lack of biodiversity that threatens farming, food security and the planet. This is unsustainable and it needs to change.

It’s a big challenge we face. 95% of groceries in the UK are sold through just 6 large supermarket chains. We are part of the 5% providing an alternative. We are fighting for farmers, for healthy food and for the planet. When you join our veg box scheme, you help us to continue the fight. Each new member is not just contributing revenue to better channels - it’s also another vote to say “I want a fairer, healthier and more equitable food system”.

We work with a number of farmers directly and also through our network of Better Food Traders to ensure our producers maintain very high standards of organic and sustainable farming. We work with local businesses as collection points to reduce the carbon footprint of our operation. We also pay London Living Wage as a minimum. In short, people and communities before profit.

We are not perfect and sometimes make mistakes. But we always aim to be better; better for you, better for farmers, better for communities, and better for the planet. Just like our vegetables, we are constantly growing. We hope you will be inspired to grow with us and be part of the alternative 5%.

WE BELIEVE:

WHERE WE CAME FROM

Formerly Local Greens, Growing Communities South started as an initiative from a group of self-styled “eco mums” in Herne Hill back in 2012. Fed up with poor quality food, immoral supermarket tactics, unsustainable farming and growing unawareness about the food systems we rely on, our founders decided to stop complaining and take action. With the help of a few friends and family they set up our little organisation, literally out of the back of a van.

The original team purchased an old high-top van and a parking permit. They parked the van outside her house with the keys in a lockbox. Monday night farmers would come, get the keys, leave the veg in crates in the back of the van. On Tuesday, the team would pack all the veg into the customer bags, in the back of the van. Then on Wednesday they would drive around and deliver the veg to the members.

The scheme started with a trial of about 30 households. That trial was a great success - local residents loved the idea of getting fresh veg almost direct from farmers and being fair to everyone. The scheme grew from there and we are very proud of the fact that many of those initial 30 members are still getting their weekly veg bag from Growing Communities South today.

The scheme and membership base has grown over the years and we no longer operate out of the back of a van. Around 2018 we relocated to a railway arch near Brockwell Park. Since we joined forces with our long-time friends at Growing Communities, we do all our packing at the Better Food Shed, in East London. But the spirit of community still shines through. Farmers now come on a Tuesday and leave the veg in the the packing shed. Our team come along on Wednesday morning, inspect the veg and start putting it into the various bags for our members. Then, on Thursday we deliver to our collection points across South London.

So the offering and the customer base have grown but our mission remains the same - to provide an alternative to the 95% that’s fairer and more sustainable. Join us for your health - stay for your community.

OUR TEAM

Growing Communities South is run by a small, committed team. All of us work part-time with many members going “above and beyond” every week to ensure the veg boxes get out and members are happy. Before her retirement at the start of 2024, Jean was at the helm for 12 years. Some of our packing team have been here for over five years!

Several team members started out as volunteer packers and ended up joining the “employed team”. And many previous staff members come back every now and then to help out with various activities. It emphasises that we really are a local and people-first organisation.