A large group of people gathered outdoors in a sunny park or garden, some seated and some standing around a central area, with trees and small green tents in the background.

Growing Sudley Community Open Day

At the beginning of March, we supported Growing Sudley in their celebration of the Changing Rooms, the culmination of five years of work to redevelop the derelict, council-owned changing rooms building into a hub for wellbeing in nature. 

Around 300 people attended the event held in the Walled Garden, participated in tours of the building and enjoyed the treasure trove of garden activities such as botanical tile making, seed sowing and making herbal bath bombs. It was also a very welcome opportunity to come together on what felt like the first warm, sunny day of the year and celebrate all of the people who have supported and been involved in the project over many years. 

For us, the highlight of hosting building tours was seeing practitioners interact with the spaces for the first time, appreciating in action how the low-carbon and natural material approach to retrofit has influenced the look and feel of the spaces. Seeing them being able to enjoy and engage with a building fabric that has so evidently been co-created with many hands, from the hempcrete installation to botanical tiles to the reused cricket board signage. It was particularly nice to hear how the building spaces have impacted the well-being of not only the visitors but also the practising staff.  

With spring around the corner, it felt like the perfect day to celebrate a shared enthusiasm for the principles of the project in commitment to low-carbon and circular economy principles. It very much felt like a new chapter for the site, building on the success of Growing Sudley’s work to date and the beginning of the changing rooms as a thriving hub to support Growing Sudley’s ongoing work in the Walled Garden.

March, 2025

A smiling woman with orange hair standing in a narrow white brick-walled corridor with a large window showing a tree and outdoor greenery.
Four women and one man standing in the doorway of a cozy room, engaged in conversation, with the woman in a yellow shirt talking to the woman directly inside the room.
People at an outdoor market or fair with green canopies, surrounded by leafless trees under a partly cloudy sky.
A black wooden sign with white letters reading 'C.A.G.S TOTAL FOR WKT S OVERS 1ST-INNGS TOTAL', placed between two orange doors in an indoor setting. The sign has shelves with pamphlets and flyers, including a yellow flyer about bridging programs with Ayurvedic practice and pink flyers about yoga classes.
Collection of decorative tiles featuring various pressed flowers and plants arranged in a grid pattern on a white background.
Four people entering a building labeled "The Changing Rooms" through a green door with a sign above. The building has beige stucco walls and is surrounded by trees with no leaves under a blue sky.
Outdoor community gathering or market on a bright day with people standing, sitting, and walking near tents and stalls, with trees and a large historic building in the background.
Bookshelf with books, a digital clock displaying 12:19, a wall with botanical art prints, an electrical outlet and a power strip.
An aerial view of a community garden with people gathered, tents, benches, and planted beds surrounded by trees and parked cars.
A small indoor dining area with a white brick wall, a white table with three orange chairs, two with backrests and one without. There are two potted plants on the table, one in a gray pot and the other in a yellow pot. In the corner, there is an empty wooden chair with a yellow cushion. The floor is a cork material, and the ceiling has a round recessed light. There is a narrow strip of natural light coming from a tall, vertical window next to the corner.
Two flyers advertising yoga classes, one for 1:1 yoga and coaching, and the other for Thai yoga, placed on a light wooden shelf against a black and white distressed sign with large white letters.

Related Projects

Two young people collecting sunflower seeds in a garden surrounded by various plants and flowers.

Engagement journey with social enterprise

Growing Sudley Walled Garden

People working together to renovate a brick wall on a small building, with buckets of hemp and stacks of bricks in front.

The Changing Rooms, Growing Sudley

Community sustainable retrofit of derelict building

A top-down view of a landscaped park with walking paths, trees, and a large enclosed garden area with winding pathways, a playground, and buildings nearby.

Growing Sudley Development

The first phase of the Growing Sudley CiC capital project