What are the benefits?

We are a 'community benefit society' and our constitution focuses on providing benefit to the wider community. 

Lambeth has a population of 325,000 people, 14,000 of whom have more than one long term health condition, such as arthritis, heart disease or persistent pain. 

We are creating benefits to the local community by offering food growing to local people in their GP surgeries. In particular, we benefit the Lambeth inner city community by addressing an unmet need amongst the older patient population. We are building a 'Lambeth model' of a community-led health co-operative which is aligned with Lambeth's aspiration to be a co-opertative council and we work alongside other initiatives such as the Lambeth Food Partnership and Urban Growth and Progress. We are also leading the Health and Hunger work as part of the Feeding Lambeth initiative. 

The Lambeth GP Food Co-op enables people to meet other people with an interest in growing vegetables together. This not only helps combat social isolation, it also builds confidence. The joy of growing your own tomatoes, or courgette, not only develops confidence, it benefits the health of the individual.

The food that is grown is distributed and sold to NHS staff as well as to NHS hospital caterers. So the GP Food Co-op not only enables and empowers local people to learn new skills, to be confident and sociable, it also makes a valuable contribution to the local economy.

The Kings Fund have published a report outlining the evidence for the positive impact gardens and gardening, as well as access to green spaces, can have on people with recommendations for NHS organisations.

Dr David Wickstead, Corner Surgery, Coldharbour Lane

"I feel good as a doctor because it’s something other than medicine that I can prescribe, and I’ve only seen positive benefits in the people who come here.... One patient told me that her blood pressure was much more controlled since she’d been coming to the garden project. …I’ve actually seen less of them which surely must be a good sign."

 

Please donate

We need your money to help us to continue our work.

Please help us keep the Lambeth GP Food Co-op alive and thriving and enable us to build on the hard work, dedication and commitment of patients, volunteers, surgery staff and doctors and nurses.

You can donate with a card or Paypal. All donations large or small will be gratefully accepted.

Thank you

One off donation

Monthly donation

Every penny we receive will be spent on the work of the Lambeth GP Food Co-op, which is a non profit organisation.