Sunshine of Hounslow & Ealing CIC: Crane Valley Partnerships projects

Sunshine of Hounslow and Ealing CIC was founded in 2012 by local resident Sharnjeet Bhalla and her husband. The Community Interest Company is dedicated to improving the lives of people who are isolated or living with mental and physical disabilities through creating a welcoming and supportive environment where people can engage with nature, connect with others, and enhance their physical and mental wellbeing.

The CIC’s main activity is providing horticultural sessions and training at an allotment site on Waye Avenue, Hounslow. With funding from the National Lottery Fund, Tesco bags for help, and the Crane Valley Community Fund, the site that was once overgrown with brambles has been transformed, with two areas of colourful raised beds, an eco-toilet, a polytunnel, and a new greenhouse.

The allotment is supported by a diverse and growing group of volunteers, including refugees and asylum seekers, local residents, and students with special needs from local schools and colleges. With guidance from Sharnjeet, they grow a range of seasonal fruit and vegetables which are taken home by volunteers or donated to local food banks. Shanjeet also grows produce for residents who are housebound, helping ensure they have access to healthy meals throughout the year. These activities have supported volunteers to build confidence, develop new skills, and improve their wellbeing through social inclusion and time spend outdoors.

In addition to regular volunteer sessions, Sunshine of Hounslow & Ealing CIC hosts a lot of corporate volunteer groups who help with the maintenance and upkeep of the site, from planting food to weeding and harvesting. With a growing seedbank, the allotment is now largely self-sufficient and promotes healthy, sustainable and seasonal food growing.

The CIC’s work also goes beyond food growing, offering a range of indoor activities such as swimming, yoga, and arts and crafts workshops. This provides further opportunities for people to stay active, creative, and connected.

Sunshine of Hounslow & Ealing CIC has applied to multiple rounds of the Crane Valley Community Fund which has supported two weekly growing sessions for schools who cater for children with disabilities and families on low incomes. The sessions included training on food waste and composting, winter food growing, and maintaining an allotment. The goals of these sessions were for people to learn new lifelong skills, reduce food waste, and help with physical and mental wellbeing by engaging with nature, socialising with others, and adopting healthy eating habits. The grants have also been used to improve accessibility at the site by installing flooring in the polytunnel. This space is an important hub for the CIC, hosting workshops and providing a warm, sociable place for people to gather during colder moths.

The CIC has been very successful in growing its engagement with families, schools, colleges, corporate groups and local residents. In future, they hope to continue growing visitor numbers to over 3,000 per year and, in particular, encourage people to stay involved throughout the winter months when engagement often drops.

If you would like to find out more about Sunshine of Hounslow & Ealing CIC’s activities, you can visit their website: https://www.sunshineofhounslowandealing.co.uk or email sunshineofhounslow@gmail.com.