Communities Fund provided £5,888 of match funding
Preston Park Eco Centre
Wembley, England, United Kingdom
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Aim
Introducing community Eco activities where children and families can learn, improve biodiversity and take practical climate action.
Who are we, and what is our project about?
ICIC works with children, young people, families and local residents to create opportunities for learning, wellbeing and stronger community connections. From our Preston Park Community Hub in Wembley, we plan to establish a lasting community learning and volunteering space where children, families and local residents can learn about nature and take practical action for the environment.
Over 12 months, we plan to deliver:
- 100 practical environmental learning and activity sessions for children aged 5-15
- 20 specialist-led Eco Sessions
- 150-200 children engaged
- 25 community volunteers recruited and supported
Children will learn about climate change, food growing, healthy soil, composting, biodiversity, pollinators, wildlife, water conservation, recycling, reducing food waste and caring for parks and green spaces. Most importantly, they will learn by doing. Rather than simply hearing about biodiversity, children will help create habitats. Instead of just learning about food waste, they will compost it. They will plant for pollinators, grow food and discover how everyday actions can contribute to a healthier environment.
Older children will also have opportunities to become Young Eco Champions, taking greater responsibility for caring for growing areas, recording wildlife, supporting younger children and sharing environmental learning with their families.
Why are we crowdfunding?
Children are increasingly aware of climate change, biodiversity loss, waste and pollution, but knowing about these challenges is very different from having opportunities to do something about them.
For many children growing up in urban communities, there can be limited opportunities to grow food, understand soil, observe wildlife, create habitats or participate in organised environmental volunteering. Environmental action can therefore sometimes feel distant from everyday life.
We want to change that at Preston Park by making it a practical environmental resource where children and families can get their hands dirty, plant and grow, compost, discover wildlife, improve habitats and see the results of their actions.
We will recruit local volunteers to help maintain the Eco Centre and support activities, creating greater community ownership of the space.
How we’ll spend the money raised
The money raised will enable us to establish the Eco Centre and deliver a full year of environmental activities.
Funding will support specialist environmental facilitators alongside our project staff and volunteers to deliver practical Eco Sessions throughout the year. It will provide the materials and resources children need for gardening, growing, environmental activities, creative learning and hands-on exploration.
We will create permanent environmental infrastructure including raised beds and growing areas, gardening equipment, composting facilities, a wormery, pollinator-friendly planting, wildlife habitats, water collection and watering equipment, environmental learning signage and secure storage.
How you can help
There are three simple ways you can help us make Preston Park Eco Centre a reality:
1. Make a donation
Every pledge, whatever its size, will bring us closer to creating a lasting environmental resource for local children and families. Early donations are particularly valuable because they help our campaign build momentum and encourage others to support us.
2. Spread the word
Please share our crowdfunding campaign with your friends, family, colleagues and wider networks. The more people who hear about our plans, the greater our opportunity to build an Eco-community learning space and reach our fundraising target.
3. Volunteer with us
Please contact us through the ‘Contact’ section of our project page using the subject “I want to volunteer my time or expertise”.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 6th November 2026 at 12:48pm