Common Ground Community Garden is due to open to the public for the first time this Saturday 19th May, with a BBQ, children’s dance exhibition and live acoustic music. Through four months of hard voluntary work, some local residents and activists have created a beautiful green space from land left as a derelict junkyard by Reading Borough Council. We’ve cleared rubbish, secured the area, laid lawn, grown plants and built tables and benches. We have recycled and re-used and created something positive for others and ourselves. Throughout this time we have been occupying the former Women’s Information Centre, left empty after the council cut their funding.

Today, we have found out that derelict land and buildings are not left to rot by the council through sheer laziness, but that they actually prefer them this way. A council official has informed us this morning that they are applying to the court for our eviction and the eviction of the new Common Ground Community Garden. Refusing to allow this positive community project to flower (excuse the pun!) or allowing Katesgrove residents a chance to decide the future of this area, the council is seeking an injunction to prevent the planned open day and celebration events this Saturday from taking place.

We intend to carry on regardless. This project is a source of pride for us, and we hope it can be the same thing for all our neighbours. We believe it to be a positive contribution to the area and we sincerely hope you will feel the same. With this in mind we would like to extend an invitation to all our friends, neighbours and those who support us to visit the garden at anytime from now onwards. We also restate our invitation to join in our celebration of the opening day, this Saturday 19th May.

The entrance to the garden is through the alleyway next to the Women’s Information Centre at the bottom of Silver Street, Katesgrove, Reading.

Against their injuction and eviction is our stubborn determination - resist!

Love n Rage,
Common Ground Community Garden Collective
rgacollective(AT)hotmail.co.uk