The Story Garden

The sustainable community garden from Global Generation

This inspirational project began in 2009 as a moveable vegetable garden built in skips. Known as ‘the garden of a thousand hands’, the garden has moved around King’s Cross as it has been developed. Each time, growing in scope and scale. The garden is run by Global Generation – the educational charity on a mission to connect people to nature in the middle of the city.

Local young people work alongside construction workers, students and volunteers to build and run this urban oasis, picking up invaluable skills and connections along the way.

The Story Garden at the British Library

Global Generation’s garden is currently tucked behind the British Library. And it has a new name, too – The Story Garden.

Offering a green oasis in the heart of the city, The Story Garden includes a tranquil orchard, a small oak forest, and lots of beds for the local community to grow herbs, vegetables and flowers.

The garden is set to return to the King’s Cross estate with a new permanent home in 2024. In the meantime, Global Generation is getting ready to launch a floating garden and classroom, which will be moored on the canal at Granary Square.

Global Generation kids at The Skip Garden, King's Cross

The Skip Garden cafe, Kings Cross Central

Activities at The Story Garden

The garden is designed to educate and inspire, emphasising sustainability, looking after the natural environment, and understanding where our food comes from. There is even a fully-equipped kitchen for groups to cook and enjoy delicious meals, with ingredients sourced straight from the garden.

The garden is open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am – 4pm. Global Generation also hosts workshops, events and activities for the local community. The weekly programme features the likes of Twilight Gardening, an after school club, a youth development programme and Family Saturdays. See what’s on at the garden here.

Find out more about Global Generation’s work and get involved.

A word from Rachel, one of the generators

I am currently a Year 11 student at South Camden Community School. I first joined Global Generation about a year ago. It was the construction of the Skip Garden, where I realised all the magic. Businesses, students, builders, those that were so close yet so far away all became a community, working thoroughly on creating an ecological solution – a garden in a skip! I had then attended a week’s training programme, it was a rite of passage to becoming a Generator. I was educated in public speaking, developing my carpentry and gardening skills, and we all transformed into budding young event planners and hosts whilst excelling in our ability to haggle ‘pro bonos’.

Life as a Generator got more and more exciting as I began speaking at events, attending high-class functions, and getting my hands grubby whilst learning about fascinating worms.

Global Generation has given me the opportunity to work with people I would have never been able to work with before, such as The Guardian, Herbert Smith, Argent, The Co-operative, and other young people in the community. Currently, the new Generators are beginning to delve into the world of bees, and I hope to stay on with Global Generation to keep growing myself, the community, and loads more tasty vegetables!