Gipsy Hill Friends were one of three groups from the Crystal Palace area to receive funding for their scheme from the Mayor of London

Residents’ group Gipsy Hill Friends has been given a £2,500 cash boost by the Mayor of London towards its plan to rejuvenate neglected land adjoining their local railway station, transforming a litter-ridden and overgrown space into a vibrant community hub and garden.

Three of the Friends’ founding members, Francis Bernstein, Andrew Scholes and Jasmin Naim, attended the Mayor’s Crowdfund London – Pledge Awards 2018 at City Hall last week.

Gipsy Hill Friends have already got underway with the hard graft to clear and improve the station site, with the support of Southern Rail, the operator of the station.

Work is already under way to transform a pocket of wasteland beside Gipsy Hill Station

Handpicked by an expert panel as part of the Mayor’s drive to regenerate London, Gipsy Hill Friends was praised for their considered and rigorous application and community aspirations.

The Friends were proud to form part of a hat-trick of awards announced on the night for their area, with other funding going to build a bridge across lakes to the dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park, and towards a football pitch at Virgo Fidelis school in Upper Norwood for Wanderers FC, the oldest club in London.

The Mayor’s pledge for Gipsy Hill of £2,500 has ensured that the project is now well on its way to reaching its target of £5,472 by mid-December.

Help is still needed to reach the target, and pledges can be made via Spacehive, the Mayor’s crowdfunding partner at https://www.spacehive.com/friends-rejuvenation-of-gipsy-hill

And for more information, visit www: www.gipsyhillfriends.wordpress.com.