From urban gardening and zero-waste food distribution to community outreach and intergenerational collaboration, Roehampton students Jesutowo Fola-Alao, Uforo Sundasen and Aderonke Salau played a central role in supporting local climate action across Merton.

As student volunteer Eva Idugboe reflected: "I wanted to contribute to sustainability and get hands-on experience; it's inspiring how small efforts can make a big difference."

What the project delivered:

• Urban gardening, zero-waste food distribution and community outreach across Merton.
• Intergenerational collaboration between students, residents and community organisations.
• Partnerships with Sustainable Merton, BIG South London and the University of Roehampton.
• Recognised in UK Parliament — Early Day Motion 1753, tabled by Paul Kohler MP on 22nd July 2025 with 18 signatures.
• Acknowledged as a national example of intergenerational environmental engagement.
• Recognised by BIG South London and the University of Roehampton on its website and LinkedIn.

As our inaugural pilot, this project now forms the foundation for the Hub's expanded 2025–2026 and beyond sustainability programme. Learn more →

Funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund via BIG Growth, ALII translates environmental data into actionable strategies that communities, councils and planners can act on today.

The Challenge

Air pollution remains one of the most significant environmental health risks facing urban populations across London. From traffic emissions and industrial activity to inadequate green coverage in built-up areas, the air quality challenges facing London's communities are complex, localised and deeply interconnected with wider issues of health inequality, urban planning and climate resilience.

The Approach

ALII combines real-time air quality monitoring with applied research into the role of living infrastructure — green walls, street trees, living roofs and other nature-based interventions — in mitigating urban pollution. Every insight is designed to inform decisions, shape strategies and drive improvements in the environments where people live and work.

The Partnership

The University of Roehampton leads the research component, ensuring methodological rigour, data integrity and academic quality. A Greener London contributes specialist expertise in air quality monitoring systems, green infrastructure implementation and stakeholder engagement — translating research into practical, scalable solutions across London boroughs and beyond.

The Impact

ALII is already generating tangible outcomes — from monitoring data that sheds new light on localised pollution patterns, to green infrastructure pilots that demonstrate what is possible when cities invest in nature-based solutions. The initiative contributes directly to London's broader sustainability and net zero ambitions.

This is what purposeful partnership looks like. When academia and industry align around a shared purpose, the results speak for themselves.

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Delivered under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) / BIG Growth framework and led by Professor Ayse Demir, this project represents exactly how the Hub believes change should happen: community-led, evidence-informed and proportionate by design.

The Challenge

Volunteer-led community organisations like Kingston Hive deliver extraordinary value — through repair cafés, sustainability education, workshops and local action — yet often struggle to capture and communicate that value in ways that satisfy funders without placing unsustainable administrative burdens on the very people doing the work.

The Approach

Through a combination of field observation, impact and evaluation design, and shared learning processes, the partnership generates insight in real time rather than through retrospective assessment. This enables continuous reflection and adaptation as activities evolve, strengthening internal understanding of what works and why.

The Partnership

The University of Roehampton contributes academic direction, evaluation design expertise and two-way knowledge exchange. Kingston Hive brings its deep knowledge of local need, volunteer capacity and community context. Together, the partnership supports UKSPF priorities across collaborative organisational development, knowledge exchange and strengthened internal monitoring practices.

The Impact

Kingston Hive's capacity to clearly articulate the value and outcomes of its community-led work is being strengthened in a way that is proportionate, flexible and well suited to a volunteer-led model.

Community-led. Evidence-informed. Proportionate by design.

Visit Kingston Hive on Instagram

The project builds practical green skills within South London SMEs, university students and communities through hands-on training, applied learning, and a train-the-trainer model. It brings together NGOs, SMEs and universities to deliver activity aligned with funder priorities and real-world business needs.

The Challenge

South London's SMEs and communities are navigating the transition to a green economy without always having access to the practical tools, knowledge or networks they need. Sustainability can feel abstract, costly or irrelevant to day-to-day business operations. This project was designed to change that — making green skills accessible, actionable and directly relevant to real businesses and real communities.

The Approach

Through a train-the-trainer model, businesses act as both beneficiaries and multipliers — gaining skills themselves while building capacity to spread knowledge further. Delivery includes training materials, workshops, applied learning activities and a hackathon-style collective workshop, bringing together SMEs and university students to focus on collaboration and the practical application of green skills. Key focus areas include supporting SMEs to improve sustainability practices using action-oriented, business-relevant tools and language.

The Partnership

The project is led by Professor Ayse Demir at the University of Roehampton, whose academic team oversees project direction, learning design and delivery, ensuring the work aligns with research expertise, funder priorities and sustainability outcomes. Roehampton students contribute through applied learning activities, collaboration with SMEs, and participation in workshops and training sessions — gaining practical experience alongside academic learning.

Community Brain is a key project partner, supporting community-based engagement and collaboration with local organisations and SMEs. Bringing deep place-based knowledge and long-standing relationships with local businesses and industrial communities, Community Brain plays a central role in designing and facilitating a community-led, trust-first engagement model — particularly within Chessington Industrial Estate. Their approach prioritises informal, SME-friendly spaces where businesses can openly share challenges, identify opportunities and collectively explore green skilling and sustainability practices.

The Impact

The project contributes to UKSPF priorities including non-financial SME support (OP11), knowledge transfer (OC10), improved organisational productivity (OC12) and adoption of improved internal processes (OC13). By connecting academic expertise, community trust and business relevance, Green Skills for South London is helping to build a greener, more resilient local economy — one business and one community at a time.

This collaboration bridges academic research and real-world practice, ensuring the initiative delivers measurable insights and meaningful environmental impact.

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