Welcome

The LightHouse and Gardens is a community centre and gardens in Stratford E20 created to provide indoor and outdoor spaces to promote health and wellbeing opportunities for the local area and beyond.

The LightHouse offers classes, events, workshops, and a variety of projects to support mind, body and soul whilst also being available to hire by practitioners, charities, businesses, and individuals.  Sitting alongside is the Gardens, a community-focused food growing and garden space with art, workshops and green areas for relaxation and calm.

These spaces support the local community through a variety of offerings, somewhere for people to congregate, learn, grow, and build new connections.

The LightHouse is situated on Celebration Avenue, a one minute walk from Stratford International Station and 10 minutes from Stratford Station via Westfield.  The community gardens are accessed via gates on International Way and Penny Brookes Street.

(Home page picture credit: Nicole Gomes and Noel Moka)

About

The LightHouse and Gardens are designed to be a community empowerment space, where local residents have access to a range of facilities and resources that can act as an incubator for ideas, an activator for meaningful engagement or a place to simply be.

The spaces form part of a meanwhile project initially delivered by The Heart to Heart Collective and Nomadic Gardens are delivering on behalf of Hadley Property Group.​ The LightHouse and Gardens are now managed by a small team of Newham residents who were first introduced to the site while volunteering and hiring the spaces themselves.

After three rounds of public consultation and extensive collaboration with the community, the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), Newham, and local stakeholders, Hadley, who own the site, have received planning approval from the LLDC for a mixed-use development known as IQL North, to be delivered in the coming years.

For more details, visit https://www.iqlnorth.co.uk/

Based on the premise that ‘we are the sum of our relationships’ to one another, ourselves, our environment, our food, jobs, sleep, everything, we aim to create spaces that encourage people to commune, converse and congregate and re-establish vital human connection.

So this is an invitation to join us and share your experience and energy in a space that’s about co-creation and empowerment, unity and community 

“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb

The Gardens

Sharon was one of the first regular visitors to the Gardens and donated a large selection of plants to us, many of which are still growing in the Gardens today.

Sharon has been a much loved and respected member of the local resident gardeners group since the initial planters were installed in 2021. She was one of the first Garden Supervisors to be appointed when we opened to the public and has been a key part of the team ever since – building planters, maintaining the Gardens throughout the seasons, supervising visitors and helping to establish a community through this meanwhile space.

Alongside growing her own vegetables with her daughters and grandchildren, Sharon is passionate about empowering others to grow food and learn about the nature around them and is planning a rich variety of community events in the Gardens this year.

 gardens@thelighthouseandgardens.com

Hadley Property Group

Hadley Property Group, which owns the IQL North development site on which The LightHouse is situated, is a progressive, sustainable and inclusive development company committed to the curation and delivery of mixed-use neighbourhoods in London.

The LightHouse and Gardens is the first phase of a number of purpose-driven meanwhile uses which will operate from the site across the next 1-2 years.

The Lighthouse and Gardens will also be incorporated into the final proposals for the site and rehoused in the completed development, continuing to be available for everyone to use.

For more information on this and Hadley’s other projects, please visit their website.

Hiring The LightHouse

The LightHouse is available to hire for regular or one-off events.  There is one room available that is perfect for movement classes, workshops, rehearsals, meetings, children’s parties or any kind of group event. 

Facilities:

The building is fully accessible and all on the ground floor.  It is a bright airy space with plenty of natural lighting and roller blinds for privacy.  There is direct access to a private patio and garden area at the rear of the building which is separate to the community gardens.

The Glade

• Partially shaded seating area for users of both the LightHouse and the Gardens

The Community Sauna Baths

Crepe Clubhouse

Deep Boroughs Network

Explore the heart of your community at The LightHouse & Gardens.

Are you a local resident or worker in Stratford E20, eager to shape your neighbourhood for the better?

Join the Deep Boroughs Network’s monthly gatherings, where they champion local businesses, creative minds, and communities across East London, Newham’s Stratford, and the Olympic Park. Together, forging a brighter, more inclusive future.

Here’s what you benefit from:

• Connect with a diverse array of community members, institutions and local businesses
• Expand your skills and connect with like-minded individuals and businesses
• Have a voice in local decisions, arts and cultural projects and discover new avenues for creativity
• Receive support in growing your business, with access to funding, mentorship and networking opportunities
• Stay informed about local events and workshops to keep your finger on the pulse of your area
• Engage in meaningful projects that resonate with your passions.

Plus, gain invaluable knowledge and guidance, including access to grants, expert advice, and tailored training and development opportunities.

Excited to be a part of something bigger? Reach out to the Deep Boroughs Network Team at email: deepboroughseastbank@gmail.com to join in shaping a community where everyone thrives!

Visit their website.

Hire The LightHouse

What’s On

Contact

The Community Sauna:

• Monday: 7am to 9.30pm (last entry 8pm)

• Tuesday: 6pm-9.30pm (last entry 8pm)

• Wednesday – Friday: 7am to 9.30pm (last entry 8pm)

• Saturday & Sunday: 8am to 9.30pm (last entry 8pm)

Email Us
The LightHouse – hello@thelighthouseandgardens.com
The Gardens – gardens@thelighthouseandgardens.com
The Community Sauna – info@community-sauna.co.uk