Have you heard the buzz around Camden?

There has been much talk in the press about the distress of Camden residents at their plastic plant pots and troughs being removed by the council and the loss of cherished plants. This set our minds racing at Think&Do.

Over the past few months, we have been busy co-designing a buzzin’ project with residents at the Three Fields Estate, Arlington Road in Camden and in partnership with the KOKO Foundation introducing… Beeline Boxes.

After several months of resident engagement, council risk assessment, design and production, in July we installed 90 colourful steel boxes brimming with evergreen herbs, on the walkways of the estate.

These metal boxes are council-approved and are a prototype for how we Camden residents can get growing on our estate walkways.

And what an amazing transformation the Beeline Boxes have brought in terms of both creating immediate visual impact and helping bring residents together. As caretaker, Stuart said, “The Beeline Boxes have transformed Three Fields Estate from black and white to colour.”

Debbie Bourne is excited about the positive impact Beeline Boxes have had on a Camden estateDebbie Bourne is excited about the positive impact Beeline Boxes have had on a Camden estate (Image: Debbie Bourne)

Having chosen the colour of their steel boxes and the herbs to grow in them, residents are now out on their walkways chatting about their Beeline Boxes and tending to them.

Four teenage residents - our KOKO Foresters, also receive a weekly payment to water the herbs, as we connect young Camdeners to nature. The project is also encouraging pollinators, increasing the biodiversity of this urban downtown Camden housing estate.

Another wonderful aspect of the project is the dedicated partners that helped bring Beeline Boxes to life.

Think&Do’s aim is to create a big, connected Camden eco-system of residents, the council, businesses, universities, schools and community groups, united in addressing the climate and ecological crisis.

This Beeline Box project is a partnership between the incredible KOKO Foundation who sponsored the project and are committed to helping rewild Camden and empowering young people in the community, Central St Martins, the council, and Three Fields TRA. The boxes were manufactured by Kentish Town’s Front Yard company.

Following the success of our pilot project, we’ll be expanding our efforts across the borough. Do you live on an estate that would benefit from Beeline Boxes? We would love to hear from you!