About us

Growing Redhill is a community-led gardening group. We are run solely by volunteers. We help local people to get into gardening. We support our members with tools and space to develop their growing skills.

We have 15 years of experience in helping local people to 'grow their own'. Our objectives are:

We operate in Redhill and the surrounding areas. We maintain the flower planters at Merstham and Reigate Stations and have a formal partnership with Govia Thameslink Railway there.

                              Sharing gardening know-how at Woodhatch food club

We work in partnership with local organisations. Our funding comes from our members, book sales at Merstham Station, donations and grant-giving organisations.

Growing Redhill was originally established on 2007/8 as a spin-off project by Sustainable Redhill, which later became Transition Redhill. It is now a stand alone venture, with its own constitution.

All our events and activities are featured on our home page. 

The Mayor of Reigate and Banstead makes a visit to Reigate Station on Tuesday 27 June 2023 to meet staff and gardening volunteers from Growing Redhill and Loveworks.


Chair's message


On a beautiful May day, at historic St. Katharine’s Church in Merstham, we held Growing Redhill’s Annual meeting in our 15th year. I reported that we have healthy funds in the bank and a grant anticipated for improvements to Merstham Station. We’ve expanded to take on gardening at Reigate Station. Not only for station users’ delight but also to share our gardening skills.

At that time, we were set to visit Woodhatch food club and a Brownie pack over the summer, to share our skills so they may grow fresh tomatoes and strawberries. I found these activities immensely rewarding. We’re spending £1,000 on water saving measures funded by SES Water, to support Batts Hill allotmenteers to save every drop of our precious water. We do this because plants much prefer rainwater to piped water from allotment taps. My non-scientific trial suggests that Strulch is the most effective semi-permanent mulch for fruit plants.

What drives us is our passion to help people that want to, to ‘grow their own’. Our small but dedicated group of gardening volunteers continues their sterling work, decorating our stations with bunting for King Charles III Coronation and filling raised planters and borders with seasonal colour. Our weekly watering parties continue over the summer. At a recent session, a station user came over and thanked us for keeping the station so pretty.

The RHS reported that, as a result of the Chelsea Flower show this year, they saw a big increase in desire for growing your own fruit and vegetables, with many people using the RHS website for advice. Why not use your local gardening group for the advice and support you need?

We face our 16th year with the smallest number of committee members and garden volunteers that we’ve ever had. It isn’t only our group that’s struggling. Many local gardening groups in East Surrey told us in March they too are hard-pressed for people to help out, organising as well as taking part in gardening activities. 

If you the reader do one thing, join your local horticultural society via the Surrey Horticultural Federation website and ask if there’s something you can do. Join us as well - we'd love to have you on board.

Debbie Fox, Chair, Growing Redhill





Please check the website www.growingredhill.co.uk on the day for any

changes to arrangements before travelling to any events.

                           2022 Reigate & Banstead Volunteer Awards Ceremony and Merstham Local Heroes Awards event

Previous accolades:

Reigate & Banstead Volunteer Awards 2022

We won a volunteer team award - one of only two local gardening initiatives to be recognised in this way. Pictured are Debbie and Gina with our certificate.

Merstham Local Heroes Awards - each of our gardening volunteers received a certificate.

Pictured either side of the MCFT banner are Debbie, Gina and Karen, together with Cllr Mus Tary and other Local Heroes.

Surrey Horticultural Federation quiz cup - defending our title on 29 October 2017

We won the quiz trophy in November 2016. Would you like to join our quiz team? The next quiz is in October or November. All questions are multiple choice. A lift may be available from the Redhill area.

Reigate & Banstead Mayor's Certificate of Recognition 2017

Debbie and Gina were invited to Reigate Town Hall on 6 March. The Mayor of Reigate & Banstead, David Powell, gave them a certificate of recognition. It was for their contribution to Reigate & Banstead’s Heritage Open Days. They had put on an evening at Gatton Hall for over 40 people. Debbie gave her popular talk ‘The joys of gardening in East Surrey…’ and Gina put on a vintage postcard display and stalls about local gardening groups.

Reigate & Banstead Mayor's Volunteer Awards 2015

We won an award for our volunteer team! The awards seek to celebrate the role of the voluntary sector in serving the borough and its residents. They reward those who volunteer their time and show commitment to helping others.

Heart of the Community Award 2013

We were shortlisted! The aim of this campaign is to recognise and reward local non-profit making groups for the outstanding work and contribution they make within our communities every day.  We were one of only seven environment groups shortlisted in Surrey.