🌿 Loraine Estate: Community in Action – From Ideas to Impact
There’s something powerful happening on Loraine Estate — and it’s now being recognised beyond our community. A recent feature on Community magic in action highlights what many of us already feel: when residents are trusted to lead, incredible things happen.
Through the Loraine Estate Health & Wellbeing programme, residents were given real decision-making power over £70,000 of funding, and the results speak for themselves. From gardening and green spaces to creative workshops and shared activities, 11 resident-led projects were chosen to bring people together and improve everyday life on the estate. But beyond the funding, what truly matters is the shift in ownership — this is our estate, shaped by our ideas.
🌱 Growing a Greener Estate:
One of the projects highlighted is “Loraine in Colour”, led by James Smith. The vision is simple but powerful: bring life back into the estate through planting, gardening, and shared green spaces. Working alongside the council’s community gardening team, this project is already building a network of resident volunteers, creating not just gardens, but a sense of pride and belonging. This is about long-term change — something that grows season by season, with residents at its heart.
🎨 Bloom & Create – Creativity Bringing People Together.
Another project featured is Bloom & Create, led by resident Mustafa Barakzai, which continues to build strong momentum across the estate. Through free, family-friendly sessions, from clay modelling to painting, neighbours are coming together in ways that feel natural, welcoming, and meaningful.
During the February half-term sessions, we saw something special: Parents and children creating side by side, new friendships forming across cultures and backgrounds, residents from across the wider Holloway area joining in. Moments like fathers making clay models with their daughters, and mothers painting with their children, were not just activities — they were memories being created in real time.
At its core, Bloom & Create is about: Bringing life back into shared spaces, Encouraging creativity beyond screens, Building stronger, more connected communities, and this is just the beginning.
🌍 Nowruz – Persian New Year on Loraine Estate
On Saturday, 21st March, Zabiullah Koroush delivered a celebratory Nowruz event, marking the Persian New Year right here at Loraine Estate Community Centre.
The atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and full of life, with over 60 residents attending throughout the day. It was a beautiful moment of community connection, where neighbours came together to celebrate culture, share space, and enjoy the spirit of togetherness that Nowruz represents. A big thank you to Zabi for organising such a meaningful event, and to everyone who came along to support and be part of it.
🤝 What This Means for Loraine Estate:
What’s happening on Loraine Estate is bigger than individual projects. It’s about: Residents leading change, Communities shaping their own future, Shared spaces becoming places of pride As highlighted in the Islington Life feature, giving people a real voice in their community can transform wellbeing, connection, and everyday life. And here on Loraine Estate — we are living that transformation.
🌟 Looking Ahead:
With more sessions, activities, and collaborations planned, this is only the start. Whether it’s: Gardening together, Creating art, Sharing culture, or simply connecting with neighbours, we are building something lasting.