On Saturday 4 October, over 70 residents from across Islington gathered at the Octopus Community Plant Nursery to celebrate this year’s harvest. The annual autumn Harvest Festival is a vibrant showcase of community-led sustainability, food growing, and innovative composting, hosted by Octopus Community Network and jointly funded by North London Waste Authority (NLWA) and Islington Council.
The event brought together families, individuals and local organisations for a day of workshops and seasonal festivities, including a ‘food waste weigh-in', bug hotel and bird feeder making, and knowledge sharing around urban agriculture and food waste. Attendees explored composting demonstrations, the benefits of community-grown produce and food preservation workshops – all part of Octopus’s wider ‘upcycling food’ initiative.
Local Islington Councillors, Cllr James Potts, Cllr Tricia Clarke and Cllr Rowena Champion (Vice Chair of NLWA and Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality and Transport) attended, showing their support for grassroots environmental action and engaging with residents about the importance of sustainable food systems and waste reduction.
Octopus Community Network is a well-established collaboration between 14 of Islington’s largest independent Community Centres. Their work focuses on developing innovative programmes of work to address climate change, environmental literacy and health inequalities, as well as to improve the life chances of under-served and underrepresented groups.
NLWA has been proud to support Octopus Community Network through its North London Community Fund, providing financial backing for the “Upcycling Food” project delivered in partnership with Mildmay Community Centre. This behaviour change initiative empowers residents on housing estates to transform household food waste into nutrient-rich compost, supporting local food growing efforts and reducing dependency on less sustainable waste disposal.
Octopus incentivises resident engagement in the ‘upcycling food’ campaign through produce from the community gardens. The intervention also upskills residents with composting techniques through experiential and educational workshops.
Julie Parish, Network Development Manager at Octopus, said: “This event is a celebration of what communities can achieve when they’re given the tools and support to lead positive environmental change at a local level. We are thrilled to see so many people engaging with sustainable practices and building greener habits together.”
Councillor Rowena Champion, Vice Chair of NLWA and Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality and Transport said: “We are delighted to support the work of Octopus Community Network and to see the fruits of their labour at the Harvest Festival. Their expertise in urban farming and composting is invaluable, and they are exceptionally well-placed to share practical knowledge, build skills, and strengthen relationships across our community.
“Events like this show how grassroots action is necessary and valued locally, creating a more sustainable and connected Islington.”
The Harvest Festival marks a key milestone in the project’s delivery, which will continue through 2026. With over 200 residents expected to benefit directly and thousands more reached through outreach, the legacy of this work will be a self-sustaining composting system integrated into Islington’s urban landscape.
