The Higham Hill Hub will be made using hempcrete, a bio-composite building material used for thermal insulation and regulating humidity, reports Sophie Mitchell
A new community hub in Walthamstow which is to be built with hemp is looking forward to works starting after securing vital materials.
The Higham Hill Hub has won £1,000 of materials from builders merchant Selco that will be used to fit out the inside of the building.
Max Dewdney, from Higham Hill Hub, said: “We are thrilled to be named as a winner of Selco’s fantastic Community Heroes campaign. We are really excited about our new building. Every screw, shelf and strip of timber will help bring this visionary space to life – and Selco’s support is going to make a huge difference.”
The Higham Hill Hub will be using hempcrete, a bio-composite building material used for thermal insulation and regulating humidity. It is sustainable and carbon capturing, made from the woody core of hemp plants and a lime-based binder.
Last Christmas, the government agreed to hand the Higham Hill Hub £1.9million towards works.
Currently based in a portacabin in Higham Hill Park, the community centre has been fundraising for a new facility since 2022.
Plans for the building include “intensive wild green roofs” and outdoor spaces for growing and cooking food. The buildings will also include a large hall for meetings, exhibitions and performances. The funding, announced on 23rd December, came from the now defunct Community Ownership Fund, a grant that has saved much-loved community sites from across the UK.
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