ESCP and Think & Do London: Co-Creating Local Impact

An overgrown lawn. A flat, unwelcoming space. A garden that did little to serve the young people living at the property or to provide habitat for local wildlife. A space that sat underused at the heart of a London-based homeless youth shelter.

This was exactly what a group of ESCP Business School staff and student volunteers set out to change earlier this year.

Over two weekends in February and March, they worked alongside community partner Think & Do London as part of the Camden Climate Alliance to transform a West Hampstead-based shelter run by Depaul UK, a national organisation supporting young people experiencing homelessness. The shared goal was to reshape the neglected outdoor area of the shelter into a garden that would both enhance local biodiversity and provide a tranquil space for enjoyment and stress reduction for the vulnerable young people who call it home.

The initiative started with a simple idea during ESCP's Green & Impact Office committee meeting in October 2025 to improve biodiversity around the campus community. When the team realised that Depaul UK’s mission was just a stone’s throw away, it became clear that ESCP could combine its environmental objectives with meaningful social impact, creating an opportunity that would strongly engage both students and staff.

The turning point came when ESCP London Campus secured support from the ESCP Foundation’s Permaculture Fund a month later, allowing the project to move forward and partner up with Think & Do London. Inspired by this gift, Lindum Turf generously donated 55 m² of wildflower turf, and Alpaca Garden Rooms contributed wood for the planter.

From that point, the initiative developed into a collaborative, multi-stakeholder project, bringing together students, staff, community organisations, and funders to make a positive difference in the Camden community, creating a model for how collaboration can address multiple needs.

Just a month after the initial concept was introduced, ESCP Business School secured funding and partnered with a community organisation. This enabled them to issue a call for volunteers among students and staff, with over ten sign-ups within just a few days, and more continued to join in the following weeks.

On the first day, eight students and staff volunteers worked alongside five members of the Think & Do team to clear a large section of turf. With some students having no prior experience of digging, lifting, or reshaping the landscape, this was a challenging but fun experience for all. The team cleared the lot and planted seven trees and eight shrubs, transforming the removed turf into a “butterfly mound” to introduce a new habitat to the space.

The following week, a smaller group returned to help unload a truckload of wildflower turf, preparing the site for the final stage.

On the third and final day, students and staff laid the wildflower turf and planted the remaining shrubs, transforming the space into a relaxing and wildlife-friendly environment.

Despite the challenges of coordinating across multiple stakeholders, the project delivered far more than a functional transformation of the garden space.

This project directly contributes to increasing biodiversity in the Camden borough, supporting ESCP Business School’s commitments to the Camden Climate Alliance. To ensure this, the School closely collaborated with Think & Do London to intentionally select plants that not only make the garden beautiful, but also support local wildlife and microorganisms.

At the same time, it showed how flexible ESCP Business School is in co-creating initiatives with community partners and inspiring different stakeholders to act around a shared purpose. Through collaboration among ESCP Business School, ESCP Foundation, and Think & Do London, the team supported Depaul UK in a very practical way, helping London’s vulnerable youth.

Beyond its environmental and social outcomes, the initiative also created a memorable experience for ESCP students. It allowed them to positively influence their surrounding environment and engage in a sustainability project beyond institutional boundaries, as ESCP works to support local communities in the neighbourhood and the wider London ecosystem.