Toxteth teenager transforms rubbish strewn land into community garden

  • A video report by Granada Reports correspondent Victoria Grimes

A teenager from Liverpool is celebrating the transformation of a patch of wasteland into a garden for his community near his home in Toxteth.

Khan Odita, 15, came up with the idea in 2021 after becoming fed up with the ground on Mulgrave Street being used for fly tipping and dumping rubbish.

In 2021 he founded Mulgrave Street Action Group CIC (MSAG) during his school summer holidays and has since worked with members of the local community to transform the area into a green space for all to enjoy.

Khan Odita was so fed up of a patch of ground near his home in Toxteth being used for fly-tipping, that he decided to do something about it. Credit: GRANADA REPORTS

His vision was to create community cohesion and bring his neighbourhood together.

Khan said: “The journey has been challenging but this is the best work experience I will ever have.

"I’ve learned so much and cannot wait for the community to start making use of the space.” 

Work to transform the land got underway in March 2023. Credit: ITV Granada Reports

The project received funding from Liverpool City Region (LCR), Community Environment Funding, as well as donations from the community and National Lottery Funding.

Construction work was able to begin in March 2023.

Khan is now Vice Chair of LCR Young Combined Authority Board and continues to drive change across the region by sharing his experiences with other young board members, in the hope of inspiring similar projects.

The garden is situated in Mulgrave Street in Toxteth, Liverpool. Credit: Khan Odita

Lucille Harvey, Councillor for Princess Park Ward said: “I have supported Khan from the beginning as I feel it important to empower the voices of young people.

"The Community Garden build will make a huge impact to the lives of residents”. 

Khan is due to take his GCSEs this summer and intends to use the summer holidays to deliver a range of educational activities for members of the community, which he hopes will appeal to young people.