15-year-old local activist to unveil incredible community garden in Toxteth

An extraordinary local teenager is set to unveil a community garden in Toxteth, after years of hard work. Khan Odita, 15, established Mulgrave Street Action Group CIC (MSAG) during his summer holidays in 2021, to drive change and deliver a range of projects to build community cohesion and transform the deprived multicultural area.

Khan’s main objective was to build a community garden on a piece of land near his home, which was plagued by flytipping, dog fouling and causing an eye sore for community members and visitors to the area. After securing LCR Community Environment Funding, as well as donations from the community and National Lottery Funding, Khan’s dreams became a reality.

Gathering a large group of volunteers, Khan and the action group began building the garden on March 13 and it will be unveiled to the public on Thursday.

The local community will come together on Tuesday (April 4) to complete the last milestone, the planting of shrubs and flowers to complete the build with a supply of plants and shrubs from Aigburth Hall Nurseries and The Mersey Forest.

Toxteth has recently been named amongst Liverpool’s most up-and-coming areas, and the community garden will provide a new spot for tourists and locals to visit.

Official opening: On Thursday April 6 at 11.15am, an opening ceremony will be held and attended by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr Roy Gladden and Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor, Cllr Steve Rotheram as well as local Councillors and tradespeople who have played their part in the community garden build.

The Princial of the secondary school Khan attends, Mr Hans Van Mourik Broekman, Liverpool College, will also be in attendance., followed by an official public opening to the community later on in the afternoon.

What has been said: “The two-year 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. The Metro Mayor has been the key to making this all happen with his support and funding. I’m particularly proud of the 100-year-old ancient olive tree that is a focal point in the garden – which symbolises peace and friendship, which sums up the purpose of the project,” says Khan.

Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram, added: “Really pleased that we’ve been able to support Khan and the community vision to transform their area through the Community Environment Fund, looking forward to getting down and seeing it for myself.”

About Khan: Khan’s commitment to innovation and creativity was recognised by Liverpool City Region (LCR) Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram, when he won the Culture and Creativity Student Inspiration Award 2022, followed by securing LCR Community Environment Funding, as well as donations from the community and National Lottery Funding, to build the garden. He now sits as Vice Chair on LCR Young Combined Authority Board to drive change across the region and share his experiences with other young board members and provides keynote speeches about the work he does.

Once his GCSEs are complete this summer, Khan also plans to deliver a range of free activities from the garden to upskill, educate and provide distractions for young people and local residents.