
This Christmas, we’re asking for your help to keep something special growing.
Our Community Allotment is more than just a green space. It’s a place where people who’ve experienced homelessness can connect with nature, find calm, and rebuild confidence. It’s where friendships form over trowels, wheelbarrows and cups of tea, new skills are learned, and fresh starts begin.
But to keep it thriving into the new year, we need your support.
We’re aiming to raise £16,000 to cover vital costs like seeds, tools, equipment, and maintenance, ensuring the allotment remains a space of community, wellbeing and purpose for everyone who visits.
Every donation, no matter the size, helps hope grow, and makes a lasting difference for people finding their way forward.
Thank you for being part of our community, and for helping us nurture something truly meaningful this Christmas.
Nestled in a central Cambridge allotment site, our thriving community garden spans six full-sized plots, offering a welcoming and enriching space for those who have experienced, are at risk of, or are vulnerable to homelessness.
The garden features:
– Traditional vegetable plots for growing fresh produce.
– A wildlife area with two ponds and a small orchard.
– A forest skills zone with a fire pit.
– A secret bramble walkway.
– A beekeeping area with wildflower plots
– A large social space, ‘The Old Barn’.
– Tool sheds, a polytunnel, and a pallet-built bike shed.
– A beach-themed show garden.
More than just a garden, this is a place of connection, learning, and wellbeing. Those involved benefit from:
– A sense of community and mutual support
– Stress relief and mental well-being through time in nature
– Growing, cooking, and eating fresh, healthy food
– Learning new skills, from beekeeping to forest skills
– Physical activity through gardening tasks
– A deeper connection with the environment and local wildlife
More than just an allotment, it's a safe space that has been life-changing for many people experiencing homelessness. Here from some of our past and present group members below.
Blisse's* story
Blisse’s journey from homelessness to hope shows how nurturing a garden and a sense of purpose can help someone rebuild their life, one seed at a time.
Siobhan's story
After facing a cancer diagnosis and serious challenges to her mental health, Siobhan found herself in one of the most difficult periods of her life. She moved into supported accommodation in a partner homeless housing project – a turning point that led her to discover our community allotment project, and the beginning of a new chapter.
Graham* could not move on from Cambridge Cyrenians' supported housing for one reason: he had no valid ID. He would have been living on the streets without the help his Cambridge Cyrenians support worker who has been working with him from day one.
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Jack* is self-employed, has been in recovery for 14 years, and he has just moved into a new home through HomeLink. It hasn't been a straight road to get there. Jack experienced homelessness once before, alongside substance use. A relationship breakdown a few years ago left him homeless again, and he moved into one of our move-on houses to start rebuilding.
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It only takes one change in circumstances for homelessness to happen. For Jake*, it started with a rotator cuff injury at work. He lost his job, then his home, and found himself sleeping on a park bench in the freezing cold on his first night without one.
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Six modular homes that were due to be scrapped have been saved from landfill by Cambridge Cyrenians and are being prepared for their first residents. Instead of being wasted, they will give people experiencing homelessness in Cambridge a safe, secure place to live.
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National property consultancy Carter Jonas, acting on behalf of Cambridge Cyrenians has secured planning permission from Cambridge City Council for five modular homes and a support office for people experiencing homelessness in Cambridge.
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Celebrate the 55th anniversary of Cambridge Cyrenians. Learn more about our impact and the work we have done to support people experiencing homelessness in Cambridge, network with other businesses and organisations
Read moreCambridge Cyrenians will be at Cambridge Pride on 13th June 2026. Come and chat to us in the Community Hive tent!
Read moreFive incredible runners will be taking on the Cambridge Half Marathon in support of Cambridge Cyrenians. Come along to cheer them on - just look for the Cambridge Cyrenians branded running t-shirts!
Read moreIf you’d like to keep up to date with our work, you can explore the latest posts below or follow us for updates and upcoming events.