My Year with Global Generation: Everyday Spaces, Extraordinary Change
The everyday often gets overlooked, doesn’t it? We walk past spaces, objects, and people without a second thought—but these small, everyday moments hold the power to create real change. This idea has been at the heart of my experience with Global Generation, and particularly at the Family Saturday sessions, working alongside Linda Royles, where ordinary spaces and simple acts turn into extraordinary opportunities for connection, creativity, and community.
Take the Story Garden, for example. Nestled right next to St Pancras, it is a local hub of movement and an intermix of cultures and traditions. Just as people pass through St Pancras to connect across borders, the garden brings together individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life to share stories and experiences, such as mine as a Ghanaian South London-born and bred girl.
Small Acts, Big Impact
From the brief summer sun to Britain’s constant drizzle, I’ve taken part in activities that have reminded me how every day can inspire positive change.
Upcycling Projects: Transforming used materials like slates and benches into something new, gave forgotten objects meaning and value: again a metaphor, really, for how we see potential in everyday things.
Pumpkin Cookies: Who knew a leftover pumpkin could teach so much? Making zero-waste vegetarian recipes showed me how small steps in the kitchen can reduce waste while being deliciously rewarding.
Southeast Asian Festival: This event celebrates diverse cultures through food, traditions, and stories. It was a joyful example of how everyday connections build understanding between people from different backgrounds, redefining senses of place.
Christmas Wreath Making: Taking natural materials such as willow and crafting something festive brought the season to life while showing the beauty of creativity in simplicity.
Conversations that Matter
Beyond the activities, what I’ve loved most is the fluidity of conversations. Whether it’s with new faces or familiar ones, the natural flow of chats about everyday life, the breakdancers in the Olympics, nuanced perspectives, or how we stumbled upon Global Generation has been refreshing. It is interesting watching how 10 minutes can quickly turn into an hour in the garden allowing people to pause, reflect, and appreciate the world around them that we often take for granted.
Connecting the Everyday to My Studies
As a student of Geography and Global Affairs, I’ve seen how Global Generation mirrors the themes I study. From Political Geography (where spaces can foster social cohesion, like at the Southeast Asian Festival) to Development Geographies (which highlights the growing importance of urban green spaces), the Story Garden feels like a living case study. Even in Environmental Systems, concepts such as the new composting tumbling machine and principles of circular economy have come alive through my experiences here.
Global Generation has taught me that change doesn’t always need grand gestures sometimes, it’s found in the smallest, most mundane actions. Whether baking cookies, reusing a chair or simply chatting with someone new, the power of connection and creativity can ripple far beyond the garden itself.
As 2024 ends and the 2025 chapter begins, I’m reminded that the everyday matters because, from the everyday, extraordinary things can grow.
Notes from the Garden
The everyday often gets overlooked, doesn’t it? We walk past spaces, objects, and people without a second thought—but these small, everyday moments hold the power to create real change.