High Trees Community Development Trust

Who we are

High Trees was born of the local community 25 years ago, through collective community action to save the old library based in Tulse Hill, turning it into a Community Development Trust. Today, High Trees has grown significantly and is a well-regarded and trusted community anchor in Lambeth, delivering and leading on a range of integrated services to connect people and communities to strengthen skills and build stronger voices.

Our 5 cornerstone support areas provide integrated services in:

Community Action: We embed Community Organising within the locality to nurture and capacity build individuals and community groups to develop advocacy skills and empower them to take collective community action on issues that affect them, whilst also improving representation in decision making.

Research & Development: Focusing on our partnerships, community based research and sector capacity building support, our Research & Development team work across all services, teams and wider Lambeth to develop collaborative working practices and strengthen the sector.

Employment & Careers: We provide bespoke one to one employment support with experienced advisors who are experts in helping those with multiple barriers find work. 

Community Education & Training: We specialise in delivering basic skills training to provide individuals with the skills they need for work and life, including ESOL, functional skills, ICT and vocational courses.

Children, Young People & Families: Running from the Tulse Hill Adventure Playground and working on the basis of early intervention, we deliver a range of services focused on play, study, coaching and social action aimed at improving the aspirations and well-being of children and young people.

High Trees strives to ensure our services remain firmly rooted in the local community, responsive to and driven by local need and always delivered in the spirit of partnership and collaboration.

Our culture and values

At High Trees we aim to make life better for individuals and communities who use our services, helping people make meaningful changes that allow them to live happier, healthier and more connected lives.  

The services we offer are targeted and local, available to all those who wish to use them, but aimed at those who need them most. From experience and evidence, we know that those most impacted by structural inequalities are also most often failed by the public services needed to help everyone reach their potential.  

High-Trees are a deliberately place-based organisation and even as our reach has expanded across Lambeth, this remains at the centre of all our work. We believe that being embedded within the local community and place-based is essential to delivering impactful services. It ensures that we remain accountable to our service users and engage in work for our community, leaving a legacy which outlasts our direct involvement.  

Our experience and expertise has informed our multi-disciplinary approach. We recognise that the barriers people face to meeting their potential and leading fulfilled lives are interconnected and span areas such as education, employment, housing, health, opportunities and access to civic participation.