The chicken coop that became a neighbourhood: Walthamstow's rescued hens hold court

It began with a Gumtree ad for a dead father's scaffolding poles. Oscar took them to a Walthamstow community garden and built, piece by salvaged piece, a fox-proof chicken coop, planters and a stage. Eight worn-out hens rescued from battery farms moved in — and the neighbourhood quietly adopted them: families feeding and vaccinating the birds, children visiting, and 'chicken jam' evenings every third Saturday where locals eat, play music and hang out with the hens. When Cornflake, always first out of the coop, was taken by a fox, Oscar held her a cremation with guitars. A coop, it turns out, can be load-bearing for an entire community.

SDG 11 · Sustainable cities and communities — Mechanism: community action