Meanwhile Gardens is a community garden. It was established in the 1976 with advice from the landscape section of the GLC (John Medhurst). The gardens have many features not found in contemporary public parks, demonstrating the value of community involvement in parks. The best known feature is the skateboard 'pit'. It was the first of its kind in London and quickly became famous. There is also an excellent wildlife garden which would be difficult to maintain with the non-specialist labour now responsible for park maintenance. The gardens were re-furbished by landscape architects Planet Earth, with support from National Lottery and British Waterways Board.