@jsbarretto not quite as described but #Walthamstow had (has?) the #HornbeamCentre which was a focal point for things like this.

It had #recycling (paint, computers etc), an organic cafe, meeting rooms, vegetable stall supplied by local allotments. The council funded certain key posts and the rest was volunteers. When you helped on the allotment you went home with loads of free veg, cuttings, whatever.