RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2012 champions community gardening
Press release
25 June 2012
(download the press release)
For the first time, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and Groundwork have united for the world’s largest annual flower show, to raise awareness of the extraordinary difference community gardeners are making to Britain today. Landscape designer and broadcaster, Chris Beardshaw, has designed the biggest feature for RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2012 (3-8 July), sponsored by Ecover, to champion the impact of this work.
The Urban Oasis garden, sponsored by M&S, was inspired by Groundwork and RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood (IYN) projects that Chris Beardshaw visited across the country. It is a vast 1,600m² representation of the wonderful ways that neglected public spaces can be transformed into beautiful and productive community havens. With mature trees loaned by Majestic Trees, garden features include Derelict Space, Gated Alleyway, Community Allotment, Community Garden and Community Orchard.
Community gardening is very much of the moment and, through the Urban Oasis garden, both the RHS and Groundwork are keen to draw attention to it, in the hope of inspiring even more people to sign up to projects. Despite council cuts and extreme weather changes, there has been a 10% increase in the number of IYN and Bloom groups signed up this year.
The RHS community campaigns engage over 200,000 volunteers and Groundwork work in 98% of the most deprived areas of Britain. Together, Groundwork and IYN volunteers invest over a million days of community gardening each year, looking after an estimated 56,000 acres of public space, the equivalent of 165 Hyde Parks.
Chris Beardshaw says: “The green space around us has a fundamental effect on our emotions and behaviour. It’s well documented that in areas where these spaces are neglected there is strong evidence of social unrest and it is easy to see why when you stand in these spaces yourself.
“Evidence shows that access to green space that is looked after transforms peoples’ lives, plays a fundamental part in drawing communities together and as a consequence communities see reductions in crime, stress levels and neglect and an increase in neighbourlyness, commuity spirit, social mobility and economic investment to name but a few of the benefits. The important aspect of this joint initiative is that it involves everyone from every walk of life.”
Over 50% of recipients to an RHS survey said that anti-social behaviour and crime had dropped, 90% said the biggest impact was a stronger community and 40% reported their campaigns produced a safer environment. A recent Groundwork survey showed that 79% of people the charity works with feel their neighbourhood has improved.
This will be the fifth Urban Oasis exhibit in a series of show gardens by Groundwork and the RHS to bring to life some of the most challenging urban environments where gardening and community work have brought people together and yielded powerful social benefits. The partnership is a fitting tribute to celebrate Groundwork’s 30th birthday and the RHS’s ongoing commitment to supporting community gardeners.
After the show the gardens will be re-located to communities in need of urban green space in London, Birmingham, Ellesmere Port and Merthyr Tydfill.
Community gardening makes up a central theme for the show this year. Features include Social Deckworking, which was inspired by the need to encourage teens to get outside and socialise, rather than to shut themselves away indoors. Award-winning designers Anthea Guthrie and Nicole Burnett are showing how to convert wasteland into a community garden for Preserving the Community. Other features around this theme include Wheels of Time, in association with Southend Youth Offending Service, Falling Leaves and The Edible Bus Stop which, inspired by last year’s UK riots, aims to illustrate the benefits of green space and the idea of reclaiming forgotton and neglected spaces.
ENDS
Photo Henry/Bragg.
For more information, or to arrange interviews with Chris Beardshaw, please contact:
Garry Campbell, Senior Press & PR Officer, Groundwork UK
T: 0121 237 5811
M: 07703 535841
E: garry.campbell@groundwork.org.uk
Notes to the Editor:
About the gardens*
For the first time ever, the RHS will be working in partnership to bring an exhibit to every RHS show this season, starting with Cardiff:
· RHS Show Cardiff: 20 – 22 April 2012
· Malvern Spring Gardening Show: 10 – 13 May 2012
· RHS Chelsea Flower Show: 22 – 26 May 2012
· BBC Gardeners’ World Live 13 – 17 June 2012
· RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show: 03 – 08 July 2012
· RHS Flower Show Tatton Park: 18 – 22 July 2012
About RHS Britain in Bloom and RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood
RHS Britain in Bloom and RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood help more than 2,800 communities around the UK to improve their local environment. Using gardening as a tool, volunteers in cities, towns, villages, urban communities and neighbourhoods work together to make positive changes that touch the lives of millions. To find out more, visit: www.rhs.org.uk/communities
About Groundwork
Groundwork is the community charity with a green heart. We want places to look better, streets to be safer and outside areas to be green and beautiful. We want people of all ages to be able to do stuff together to make the best of where they live. We want to improve job prospects by offering training and employment opportunities. We want to show people how they can make their homes and workplaces better for the environment and cheaper to run.
www.operationgroundwork.org.uk
About Ecover
Ecover, producer of innovative, effective cleaning products designed to make a healthy and sustainable lifestyle easy, is this year’s new headline sponsor for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. Ecover seeks to contribute to the process of creating economical, ecological and social change within our society for people today and future generations
About the RHS
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s foremost gardening charity, helping and inspiring millions of people to garden. We do this at our gardens and shows and through our scientific research, publications, libraries and our education and community programmes. The RHS community programmes support more than 5,000 community groups around the UK, including those involved in the Bloom and Neighbourhood campaigns. We are entirely funded by our members, visitors and supporters.
RHS membership is for anyone with an interest in gardening. Support the RHS and secure a healthy future for gardening. For more information call: 0845 130 4646, or visit www.rhs.org.uk
RHS Registered Charity No. 222879/SC038262