Momentum builds for biggest show garden ever at Chelsea Flower Show 2010

Excitement is already mounting for the 2010 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, as plans for the largest show garden ever start to take shape.
The ‘Places of Change’ garden is being developed by homeless people across the country from around 40 homeless agencies.

The Places of Change Garden is an ambitious collaboration between Homeless Link, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), the Eden Project and Communities and Local Government (CLG).

This partnership builds on the success of the silver medal award-winning Key Garden at Chelsea in 2009 which was created with the involvement of 200 homeless service users from 20 homeless agencies at all stages of the Garden’s development.

Rob Greenhill who participated in Key Garden said "it`s been a joy to produce the plants and see them integrated in such a beautiful display. The experience has improved my self esteem and I hope will help me gain regular work and stable accommodation".

Another participant, Christopher Hendrickx, said “Getting involved with the Chelsea Garden gave me much more than just an interest in horticulture. It made me more confident and helped me improve my people skills. It made us all realise that we can make a difference through gardening. We’re now working on the garden at an old people’s centre. We’ve already cleared the ground and are going to plant vegetables and flowers. I’m feeling much more enthusiastic about the future and am hoping to start an apprenticeship and move into accommodation of my own soon”.

For the 2010 garden, over 300 services users will be involved in planting, gardening, design, construction, and carpentry during the site development, and on-site hospitality and multi-media facilities during the week of the Show. All volunteers involved in the creation of the garden have experienced significant challenges including poverty, exclusion, poor skills and a lack of formal qualifications and opportunity.

Jenny Edwards, Chief Executive of Homeless Link, said, "The Key garden in 2009 represented opportunity in so many ways for homeless people. It showed what they can achieve given the chance and that they can stand proud alongside professional garden designers at the Show. We expect that the impact of the Key will be long-lasting as out of date stereotypes about homeless people are broken down."

For more information, please see:
http://www.homeless.org.uk/news/places-change/momentum-builds-biggest-show-garden-ever-chelsea-flower-show-2010

Homeless Link - Jan 2010

www.homeless.org.uk/news/places-change/momentum-bu

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