The Sarah Groves Foundation support the Guernsey Botanical Trust LBG by donating £50,000 to its new Gatehouse and learning centre at the Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden in Saumarez Park.
The donation is primarily being used to complete the learning centre where children and young people of all ages will have the opportunity to learn the art and craft of gardening.
The Guernsey Botanical Trust has been running horticultural educational sessions for many years, allowing the island’s primary schools to enjoy learning where some of their food originates from. It has also worked with the Guernsey Youth Commission and some of the secondary schools. However, with very outdated facilities, running the service has been challenging.
The idea of building a dedicated, modern learning centre was conceived in 2006 when the trustees considered establishing a space where an interest in gardening could be rooted in islanders from a young age. Sixteen years on, the project is finally a reality.
“This is a most generous donation from the Sarah Groves Foundation”, said Raymond Evison OBE, VMH, President of the Guernsey Botanical Trust. Raymond, also a Vice President of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) went on to say: “We are immensely grateful for the charity’s support in helping fund this project. We also want to thank the RHS educational team for the advice they have provided.”
“We were especially pleased that Sue Biggs CBE, the former Director General of the RHS was able to visit the gardens in April this year. She was most impressed by the building and the learning centre’s potential.”
“Looking to the future, the Gatehouse will provide children with gardening opportunities to learn, create, plant and discover where their food comes from and how it is grown. I strongly believe that children are given the opportunity to get hands-on with plants to understand their lifecycle – from seed to shoot, to flower and fruit.”
