I am originally from Yorkshire, but have lived in London most of my adult life and set up the gardening club in 2004 for local people. Green space is such a premium in London as many residents are without their own garden. The park is our own backyard where we can share simple pleasures such as playing with our family, walking the dog, kicking a ball or admiring the flowers. As Chair of the Friends, I started from nothing and taught myself how to fundraise and set up a basic gardening club consisting of a few raised beds for growing flowers and vegetables. Then a local resident and NHS employee whose work supported mental well-being, suggested bringing a few people to the club as he thought they would enjoy gardening and being outdoors. The rest as they say is history.

I got into gardening via an interest in nutrition, and the impact of food on our health and in particular, on children’s health. In the early days, I worked, mainly, with children and their families/carers, creating food growing spaces in schools, nurseries and community centres I began working with FOAP around 4 years ago. I live nearby but had no knowledge of the park. What a discovery! I love AP and it’s unique location. Big Ben, Westminster and Lambeth Palace are all easily observed when I’m working in the park. Enhancing the biodiversity in the park which benefits our resident bees and other critters, matters to me. That, and the opportunity to grow fruit & veggies in our pop up garden means our volunteers have a range of activities they can enjoy, they can learn new skills and at the same time contribute to improving the environment we live in.