Society remits responsibility for historical garden venture

Chiswick Horticultural Society are to formally hand over the Kitchen Garden Project to the Chiswick House Kitchen Garden Association.

The project, initiated in February this year under the auspices of CHS, aims to return the 300 year old walled kitchen garden at Chiswick House to horticultural purposes. The walled garden, which has been mainly unused for several years, was untended and had become overgrown.

The project, initiated by Karen Liebreich a local resident and committee member of the CHS, involves volunteers from the local community who are progressively restoring the garden and planting vegetables and flowers. Children from local schools attend weekly sessions in which they participate in the restoration and learn about growing food.

The success of the project (which has involved visits by nearly 600 school children in 18 sessions in the course of nine months), has grown to the extent that it now requires special focus and administration, and its supporters decided that the best way of maintaining the impetus built up, and to provide for a sustainable future was to form a separate organisation. There is a significant overlap of members with the CHS, which has provided moral and material support to the project since its inception.

Dr Graham Hughes, chairman of the CHS commented "We are delighted with the success of the project and have been very proud to have helped with this valuable and important initiative. While we are sad that the formal relationship has come to an end we are pleased that it has achieved such significant support in the community and is able to stand on its own. We recognise that the objectives of the association require separate governance from the CHS. We wish the Association continuing success and will watch it progress with great interest."

Karen Liebreich, initiator of the project, and Vice Chairman of the association commented: "We have benefited greatly from the support of CHS and are very grateful to them for all they have done to bring the project this far. We are looking forward to a continuing close and friendly relationship between the two organisations."

August 25, 2011