We have a beautiful, award-winning Memorial Garden in North Kensington, established in 1990 as a peaceful oasis for those living with HIV/AIDS and using the hospice and other services that were provided at the London Lighthouse. We urgently need to raise money and sponsorship to build a safe and sturdy greenhouse in the garden, where we can protect the precious plants and grow new ones, and deliver gardening skills teach-ins for children and local residents. As one of the garden volunteers, I hope you will be able to contribute to our fundraising for the greenhouse and the activities it will support.

A mimosa tree that is covered in yellow blooms in January and provides sun shade in summer, a kiwi vine and fig tree that produce edible fruit, banana trees that flower, giant hostas, salvias and lilies, and fragrant old fashioned roses and jasmine. These are all part of the sheltered garden that visitors describe as “a haven”, “an oasis”, “a hidden gem”. The garden lies adjacent to the Museum of Brands in London W11, and is free to the public to visit 7 days a week, to enjoy the fishpond and birds, or have delicious cake in the cafe. The garden is looked after by a small group of volunteers and the gardener who originally developed it, working within a very small budget. However, in order to sustain the garden and propagate plants throughout the year, whatever the weather throws at us, we now need to build a sturdy and safe greenhouse and sheltered space.

The greenhouse will enable us to carry out our plans to: • Grow seedlings and cuttings and share them with others in the community. • Run teach-ins on gardening skills and techniques for children, volunteers and local residents of all ages. • Shelter and protect some rare and/or precious plants from the garden. We are calling this ‘The Potting and Protecting Project’. We have an ambitious target of raising £15,000 for the greenhouse building. If you are able to support our fundraising, by donation and/or by sharing this link with others, you will be both helping us to maintain the history of a much loved space, and helping us to develop new plans to involve young people in the garden. We would love it if you could visit the garden - open during Museum opening hours – and see for yourself what a special place it is, in the middle of busy and vibrant North Kensington.