Swim

On Monday I am one of several swimmers supporting Christopher Woodward by joining him for just one of the heroic 63 miles he will be swimming in Greece from Monday. Pictured is the island we will lap with him. Or behind him. I’m going to be in flippers and mask so I can keep up to speed with our Dolphin Director! Of £250k there’s another £100k to go to meet our current target. Why? Well do follow a link to masses more info on the Garden Museum website but en bref, (ish). Every generous penny you donate is going towards a new public garden designed by Dan Pearson. Grassroots charity at its best while the world seems in turmoil. Lambeth Green will be an oasis for the residents of Lambeth whose green space has been catastrophically depleted but also for all Londoners and visitors to share, for free, all year. It will also be an astonishing horticultural hub building on the museums phenomenal outreach. My absolute favourite museum moments are not the wondrous exhibitions, illuminating talks or lip smacking lunches and dinners. To the power of ten they are seeing Janine Nelson & Samia Quereshi educating groups of local Lambeth schoolchildren about the magical process of seed sowing, the glee as they put their hands into trays of soil and witnessing the miracle of the wormery. These are children with playgrounds that are no different to a prison yard. More schools. More horticultural traineeships. More beauty.

Why the swim? Well many of you may already know that when Christopher has museum funds to raise he takes to the water. This will be his most ambitious swim to date, island hopping to touch base with some of the trees Dan has included in his characteristically thoughtful and beautiful plan. The picture? Well that is the very island Patrick Leigh Fermor swam around daily into his 90’s so we should all manage the swim but will we raise £100k? Here’s hoping.

https://gardenmuseum.org.uk/swimforlambethgreen/ Garden Museum is fundraising to transform 5.3 acres adjacent to the museum into a new public park in central London, named Lambeth Green. Created in partnership with Lambeth Council and Transport for London, the new landscape will be designed by Dan Pearson, one of the world’s leading garden designers. A new pavilion designed by architect Mary Duggan will be used by our gardeners to maintain the new park, and to offer horticultural apprenticeships for young Londoners. With your help we can create a new park for our Lambeth community.