PRESS RELEASE Ofcial Launch of the Platform Planting at Kew Gardens Station Date: Tuesday 25Th July

PRESS RELEASE Ofcial Launch of the Platform Planting at Kew Gardens Station Date: Tuesday 25th July

Time: 09:45am – 11:00am

• Station platform transformed into thriving garden of over 1,500 plants • Globe thistles, Foxgloves, Lambs Ears, Wood spurge, Hellebores and Verbena make up the eye catching display • Planting unveiled as we approach ‘peak bloom’

Event: Unveiling of newly planted fowerbeds at Kew Gardens station Key Temes: Sustainable development, community action, urban ‘greening’, civic pride

Key Attendees: • Mark Wild, Managing Director, Transport for London • Zac Goldsmith, MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston • Richard Barley, Director of Horticulture, Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew • Suzie Jewell, Garden Designer, Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew • Cllr Benedict Dias, Deputy Mayor, Richmond Council • Ben Coles, Director, Groundwork London Description On Tuesday 25th July at 09:45am the newly planted fowerbeds at Kew Gardens station will be ofcially unveiled.

Te planting project, initiated by the Kew Society with Transport for London (TfL) has transformed four areas on the platforms at Kew Gardens station, servicing both the District Line and London Overground, which were previously overgrown with grass and weeds.

Tis has been a complex project, which has taken two years to complete and is a unique collaboration between the Kew Society, TfL, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew), Energy Garden and Richmond Council.

Te garden was completed in the late part of January 2017 with the support of Energy Garden, a pan-London community gardening initiative developing the underused spaces on the London Overground.

Mark Wild, Managing Director of London Underground, said: “Te transformation of the platform fowerbeds at Kew Gardens station will brighten our customers’ journeys and serve as a ftting welcome to all those visiting the Royal Bo- tanic Gardens nearby. We are always keen to connect with the local communities we serve and many organisations have come together to make this planting project a reality. It’s great that station staf will work alongside community volunteers to ensure that the fowerbeds are kept looking their best throughout the year.”

Caroline Brock, Chair of the Kew Society had the initial idea to give the fowerbeds a much needed makeover. “I could see the station becoming more and more overgrown and thought that it would be a good project for the Kew Society to take on. My idea was to transform the platforms into a haven of colour, worthy to be the gateway to the World Heritage Site, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.”

Afer securing the agreement of TfL, the main challenge was to fnance the project and then to fnd the expertise to make the idea a reality.

Te Energy Garden programme, delivered by Repowering London in partnership with Groundwork London, provided most of the funding, as well as a skilled team to organise the planting and oversee ongoing maintenance of over 1,500 plants, including Globe thistles, Foxgloves, Lambs Ears, Wood spurge, Hellebores and Verbena.

Te project was also awarded a grant from Richmond Council’s Civic Pride Fund, recognising the community commit- ment and collaborative working required to make this very public space more attractive. Suzie Jewell from RBG, Kew provided pro bono the design and planting plan for the fowerbeds, which contain shrubs and plants that are hardy, easy to maintain and which will bring colour and interest to the platforms all year round.

At the end of last year, work began on clearing the area, and on two chilly days in December volunteers from the Kew Society helped to put the plants into the beds under the direction of experts from the Energy Garden.

Since early spring new fowers have been coming into bloom adding colour to the station platform. Staf and community volunteers will be engaged in weeding and watering the beds throughout the year.

Photo opportunities Suzie Jewell, the garden designer from the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (RGB Kew), will be giving a tour of the fowerbeds and talking about the diferent themes for each of the beds. Representatives from the Kew Society, TfL, and the Energy Garden will be putting the fnal plants into the fowerbeds. Kew Society volunteers will be handing out plants to commuters at the station.

Contacts for press enquiries: Luke Jones [email protected], 07565 323242 Notes to Editors:

Te Kew Society is an infuential organisation dedicated to enhancing the beauty and char- acter of Kew with its historic legacy of buildings and green spaces. It has been a registered charity since 1987.

Te Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world famous scientifc organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding collections as well as its scientifc expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. Kew Gardens is a major international and a top London visitor attraction. Kew’s 132 hectares of landscaped gardens, and Kew’s country estate, Wakehurst, attract over 1.5 million visits every year. Kew was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2009. Wakehurst is home to Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world. Kew receives approximately just under half of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Afairs (Defra). Further funding needed to support Kew’s vital work comes from donors, mem- bership and commercial activity including ticket sales.

Te Energy Garden programme is delivered by Repowering London in partnership with Groundwork London and Transport for London, and funded by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery through the Dream Fund. Te partners are working alongside communities across London to help transform up to 50 London Over- ground platforms and stations into thriving gardens, with many incorporating food growing plots and solar energy, providing on-site renewable energy for lighting, water pumps or other small scale station amenities. Tere are also plans to identify larger solar energy sites that will generate a longer term income for the project and will ensure the Energy Gardens continue to thrive in years to come. Groundwork and Repowering Lon- don will also deliver workshops with local schools on topics including renewable energy, urban food growing and rail safety. Te programme aims to promote food and energy security, create resilient communities and improve the health and well-being of Londoners. For more information about the project, please visit www.energygarden.org.uk, EndergyGarden- LDN on Twitter or @EnergyGardenLondon on Facebook or contact Agamemnon Otero, Energy Garden Founder: [email protected] / 07960 829826

Repowering London is a not for proft community beneft society that specialises in creating renewable energy power stations and running social works programmes for local people. Repowering supports communities to deliver own and manage renewable energy projects that provide benefts to the citizens that surround them. Repowering is committed to working with local authorities, private sector and communities to promote and facilitate the wide scale development and local ownership of renewable energy projects across London. • Reduce CO2 emissions by generating decentralised low-carbon energy • Tackle fuel poverty and educate residents about energy efciency • Empower communities through local leadership and community ownership • Provide opportunities for local and responsible fnancial investment • Create training and employment opportunities for local people

For more information visit www.repowering.org.uk or follow @RepowerLondon on Twitter or @ RepoweringLondon on Facebook Groundwork London is a social and environmental regeneration charity. For almost 20 years we’ve been at the forefront of environmental and social regeneration in London; changing places and lives for the better, in some of the capital’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods. In today’s challenging social and economic climate the work we do has never been more important; creating better places, improving people’s economic prospects and helping people to live and work in a more sustainable way. Our three over-arching objectives are: • Creating better places – supporting people to work collectively to make their surroundings greener, safer and healthier and be actively involved in the way decisions are made about services in their area. • Promoting greener living and working – helping people and businesses learn more about their environmental impact and act responsibly to reduce natural resource use and improve their health. • Improving people’s prospects – delivering support to increase the confdence, skills, • well-being and employability of those furthest removed from the labour market, in particu- lar young people. Groundwork London is a registered charity - No. 1121105 / For more information visit www. groundwork.org.uk/london or follow us on Twitter @GroundworkLON or on Facebook www. facebook.com/GroundworkLondon

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