ANNUAL REPORT 2020

Front cover: Children from Baston House School meeting our Patron HRH Countess of Wessex on a Royal Visit

LCFS Christmas Card Competition 2020 Winner – Riley Eaton (Aged 11) Darrick Wood School, Bromley

LCFS Spring Competition 2020 – Spring Bulb display planted by pupils at Foulds School, Barnet

THE CHILDREN’S FLOWER SOCIETY

Patron – HRH THE COUNTESS OF WESSEX GCVO

President – ALAN TITCHMARSH MBE VMH DL Vice Presidents - ALDERMAN SIR DAVID HOWARD Bt MR D M H LONGMAN

Trustees: MR N EVANS (Chairman) COL N G S GRAY MR P WEBB

Members of the Council: MRS T ASSIRATI (to 5th May 2020) DR H BARRETT-MOLD OBE MR P N H BUTLER MRS M S DEASY MR R GLASSBORROW SIR D GREEN CB QC MRS J GOTCH MR J MEAD MR R PERING MISS N THOMSON MR R THORNBOROUGH THE MASTER OF THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF GARDENERS (ex officio)

Director: MRS E MCGRATH

Hon. Treasurer: MR R COUSINS

All enquiries to: 61a High Street, Orpington, Kent BR6 0JF Telephone: 01689 821288 Email: [email protected]

londonchildrensflowersociety.org

Registered under the Charities Act 1960. Reg. No. 249444

Annual Report 2020

Chairman’s Report As I write this short message, we have just commenced our second lockdown, how things have changed so dramatically over the last nine months effecting all our lives and particularly the many activities that were taken for granted before the COVID-19 Pandemic. Of course, one activity which has for many been an important saviour during the lockdown period, was spending more time in our gardens, taking walks in our local parks and open spaces and taking time to appreciate the natural world around us. Over recent months, gardening activities have proved therapeutic and helped our mental wellbeing. When planting, sowing seeds and nurturing young plants, even where space is limited, just having a few tubs and window boxes has provided us with a pleasurable and rewarding distraction; thus reducing the stresses and strains of life in these difficult times.

The introduction to the marvels and rewards that gardening can offer, is one way the Society has been instrumental in working with Schools across London. Through after-school gardening clubs or part of the daily curriculum, the ability of introducing children to the mysteries and magic of sowing seeds and planting bulbs and how they further develop into plants that produce flowers or edible produce in the space of just a few months, is a worthy educational experience. With the help of their teachers, we are engaging with young children and teaching them how we can grow plants and support all types of pollinators. I would urge as many schools as possible, to continue encouraging the next generation to discover the lifelong enjoyment of gardening, as part of the school’s curricular activity. The long-term benefits are widely recognised and can also be a great deal of fun for all to enjoy.

Nicholas Evans Chairman and Trustee

Director’s Report As you can imagine 2020 has been a difficult year for the Society. It started with the sad news of the sudden passing of our Chairman, Mr Tony Comben on 31st December 2019. We were fortunate enough that one of our Council Members, Mr Nicholas Evans stepped forward and was elected at an emergency meeting in February. Nick brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Society and we welcome his guidance and support in steering the Society forward.

We were also informed that one of our long-standing Council Members Toni Assirati passed away on 5th May 2020. Toni was a great champion for the Society, and she will be very sorely missed by all those that knew her.

Fortunately, most of the Judging had taken place for the Spring Competition before the country went into a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rest we judged electronically via photographic evidence or the Schools self-judged. Many schools were unable to enter our Summer Competition, due to school closures, but we did extend the competition to parents with children at home and there was some uptake for this. Sadly, our Annual Prize Giving Ceremony at the London Guildhall in October, was cancelled.

I would like to say thank you to all our donors over the past year (see page 5), a special mention to our two biggest supporters the Patrick & Helena Frost Foundation and the Worshipful Company of Gardeners, we appreciate their continued support, which is needed more than ever during these tough times. I would also like to thank staff, volunteers and Council members for their time, resources and support, we really couldn’t do what we do without you all. A special mention to our administrator Karen McCreadie, who is retiring at the end of the year after working for LCFS for the past 15 years. She is moving to the Countryside to enjoy the next chapter and we wish her all the best.

Emma-Jane McGrath Director Spring Bulb Competition Entries for the 2019/20 Spring Bulb Competition were on par with last year with 114 schools entering, ordering nearly 15,000 bulbs. We donated £800 worth of free bulbs to our special needs schools this year. The Society would like to thank each of the schools, the children, and the teachers/staff for taking part in this year’s competition.

Summer and School Garden Competitions 2020 saw 103 Seed Orders in total, which was down on last year, volume of seeds sold decreased significantly with only 4550 packets sold compared to 6000 packets in 2019; Once again Sunflower seeds were the favourite. We were pleased to support 17 special needs schools providing them with a total of £300 worth of free seeds. A big thank you to our volunteers for taking the time to judge the children’s efforts on our behalf.

Design our Christmas Card Competition In September we launched our Design our Christmas Card Competition 2020, where we invited school children across London to design the Society’s card that is sent out to all our Supporters. The response was amazing and with hundreds of entries to judge, we had a really difficult task of picking our winners. Eventually a decision was reached, and the winning entry was by Riley Eaton (Aged 11) from Darrick Wood School, Bromley. The top three were given Gardening Vouchers and Flower Seeds as their prize and their designs were also published on our website.

London Children’s Flower Society Friends’ Group Unfortunately, this year we were unable to hold our AGM, which had been booked for July 2020 but hopefully we will be able to get a date in for next year – Coronavirus permitting! We will let you know as soon as we are able to.

As a Member of the Friends Group you will receive the following benefits: • Organised Horticultural Visits • Invitation to our AGM • Regular Newsletters • Invitation to the Society’s Annual Trophy Ceremony at The London Guildhall

If you would like to become a member of the Friends’ group, please contact Liz Lee, Administrator at [email protected] or 01689 821288.

History

• The London Flower Lovers League was founded after the Second world War, in 1945 as an offshoot of the London Gardens Society. • Started by Mrs Alice Street from Orpington, who became the first Chairman and remained in that position for 17 years. • It was decided to start a daffodil competition open to all schools in London where children would grow the bulbs in pots, on a window ledge, or any space that had good light. • The children would be given the bulbs and a set of simple instructions on how to plant and grow them. • Prizes would be offered such as medallions and certificates. • Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was the Society’s Patron until her demise in 2002. • After Alice Street passed away in 1966, the whole operation was moved from her home to premises in Orpington where it still runs from, to this day. • In 1967 a plaque was erected Peckham Rye Park with the inscription: “In memory of Alice K Street MBE Founder of the London Flower Lovers League Who devoted much of her life to encouraging the interest of London school children in Flowers, window boxes and gardens”

• In 1967 the League was registered as a charity. • In 1975 the name was changed to The London Children’s Flower Society. • The competition grew far beyond anyone’s dream and at one stage up to 100,000 bulbs were sent out each autumn and returned to be judged in the Spring by our Volunteers. • A summer competition was introduced after much demand. Originally restricted to just nasturtiums and candytuft, it has grown to include many other annuals that flower/fruit in school time. • Later schools wanted to be recognised for their flower beds and therefore a garden competition was started. • In 1990 the society was threatened with closure because of the demise of the Inner London Education Authority and its £11,000 grant. Funding must be found each year, mainly from grants and donations from private individuals and Charitable Trusts. • After the death of the Queen Mother the royal patronage was taken over by the Duchess of Wessex in 2004 who carries on the tradition of visiting schools and talking to pupils.

We thank everyone who has kindly helped us and we are especially grateful to the following for donations, grants and sponsorship during the financial year:

All Saints Church, Children’s Charity Ms T Assirati Mr N Butler

Mr N A Chalmers The Cleary Foundation Clemence Charitable Trust

Mr & Mrs A V Comben Mr & Mrs Cousins Mr G H Denney

Patrick & Helena Frost Foundation Mrs Janet Gotch Sir D Howard

Ms A McAtamney Mrs S J McCaughey Mr J Mead

Guild of the Nineteen Lubricators Royal Parks Guild Mrs F Sprecht

The Tanner Trust Miss J Walker Mr & Mrs Webb

Worshipful Company of Gardeners

Financial Report 2019/20

We are greatly indebted to our very generous benefactors for their donations to the Society without which we would be unable to operate. However there has been a reduction in the donations which the Society received this year and we are looking for new Donors to make up the shortfall. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the entries to the Summer competition and consequently reduced our income. The improvements that we made last year in our investments have produced a better income this year but with the very low returns currently available the income is likely to reduce again next year. Despite being able to make economies and improve efficiency in the management of the Society we have unfortunately made a deficit of almost £600 in the year. The ongoing Pandemic will make the work of the Society in encouraging children to appreciate their environment and improve it by growing flowers and vegetables even more important. We continue to seek new funding sources to ensure that we maintain and increase the number of schools participating in our competitions. Raymond Cousins, Hon treasurer Incoming Resources £ Resources Expended £ £

Donations £20,518 Establishment & Office Office Equipment - PC Upgrade/Website 153 Income from Charitable Activities Insurance 925 7,636 Printing & Stationery 196 Postage & Telephone 1,003 Advertising 120 ` Rent, Rates, Light & Heat 2,226 Staff Payments 5,244 Sundry 987 Travel 34 10,888

Direct Charitable Expenditure Spring Competition Bulbs 4,478 Bank Interest 217 Summer Comp Seeds 1,123 Trophy Ceremony 1,542 Other 760 Prizes 361 Friends Group - Total 32,808 Printing & Stationery 805 Postage 836 Staff Payments 9,739 18,884

Governance Costs 700 Total 30,472 Movements in General Fund

Balance Balance Brought forward Income Expenditure Carried Forward 55,155 29,891 (30,747) 54,299

Copies of the full Financial Statements are available from the Society’s Office

AWARDS IN 2020

Abbreviations used:- D – Daffodil / Hyacinth Competition GMC – Gold Medal Certificate S – Summer Competition SMC – Silver Medal Certificate G – Garden Competition BMC – Bronze Medal Certificate

LONDON BOROUGH OF BARKING AND DAGENHAM Valence Primary School D. GMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF BARNET Foulds School D.GMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY Chatsworth Infant School D.GMC Our Lady of the Rosary RC Primary School D.GMC Shenstone School D.GMC St. Michael’s East Wickham CE VA Primary School D.GMC St. Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School D.SMC Woodside School D.GMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF BRENT BSAT Manor School S.SMC, G.SMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF BROMLEY Balgowan Primary School D.GMC Breaside Prepatory School D.GMC Churchfields Primary School D.SMC Crofton Junior School D.GMC Hawes Down Primary School D. GMC Marian Vian Primary School D.GMC Penge Community Pre-School D.GMC Perry Hall Primary School D.GMC Poverest Primary School D.GMC Riverside School D.GMC Riverside School D.GMC St. James RC Primary School S.GMC, G.GMC St. Peter & St. Paul Catholic Primary D.BMC Wickham Common Primary School D.GMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN Hampstead Parochial School D.GMC The Mulberry House School D.SMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF CROYDON Oakwood School D.SMC Rockmount Primary School D.GMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF ENFIELD Hazelwood Schools Infant & Junior D.GMC Wilbury Primary School D.GMC

ROYAL BOROUGH OF GREENWICH Bannockburn Primary School D.GMC, S.GMC, G.GMC Charlton Park Academy S. SMC Cherry Orchard Primary School D.SMC Fossdene Primary School D.SMC Gallions Mount Primary School D.BMC Gordon Primary School D.GMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF HACKNEY Hoxton Garden Primary School S.GMC, G.GMC Orchard Primary School S.GMC, G.GMC Southwold Primary School S.GMC, G.GMC The Urswick School D.GMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM All Saints CE Primary School D.BMC Larmenier & Sacred Heart RC Primary School D.SMC St James Independent Junior School D.SMC Sulivan Primary School D.GMC Woodlane High School D.SMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF HARINGEY Lea Valley Primary School D.SMC, S.GMC, G.SMC Riverside School D.GMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF ISLINGTON Hargrave Park School D.GMC, S.GMC, G.SMC Montem Primary School D.GMC Pooles Park Primary School D.GMC, S.GMC, G.GMC Robert Blair Primary School D.SMC, S.SMC, G.GMC St. Joseph’s RC Primary School D.GMC, S.GMC, G.GMC St Jude & St Paul’s Primary School D.SMC St. Mark’s CE Primary School D.SMC, S.SMC, G.SMC Thornhill Primary School D.GMC, S.GMC, G.GMC Vittoria Primary School D.GMC

ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON & CHELSEA Bevington Primary School D.GMC Chelsea Open Air Nursery School D.GMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH Effra Early Years Centre D.GMC Hitherfield Primary School D.GMC St. John the Divine C of E Primary School D.SMC St. Leonard’s CE Primary School D.GMC, S.SMC LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH contd. The Livity School D.GMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM Dalmain Primary School D.GMC Holbeach Primary School D.GMC Marvels Lane Primary School D.SMC Our Lady and St Philip Neri RC Primary School D.SMC Sir Francis Drake Primary School D.GMC Torridon Primary School D.GMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF NEWHAM . Carpenters Primary School S.GMC, G.GMC Portway Primary School S.GMC, G.GMC Selwyn Primary School S.GMC, G.GMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF REDBRIDGE Mayespark Primary School S.SMC, G.SMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF RICHMOND Hampton Hill Junior School D.GMC Meadlands Primary School D.GMC Trafalgar Junior School D.BMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK Charles Dickens Primary School D.GMC Dulwich Hamlet Junior School D.GMC, S.GMC, G.GMC Hollydale Primary School D.GMC Surrey Square Primary School D.SMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF TOWER HAMLETS Chisenhale Primary School S.GMC, G.GMC Cubitt Town Junior School D.GMC John Scurr Primary School S.GMC, G.GMC Mayflower Primary School S.GMC, G.GMC Olga Primary School S.GMC, G.GMC Phoenix School D.GMC, S.GMC St Saviour’s Primary School S.GMC, G.GMC

LONDON BOROUGH OF WANDSWORTH Brandlehow Primary School D.GMC Broomwood Lower School D.SMC Riversdale Primary School D.GMC

CITY OF WESTMINSTER King Solomon Academy D.SMC Ark King Solomon Academy – Younger Years D.GMC, S.GMC, G.SMC Edward Wilson School S.GMC, G.SMC

LCFS 2020 Summer Seed Competition Collection grown by pupils at Thornhill Primary, Islington

Our New Chairman Nicholas Evans presenting to pupils at Southwold Primary at our Trophy Ceremony (2013) (Photographer Peter Holland) Growing the Future