The award-winning Place2Be Securing Tomorrow Garden, in partnership with Sarasin & Partners and designed by RHS Ambassador Jamie Butterworth, has been relocated to Viking Primary School.
Pupils from Viking Primary School in Northolt, West London, celebrated the grand opening of the Place2Be Securing Tomorrow Garden at their school with support from Sarasin & Partners.
The garden was designed by Royal Horticultural Society Ambassador and horticulturist Jamie Butterworth, with input from the pupils at Viking Primary School.
It builds on the long-term partnership between Viking Primary School and Place2Be. For over 13 years, Place2Be’s school-based counsellors have supported pupils and families at the school.
Catherine Roche, Chief Executive of Place2Be said: "One in six children now has a diagnosable mental health issue, and many more are struggling with the challenges of life today. The Place2Be Securing Tomorrow Garden offers a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of the need to invest in children’s mental health. We are thrilled to have worked with Sarasin & Partners and with the very talented Jamie Butterworth, and we hope that everyone at Viking Primary School will reap the benefits of spending time in this calming space."
To celebrate the relocation, pupils, their families, and school staff members were joined by Jamie Butterworth, Place2Be colleagues, and representatives from Sarasin & Partners. Pupils were invited to cut a ceremonial ribbon and spent the afternoon exploring their new garden.
The space will be used as a sanctuary to stimulate and facilitate conversations while also taking in the beauty of plants and enjoying the benefits of being outside in nature.
This connection with plants and the natural world has proven vitally important for mental health and wellbeing over the past two years, especially for those with little or no outdoor space at home.
Miss Amie Norris, Head Teacher at Viking Primary School said: "On behalf of everyone at Viking Primary School, we are thankful for the generosity of Jamie, Place2Be and Sarasin & Partners, for this amazing opportunity. The children have loved being involved with the garden design, and after a difficult couple of years, the garden will give them a place to reflect and enjoy nature. I look forward to seeing it through all the different seasons."
In May, the Place2Be Securing Tomorrow Garden was unveiled at the world-renowned RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where it was awarded a gold medal.
The children paid an exciting visit to the garden and spoke to celebrities, including Alan Titchmarsh, Mary Berry and Kate Silverton, about their involvement in garden design and shared ways to take care of their own mental health.
The garden has now been relocated within the school grounds for the pupils, families and school staff to enjoy a place of calm.
Jamie Butterworth, Managing Director of Form Plants, who designed the garden added: I hope that this garden will inspire everyone to think about the importance of outdoor space, a sanctuary where we look after and nurture our mental wellbeing. I’m proud that this garden now has a life beyond Chelsea, bringing a positive impact to the lives of these children and the whole school community now and into the future.
The wellbeing garden was developed in partnership with Place2Be and sustainable investment manager Sarasin & Partners, which adopts a ‘securing tomorrow’ approach to investing.
John Handford, Head of Charities Marketing at Sarasin & Partners: It’s been a wonderful journey with Jamie, Place2Be, Viking Primary school, and we’re proud to be part of this fulfilling and meaningful adventure. ‘Securing Tomorrow’ is our strapline for our responsible investing, so it has been brilliant to be able to move the garden into Viking Primary School, so that the children have a safe space to talk and enjoy nature.
Notes for Editors:
For more information, please contact:
Susan Rogers
[email protected]
07850 265 681
*Pernille Malberg Dyg & Karen Wistoft (2018) Wellbeing in school gardens – the case of the Gardens for Bellies food and environmental education program, Environmental Education Research, 24:8, 1177-1191, DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2018.1434869
About Place2Be
Place2Be is a leading children's mental health charity providing school-based support and in-depth training programmes to improve the emotional wellbeing of pupils, families, teachers and school staff.
The charity currently provides an embedded mental health service in 450 UK primary and secondary schools, supporting a school community of around 250,000 children and young people.
Last year, over 11,000 teachers and school leaders from 5,300 schools accessed the charity’s training programmes.
HRH The Duchess of Cambridge became Patron of Place2Be in 2013, reflecting her personal interest in and commitment to improving the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children. Place2Be is also a founding partner of Heads Together, the mental health initiative spearheaded by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
place2be.org.uk | Twitter @Place2Be | Facebook @place2becharity
About Sarasin & Partners
Sarasin & Partners are an experienced charity investment manager with a commitment to responsible stewardship. Our global, thematic approach to investment is underpinned by sustainability, because we believe that investment has the power to grow and protect wealth in a way that benefits society.
Over the past 20 years, Sarasin has become one of the leading charity investment managers in the UK, managing portfolios for a wide range of educational, medical, religious and grant-making charities. Approximately 450 charities trust us to manage their money in order to reach their charitable goals. Find out more at sarasinandpartners.com
Contact: [email protected]
About Jamie Butterworth
Passionate plantsman and horticulturist, Jamie studied horticulture at both Askham Bryan College and then RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey, graduating with a distinction. In 2016, Jamie became one of 8 RHS Ambassadors, joining Alan Titchmarsh, Mary Berry and Nick Knowles to champion the work of the RHS with a particular focus on getting children into gardening and showing the physical and mental health benefits gardening can offer.
Jamie has previously designed gardens for Wedgwood at RHS Chatsworth Flower Show 2019 where he became the most celebrated designer at an RHS show winning all four top awards (Best in Show, People’s Choice, best construction and gold medal) for the first time in RHS history; and more recently ‘A Garden for a Green Future’ at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2021 in conjunction with The Daily Telegraph. He has been Managing Director of Form Plants since 2020.
About Form Plants
Jamie’s passion for plants, plant health and the environment led to him opening Form Plants, Berkshire in early 2020, with a vision to supply the landscaping industry with quality trees and plants to add form and structure into gardens of all sizes, at the very best value and with exceptional customer service. With a team of expert horticulturists, Form Plants is based in Dorney, just outside of Windsor in Berkshire, with an inspirational tree showroom, designed to make choosing from the comprehensive Form range as convenient as possible. Form Plants will be hoping to continue from their success at the September RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021, where they supplied eight award-winning show gardens in addition to creating their own display inside the Grand Pavilion with a Silver-Gilt award. For RHS Chelsea 2022, Form Plants will be growing and supplying 15,000 plants and over 40 trees between five show gardens, all managed on-site at Dorney.
Contact: [email protected]