It’s been an exciting first half to 2022 for ‘Growing Together at Chiswick House’, our community programme.  Winter drew to an end and we saw many local groups return to enjoy the gardens, taking part in a range of creative and horticulture-based activities. With the arrival of spring and summer, we welcomed many new groups and partnerships.

We reopened the House with a community-produced exhibition, co-developed projects based on the rich cultural knowledge of our local groups and co-designed a new immersive audio experience for the Kitchen Garden. Harvinder Bahra, our Community Participation Manager shares her 2022 highlights so far:

JANUARY

Students from Chiswick School braved the cold to film their responses for the Black Chiswick through History Project. These short films, on display in the House until 30 October 2022, highlight the diverse stories, people and histories that can be found within our collection.

We also began a six-week cooking project with Heston West Big Local. Led by local chef Manju Malhi, the dishes were inspired by food from around the world and winter produce growing in the Kitchen Garden. This project supports local individuals to learn about cooking and eating healthily.

I am glad everyone has had a lovely time during the six sessions. Thank you both for your incredible work on this project and I am pleased to see people enjoying it and also bringing our local community to Chiswick House and Gardens.

FEBRUARY

MindFood were back for another six-week ‘Growing Wellbeing’ project, working with Deaf Women Ealing. Each week the group took part in a variety of gardening activities to meet the five ways to wellbeing – to take notice, learn, give, be active and connect.

I’ve been here four different weeks, and I’ve really enjoyed it – the fresh air, teaching us about different things in the garden; the peace and quiet; meditation; I’m going to remember this when I look back and I really appreciate what you’ve given us.

During February we also began our large-scale restoration project with Cavendish School. Young students are helping to improve the landscape around one our garden gates with the Meet Me at the Gates Project. Led by Hammersmith Community Gardens Association, the students are learning valuable hands-on gardening skills.

The children and teachers loved the sessions. Really positive feedback from all of the staff and children. It’s so nice for them to just have a break from school and get outdoors. Thank you so, so much for delivering these and walking us to and from the gardens. It’s been such a lovely project so far and we are all loving it.

Kite Studio returned with a spring-inspired project looking at plants and sculpture. Working with adults with additional needs from Rivercourt Care they created beautiful clay sculptures inspired by our blooming collection of camellias.

Young people from Hogarth Youth Centre were in during the February half-term in to work with visual artist Ayesha Weekes to create a collage for the Black Chiswick through History Project, helping to put the colour back into Chiswick House.

MARCH

This month we began our new Monthly Mondays programme with West London Welcomes who provide support for refugees. Led by local practitioners, Art Jar, they developed a variety of eco-friendly, nature-based activities that help bring people together to connect to nature.

Thank you for inviting us to spend a very nice time with you at Chiswick House, and for teaching us new things, made us forget about our problems for a while.

We began a co-developed project ‘Camellia and Chai’ with the local women’s group Trinjan and artist Jaimini Patel (who was part of our 2021 exhibition ‘Bring into Being’) to explore the history of the camellias at Chiswick House and their connections to the tea trade, plant hunters and British Empire.

APRIL

To coincide with the re-opening of the House for spring, we launched the display of the Black Chiswick through History Project, a collection of thoughtful responses created in partnership with Chiswick School and Hogarth Youth & Community Centre.

We were delighted to have The Wild Minds Project here again for a four-week project, supporting the mental health of young people in Hounslow. Using nature-based activities, gardening and creativity to inspire friendships, wellbeing and resilience.

It was lovely to be here today. I liked the behind the scenes of the kitchen garden.

I like what we’ve been doing here lately. It’s very creative and the garden where we do art and gardening in is very beautiful.

Young people from Heston West Big Local met with Grow FM artists affect lab to help shape ‘{Paradise in the Sun} Or a garden of all sorts of pleasant flowers’ an immersive audio experience in the Kitchen Garden celebrating community and the sensory power of nature.

MAY

In May we began a six-week cooking project with community organisation Heston West Big Local. Led by local chef Manju Malhi, the dishes were inspired by spring produce in the Kitchen Garden.

The students from Cavendish School returned for the Meet Me at the Gates Project to plant out the seedlings sown earlier in the year at Corney Rd Gate. Led by Hammersmith Community Gardens Association, the students have gain valuable hands-on gardening experience.

JUNE

Working in partnership with the Masbro Elders Project and MindFood, we developed and delivered a multi-sensory four-week project looking at the herbs that grow in our Kitchen Garden and the many meanings and uses these herbs have within different cultures.

It has been a very pleasant morning learning about the plants and herbs, especially the edible flowers which I did not know all these years. I have also learnt about growing plants from seeds which is great. Thank you very much.

To mark Carers Week and the important work that carers do, we welcomed local carers with the Carer Network for a guided tour of the house, followed by a welcomed cup of tea and slice of cake in the Kitchen Garden.

Thank you so much for welcoming our carers to Chiswick House during Carers Week for the tour and also providing them with tea and cake!

I really loved it. It did me the world of good. I met some lovely people, volunteers and carers.

We also welcomed back SEN London Parents Group to begin their monthly volunteering sessions with various tasks across the Gardens. On sunny Sundays in June and July the enthusiastic group of parents, carers and young people worked together to help clear borders and low branches.

Kite Studio returned for their six-week summer project. A group of neurodivergent participants spent time exploring the Kitchen Garden with artists Caroline Costley and Kayleigh Keen creating a series of stunning paintings to capture the Kitchen Garden in full bloom.

We welcomed many other groups too, including Hounslow Action for Youth (HAY), Hounslow Wellbeing Network, Hounslow HealthCare Outreach Team, One You Hounslow and a number of local schools to enjoy the House and Gardens, and look forward to doing so for the next half of the year.

From the initial steps through the gates, to the mini waterfall over the short bridge, to the Learning Centre, everything has been so dreamy to look at (and smell! Love the florally scent)

If you would like to get involved with the ‘Growing Together at Chiswick House’ community programme please do get in touch at community@chgt.org.uk

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