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Jewel of a garden needs your support
• AS the chairwoman of Culpeper Community Garden, I am glad that Betty Harris thinks the garden is wonderful (Lease boost for garden, April 27).
We are a registered charity and until seven years ago received regular funding from Islington Council. This funding was withdrawn by the Lib Dems and since then we have struggled to raise more than £30,000 a year just to keep the garden open.
Culpeper is one of the most popular and beautiful parks in a borough where there are few green open spaces. The garden is open seven days a week to everyone living and working in Islington.
It attracts visitors from all over the world and has been described as “the jewel in Islington’s crown” (London Garden Guide and Sourcebook, Elspeth Thompson).
We also do outreach work with many special needs groups, schools, children and pensioners. The council does not contribute a penny to any of this work and I do not think it unreasonable to ask it for some funding since we provide a much-needed public service.
Fundraising for the new building has been a separate issue, which began four years ago. We soon realised we would need a long lease to secure the funds needed. We are grateful for our 50-year lease and particularly to Bridget Fox, who fought hard to get it for us.
It is unfair to criticise the former Labour council for not giving us a long lease since we never asked for one. The lease has cost the council nothing and will substantially increase the value of the freehold which it owns.
For the first time, we will have a decent office – instead of a dilapidated shed – a community resource room and an ecologically sound green roof.
Raising the £200,000 for the building has been a great effort for a small organisation but it has made us realise we are needed and appreciated by local people and we hope in future to attract more members (who do not need to be plot holders or even to garden) and also to raise some ongoing financial support from the community and perhaps the council.
ELIZABETH EVANS
Culpeper Community Garden
Batchelor Street, N1 |
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