Press releases

Greening Merstham - Community Action Day, Saturday 22 April

Merstham housing estate near Reigate in Surrey could soon be transformed into a green oasis with new horticultural and recreational features chosen by the local community. The estate has plenty of green space but its potential hasn’t been fully realised to date.

A group of organisations have been canvassing opinion from the local community and will showcase their ideas for transforming the area at a community Action Day at The Oakley, Radstock Way in Merstham from 11am-4pm on Saturday 22 April.

A multi-agency steering group comprising Merstham Residents’ Association, gardening charity the Royal Horticultural Society, Raven Housing Trust and Reigate and Banstead Borough Council is leading on the developments. At the Action Day the RHS will be demonstrating drought-tolerant plants designed by the RHS, which will be placed in the main shopping precinct in Merstham, Portland Place. Local schools are also geared up to get involved and plan to use the newly enhanced sites on the estate for National Curriculum-linked activities.

“Well-designed, planned, managed and maintained horticulture in public spaces is a vital component of healthy sustainable communities and the creation of long-term environmental improvements. Access to gardens and green space fulfils an important human need for direct contact with the environment, which is fundamental to our well-being and for the society in which we live,” said Fiona Dennis, Horticultural Advisor at the RHS and steering group member.

“We have had some fantastic ideas from our consultations with the local community and at the Action Day we hope to get their support for the projects so that together we can start take action to transform their local environment. The RHS can provide support with its horticultural know how, advice and practical, hands-on help.”

Ideas by the group and other organisations for greening up Merstham so far include:

• Sowing a wildflower verge along Bletchingley Road
• Creating a Merstham-wide Garden Club to promote a community garden initiative
• Constituting Community Gardening Clubs managed by elected members of the neighbourhood
• Setting up an Evergreen Gardening Club of young people to assist the elderly with their front gardens
• Providing a community garden area in Hildenley Close for public events, shows and displays
• Redeveloping the children’s playground at Dundrey Crescent as a themed Dinosaur Park
• Creating a community orchard adjacent to Furzefield Wood and Furzefield Primary School to help teach children importance of healthy eating and seasonality of local grown produce
• Create new allotments closer to the town centre and constitute a new Allotment Society or sister organisation to the existing Merstham Allotment Society.
• Create a woodland walk
• Enhancement of grassland areas to encourage birds and invertebrates
• Restore Merstham Meadows as a wetland habitat and enhance its wildlife value
• Boosting Merstham in Bloom with local resident involvement in cleanliness initiatives and the imaginative planting of trees, shrubs and flowers

Funds have been raised for some of the projects but the steering group is looking to generate further income to deliver all the developments from a mixture of public donations, government funding and charitable organisations. With funding, the first projects could get started this spring and be completed by the summer.

For further information about the Action Day, contact Fiona Dennis at the Royal Horticultural Society on 01483 212319.

Merstham is one of a number of community projects undertaken by the RHS to help deliver its goal to encourage local communities in areas of urban renewal to create long-term improvements to their local environments. It is hoped that Merstham may enter the Britain in Bloom Neighbourhood Awards next year, run by the RHS in partnership with South East in Bloom in this area, as part of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Cleaner, Safer, Greener Sustainable Communities programme.

The Neighbourhood Awards are part of the Britain in Bloom campaign run by the Royal Horticultural Society in partnership with 18 independent ‘in Bloom’ organisations UK-wide, and support local groups taking their first steps to green up and clean up their local areas for the benefit of local people. The scheme is non-competitive and measures ‘distance travelled’ and impact to local quality of life. Visits by regional judges provide feedback and realistic advice to the entries on how to develop current activities and encourage on-going improvements. The presentation of Awards (Improvement, Merit or Outstanding Achievement) help to keep entries motivated and provides a quality standard to improve upon year on year.

Since the RHS introduced the Neighbourhood Awards regionally in 2003, over 200 communities have benefited from participation in the scheme and have overcome problems such as litter, graffiti, vandalism, fly-tipping, neglected streets, derelict housing and derelict land. It has helped to create more attractive areas that local people are proud of, and a sense of place. Participating communities have also found it has helped to engage with their local authority, and to drive further improvements such as commercial enterprise.

Notes to Editors

For further information or pictures of Merstham, please contact Eli Smallwood, RHS Press & PR Manager (Science & Learning) on 0207 821 3692 or email elismallwood@rhs.org.uk.

• Since 2002, the RHS has been the organising body of the largest horticultural campaign in Europe, Britain in Bloom - the campaign to encourage communities to create long-term improvements to their local environments. The RHS assists participating communities to develop their horticultural skills and practices, encourages cross-community involvement and communication, and rewards innovation and sustainability of community effort. The introduction of new pilot ‘neighbourhood awards’ within the Britain in Bloom campaign is actively encouraging small groups of people to start ‘greening up’ their local areas for the first time. This has resulted in small, and often disadvantaged neighbourhoods, within larger conurbations seeing benefits of: increased pride, local environment improvements including higher levels of cleanliness, regeneration and a boost to the local economy, as well as the stimulation of voluntary work.

• Ravenscliffe in Bradford was the official launch pad on 5 April for this year’s Britain in Bloom Neighbourhood Awards. Local residents and staff from RHS Garden Harlow Carr planted over 3,000 plants during the day around a new £1.8 million community centre, which grew out of a neighbourhood action plan devised and delivered by local residents.

• To get involved, apply for the Britain in Bloom starter pack which is filled with detailed advice, hints and tips plus useful contact numbers. To request your copy call 020 7821 3040.

• It is free to take part in the Britain in Bloom Neighbourhood Awards and groups of all sizes and make-up can join. To get involved go to www.rhs.org.uk/britaininbloom/neighbourhoodawards.asp or call 020 7821 3118.

www.rhs.org.uk/pressoffice

The RHS is the UK’s leading gardening charity dedicated to advancing horticulture and promoting good gardening. RHS work includes providing expert advice and information, advancing horticulture, training the next generation of gardeners, helping school children learn about plants, and conducting research into plants, pests and environmental issues affecting gardeners.

An interest in gardening is all you need to enjoy being a member of the RHS. For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk or call 0845 130 4646.

Founded in 1804, the Royal Horticultural Society is Britain's largest gardening charity and is committed to being the leading organisation demonstrating excellence in horticulture and promoting gardening. Renowned for its outstanding gardens and inspirational flower shows, the RHS is a key source of advice and information for all gardeners. It encourages gardening through its publications, trials, lectures, education programmes and scientific research and is home to the Lindley Library, which contains the most comprehensive collection of horticultural books in the world.

Membership of the Royal Horticultural Society offers many exclusive benefits including a monthly copy of The Garden magazine; free entrance to RHS Gardens Wisley in Surrey, Rosemoor in Devon, Hyde Hall in Essex and Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire; free access to a further 88 beautiful gardens across Britain and 20 gardens in Belgium and France; access to seeds collected at RHS gardens; free gardening advice and privileged tickets to 18 RHS flower shows, including the Chelsea Flower Show, the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park.

For further enquiries about membership of the RHS contact: Membership Department, Royal Horticultural Society, PO Box 313, London SW1P 2PE; 0845 130 4646 Monday - Friday 9.30am - 5pm or via the RHS website

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