Havering’s Sensory Garden wins three London in Bloom Awards!

Well done to Shelley, Rebecca and their fantastic team of volunteers. It is people like them who have kept this community going for so many years. Their work is invaluable and it is time they are given praise for the endless work they have done and will keep doing across Havering.

The Sensory Garden in Harrow Lodge, Hornchurch, is run by Shelley and her incredible team from Havering Volunteer Centre.

This year, the team are very proud to announce they have received a brand new achievement for the open space they look after in Harrow Lodge Park!

London in Bloom visited and judged the Sensory Garden located in Harrow Lodge Park, between the Sports Centre and the Havering Mind building in July this year. The garden didn’t win one award, it didn’t win two awards, but it won an incredible three awards!

• In Your Neighbourhood – Level 5 Outstanding

• Our Community – Silver Gilt missing out on gold by 1 point

• Small Parks – Silver Gilt, a brand new entry for 2024

This is an incredible achievement for Shelley and her team. It is a stunning garden that is run solely by volunteers and members of the community who support the amazing work Havering Volunteer Centre do in our community.

Shelley Hart CEO of Havering Volunteering Centre told the Havering Daily: “This space is looked after purely by volunteers from Havering Volunteer Centre and the Friends of Group. Everyone involved with the Sensory Garden is thrilled to have received these awards. 

To think almost 9 years ago, I walked into a derelict run down, closed, baron space with a vision and a passion to make this space vibrant again and to see where it is today. An award winning outdoor space, in fact the only outdoor public recreational space dedicated for sensory impairments in Havering! It’s truly marvellous and testament to how vital volunteers and this space are to those who need it most.”

The garden has not been without its complexities, besides it being a living organism and constantly growing; it faced the most devastating act of vandalism in Summer 2023. Nevertheless, Shelley and her team of volunteers, supported by wonderful members of the community came back fighting and continued their good work. 

Havering Volunteer Centre are always looking for more members of the community to join their Garden Green Team, if you would like to get involved please contact them at Volunteering@haveirngvc.org.uk or give them a call on 01708 922 214. 

The garden is frequently visited and used by many members of the public, with the Partially Sighted Society recently hosting their Summer Tea and Cake gathering in July 2024 and Havering Mind turning into a Winter Spectacular yearly. 

Well done to Shelley, Rebecca and their fantastic team of volunteers. It is people like them who have kept this community going for so many years. Their work is invaluable and it is time they are given praise for endless work they have done and will keep doing across Havering!

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