News and Events

Our Newsletter

We produce a Newsletter four times a year, which is packed with news, information, photos and articles about everything that has been happening at Minstead Training Project. To download the latest Newsletter click on the download button to the right and the Newsletter will open in a new window. You will need Adobe Reader to view the Newsletter.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show March 2012 update

Preparations are coming on in leaps and bounds! The project seems to be taking on a life of its own some days. When we get together for our now frequent meetings people are brimming with ideas, and many people as they hear about us are also suggesting spin-offs and further adventures!

One unexpected benefit of the Chelsea Project is that it gave Tim a little extra leverage to use in his ongoing discussions with Hampshire Highways to get School Lane improved. They have now done a fabulous job.

We have now received the Exhibitors Pack from the RHS which is an incredibly detailed handbook an inch thick which has to followed to THE LETTER! Trustee Richard offered to be the one to inwardly digest this tome and make sure that members of the team knew what was relevant to them. There are 1001 forms and deadlines! Poor Richard is dreaming forms…. thank goodness for Chris’ partner and project manager Frances who of course has done all this before and is making sure that nothing falls through the gap.

We have arranged to rent a ‘safe house’ south of the Thames for the period of the build, during the show, and days of dismantling. We considered all kinds of accommodation, exploring several kind offers of subsidised but ultimately unsuitable provision, opting in the end for a four bedroom house rented privately. This will allow us to ensure everyone’s safety and comfort. It means that we can have someone there all the time, preparing meals and packed lunches, shopping and housekeeping for the team. The flexible arrangement means that we can accommodate students doing shifts and respond to possible illness as well as being a sanctuary for everyone that is comfortable and under our control.

We are currently working very hard to arrange transport to Chelsea for plants, materials and the Lantern. Tim is constantly networking trying to find hauliers and other transport companies who would be willing to help us for less than the usual rates, in return for publicity. Tentative offers are on the table so we all have our fingers crossed.

Horticulture

The horticultural team have potted up hundreds of herbaceous plants such as foxgloves and candelabra primulas. Thirty or so mature shrubs have been carefully excavated with the help of a bobcat digger and potted up into enormous pots ready for the journey up to London. Many are currently sheltering in the lee of a hedge in the nursery. Chris is working closely with us and helping to source plant material that we do not have on site.

Hilliers in Romsey have kindly agreed to lend us some enormous trees to go at the back of the show garden, and we are sourcing some rare Rhododendrons that were once in the gardens but have been lost over the years. Not only will Furzey Gardens be left with the legacy of the Lantern and other elements of the show garden after the show, but also richer in these heritage plants.

The Lantern

The building team have finished the lantern building, the focus of the garden. It stands in anticipation, giving the thatch a chance to weather before Simon dismantles it ready for transport. We have experimented with attaching the glass Rhododendron macabeanum leaves into the gaps between the spiny oak – they look truly breathtaking when the sun shines through them.

Chris has also asked Simon to make a bridge to go in the foreground of the garden – a tiny fairy door is partly hidden there!

Fundraising

The fundraising team are busy making the most of the last 10 weeks before the show! Our budget has grown to £70,000 (as budgets tend to!). Our total is up to about £42,000 so far, so we have a way to go, although there are several projects in hand.

We have displays in the Gallery to encourage Garden visitors to donate to our fund.

On the 10th March we held a Chelsea Ball at Minstead Lodge. This had two main aims – firstly, to include the residents of Minstead in our Chelsea project and give them all a chance to hear Chris Beardshaw talk and chat to him through the evening. Secondly we hoped that it would raise funds towards the project and indeed due to the generosity of villagers we raised £5000 – a wonderful boost!

Publicity

The publicity team are working hard to make sure that as many people as possible know about our project and more importantly our reason for undertaking it. It is all about learning disability! We want to bring to the national consciousness just what people with learning disabilities can achieve given appropriate support.

Laura Trant of BBC South Today is a long time supporter of Furzey Gardens and promised early on in the project to film our preparations. Our first session took place at the end of February when Laura and cameraman Ian came along to interview Simon, Pete and Tim. They also filmed and interviewed students at work in the nursery and making the glass Rhododendron macabeanum leaves.