DAMON HILL SWAPS HORSEPOWER FOR FLOWER POWER AT HAMPTON COURT FLOWER SHOW
01/07/2004
The Down's Syndrome Association is supporting a major exhibit at the Hampton Court Flower Show. The garden has been created by the Garden Gang, a local company offering work training for people with learning disabilities.
Issue date: Thursday 1st July 2004
Damon Hill swaps ‘Horse Power’ for ‘Flower Power’ at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show
http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/pdfs/Gardengang.jpg
CAPTION: Damon Hill (Patron of the Down's Syndrome Association and F1 World Champion), Carol Boys, (Chief Executive of the Down's Syndrome Association) and David Brun (Team Leader at the Garden Gang) admire the Italian Garden at the Hampton Court Flower Show 2004
At 11.00am on Monday 5th July, F1 World Champion Damon Hill will celebrate the opening of a stunning exhibition garden at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show. Damon, who is patron of the Down’s Syndrome Association, and has a teenage son with Down’s syndrome, was invited to open the garden by The Garden Gang, a local company employing people with learning disabilities.
Damon Hill said at the launch: “It is great to see people with learning disabilities creating something that most of us would be completely incapable of achieving. The Garden Gang have put an enormous amount of time and energy into creating this beautiful garden. They are an inspiration to me as the parent of a child with a learning disability.”
David Brum, Senior Landscape Officer for the Garden Gang added: “It has been hard work but we hope people will agree that the results are worth it. We are delighted to have forged links with the Down’s Syndrome Association since it moved its head office into Teddington last year. We look forward to a long, close relationship with the charity.”
The Garden Gang has garden landscaping and maintenance contracts with several local organisations including the Langdon Down Centre where the Down’s Syndrome Association is based. The Langdon Down Centre employs the team to manage the upkeep of the gardens on the site of the old Normansfield hospital, former home of Victorian physician Dr Langdon Down who gave his name to Down’s syndrome.
This year’s design is a two tier Italian garden in the Classical tradition. There is a pond and 5 metre high fountain on the lower tier, surrounded by a sophisticated mix of planting including crocosmia, agapanthus, artemesia and fennel and salvias. The upper tier is a gallery bedecked with troughs of planting which allows a birds-eye view of the garden below.
For further information on the Down’s Syndrome Association please contact:
Sarah Waights, Down’s Syndrome Association, Tel: .
For further information on the Garden Gang, please contact: David Brum on .
For further information on the RHS and the Hampton Court Flower Show please contact: Kerry Law on .