The Friends Of St John’s Garden
St John’s Garden is a Site of Importance for Nature and Conservation.
As the Friends group, we care for the Garden and maintain it as a peaceful oasis for visitors, as well as supporting biodiversity through pollinator planting, habitat creation and biological monitoring.
We run activities for residents, businesses and visitors, using the space to improve wellbeing, creating opportunities for people to take a purposeful pause from their screens, enjoy the calm of the garden and discover a sense of shared purpose and satisfaction in protecting urban nature.
How we work - our 5 Principles
Care
The mission starts here, with care for the Garden, care for Nature, and care for each other as our starting point, creating a sense of pride in the Garden and inclusive belonging in the neighbourhood, showing that the smallest acts of care can have an outsized impact!
Community
At its core, community is what makes St John’s Garden special. Bringing together neighbours, businesses, local government, community organisations and visitors from all over the world, we aim to create a place for people to connect, whether they’re tending the Garden, walking the dog, exploring the neighbourhood or simply enjoying the quiet beauty of the park.
Culture
Culture, history and design are deeply ingrained in the neighbourhood. We hope to deepen people’s understanding of the Garden’s history and heritage and celebrate our community’s creativity through horticulture, sculpture, architecture and public art, enabling the garden to take its place at the heart of Islington’s designated cultural quarter.
Ecology
We want to protect what’s already special about this woodland garden, situated in an area with acute Deficiency in Access to Nature. We aim to significantly enhance biodiversity within the Garden, developing and monitoring its natural habitats, implementing a Biodiversity Action Plan, connecting our findings with regional and national data sets and working with partners to catalyse nature recovery in EC1 and beyond.
Connection
With the local neighbourhood and beyond! Farringdon is one of the best connected stations in London and we aim to bring connection into everything we do. From biodiversity projects, to wellbeing initiatives and neighbourhood walks, everything we do is done with the aim of joining the dots and connecting with the bigger picture, to more effectively support the community and nurture Nature.
Our Team
A committed committee of volunteers
All of our committee members work on a volunteer basis to help ensure the care of the garden, spearhead biodiversity projects, plan events and communicate/connect with the wider community. We also help with all of the back-of-house admin and fundraising to help us do the work we do in the garden.
Sarah Wood OBE
Community gardener
Horticulture student
Charity trustee
Tech founder
Ian Harrabin MBE
Conservationist
Chairman Historic
Coventry Trust
Urban regeneration developer with 30 years experience
Analisa Plehn
Team Coach, Facilitator and Mediator
Events, training and media business founder
Susanna Thornton
Biodiversity enthusiast Associate Producer
Writer, and online adventure Filmmaker & YouTube cycling Influencer
Elizabeth Chittenden
Keen cyclist
Community gardener
Lawyer who has called Clerkenwell her home for over 15 years
Aims of the Group
From the Constitution
Support LB Islington in maintaining and caring for St John’s Garden as a publicly accessible, inclusive and restorative space, 'a Garden for the quiet enjoyment and refreshment of the living;'
Protect and improve biodiversity and natural habitats in the Garden;
Celebrate the Garden’s unique history and heritage and its role at the heart of Islington’s cultural quarter;
Raise funds for the operations of the Group to deliver the Group’s strategic goals;
Enjoy ourselves along the way, connecting with each other and collaborating with residents, businesses and institutions around the neighbourhood, the borough and beyond!
Our Partners
Passionate about community, culture & urban wildlife.
