LOCAL GARDEN VOLUNTEERS WIN MAJOR KINGS AWARD!

On 14th November 2024, an official announcement was made that ;

‘His Majesty The King approved the KAVS National Assessment Committee’s recommendation that the volunteers of The Lady Ryder Memorial Garden Volunteer Group should receive  The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) 2024. This represents a tremendous achievement and we hope that the group’s volunteers will feel immensely proud of it"

The Lady Ryder Memorial Garden (LRMG) is walled within the grounds of St Katharines Parmoor a retreat House in Frieth between Marlow and Henley. Derelict 12 years ago it was taken over by a group of volunteers organised by Lady Anne Parmoor and opened by Sir Terry Wogan. Its aim is the restoration and development of a productive garden primarily to provide learning opportunities and activities for children and adults with a wide range of physical and learning disabilities and mental health issues. Currently the garden and its activities are used free of charge by a number of local groups including SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Schools in High Wycombe, Amersham and Beaconsfield, adults from Talkback in High Wycombe,  members of Dementia Action Marlow and recently pupils from Frieth School with several more organisations looking to attend. Garden produce is used in  StKatharines, is sold at the community stall and any excess goes to One Can Trust High Wycombe.

The LRMG provides its visitors with a range of gardening experiences, learning opportunities and activities in a welcoming, peaceful and safe space within a beautifully restored walled garden. Each one of the 25 volunteers give their time and range of abilities - or none! to the various needs of the garden in a friendly  and cooperative atmosphere which goes a long way to create the positive environment so beneficial to the visitors.

Open Day July 2023  

The Rev Robert Pastell, Chair of the SRPF Truestees and one of our local councillors Zahir Mohammed spoke excellently