Richmond takes part in charity fundraising Open Gardens event

The beautiful grounds at the Richmond campus were on full display yesterday, Sunday 2 June, as part of the Richmond Hill Open Gardens event. This community event seeks to involve as many people as possible for the benefit of two very worthwhile local charities, with all proceeds going towards Shooting Star Children’s Hospices and The Holly Lodge Centre.

Approximately 700 people visited the gardens at Richmond, taking great interest in both the main campus building and the gardens. Richmond’s extensive gardens contain many rare specimens of plants and trees, many of which are registered with Kew Gardens.

The original 11 acre site was a local manor house belonging to Squire Williams, reduced to five acres in 1975 by compulsory purchase of the sports fields for the Vineyard School. Many of the trees and plants were gathered and planted by Squire Williams as well as the missionaries who lived at Richmond when the building was used as a college for training Methodist missionaries for both home and abroad.