St George PLC property developers joined forces with Thames Reach to create a roof garden for residents of a hostel for the homeless.
Stephen Embrey, managing director of St George South London, said: “St George recognises the importance of contributing to the community it is involved in.
“We are pleased that we are able to help the Thames Reach Bondway hostel by providing the landscaped roof garden at Graham House and hope it provides a sanctuary for those in need.
“The idea followed a visit to the hostel as part of HRH The Prince of Wales's ‘Seeing is Believing’ programme, which invites business leaders to see for themselves how business can play a role in tackling some of Britain's most pressing social issues.”
Jeremy Swain, chief executive of Thames Reach Bondway, said: “This is a great example of businesses putting something back into the community. The roof garden is a green oasis in the heart of inner city London giving hostel residents a space in which they can relax.”
St George commissioned Bartholomew Landscapes to design the roof garden.
Designer Barry Burrows said: “We wanted to soften the rather barren, industrial roof top by using large, light blue plant containers filled with a selection of aromatic scented plants and winter flowering jasmine and by planting evergreen climbers to provide a green, flowering barrier to enclose the space.”
Barry recognised the importance of involving hostel dwellers in the garden project. “Part of our plan was to leave some of the plant pots empty to encourage the residents to get involved in the rooftop garden by planting some of their own favourites, such as sweet peas, sunflowers and herbs.”
Graham House - which opened in September 2001 - provides 69 high quality single rooms for homeless men and women. The project’s emphasis is to work with older entrenched rough sleepers with the aim of resettling them into permanent accommodation.
