Who are we?

It was in 1994 that the Friends of St George's Gardens first organised themselves to be the 'voice' for one of the most charming public landscapes in inner London. The Gardens had become very neglected so the Friends pressed for them to be included in a bid for lottery funding being put together by Camden Council. The bid was successful, with four other parks and gardens also receiving Urban Parks Programme funds – St Pancras’ Gardens, Russell Square, Waterlow Park and Hampstead Cemetary. The restored St George’s Gardens opened in 2001. Since then the Friends have continued to provide a focus for local people interested in the Gardens’ upkeep and future. The challenges are different but the Gardens still need ‘voice’.

Family membership costs £6 a year, but £3 concessionary memberships are just as welcome. The Friends also have corporate supporters – local businesses whose annual subscriptions pay for the main Friends event of the year, the St George’s Gardens Day party.

The Gardens were originally a graveyard, opened in 1713 as the first ever Anglican burial ground to be set apart from the churches it served.  In the 1880s, and no longer used for burials, it was one of the first graveyards to be redesigned as a Victorian 'outdoor sitting room'. The Gardens are now a much loved and treasured local amenity. It is on the Register of historic parks and gardens, listed Grade 2*. They remain consecrated ground.

The Friends have have mailing list of  around 150 and a committed and active Committee which meets monthly. Most of the Friends live locally and use the Gardens regularly, but a number of more distant friends have personal and family links to the Gardens and use us to keep in touch with their roots. There is an Annual General Meeting once a year when Friends  can question the Committee and make suggestions for looking after and using the Gardens. Current concerns are with planning proposals on the south side of the Gardens, and plans for a sensory garden on the old greenhouse site.

Friends Projects

The Friends are not responsible for maintaining the Gardens - that is the job of Camden Council's Parks and Gardens Department and their contractors. But as regular users of the Gardens the Friends see what is going well and what is less successful and give the maintenance staff constant feedback.

The Friends also take forward special projects outside Camden’s maintenance programme. In 2005 the Friends raised £13000 to restore the railings round the memorial for Robert Nelson on the south side of the Gardens. Robert Nelson was one of the first people to be buried here in 1715. A philanthropist and leading lay churchman, he commissioned  fifty new churches. By choosing to be buried away from his church he helped make the new burial ground fashionable.

Other Friends projects include:

- Planning and fundraising for a Sensory Garden on the old greenhouse site beside the main entrance.

- Collection of Memories of the Gardens from local residents. These appear on the website already and other display methods are being investigated.