Addleshaw Goddard-sponsored garden gets new start at youth charity
An award-winning Chelsea Flower Show garden, visited by King Charles and Queen Camilla, is now inspiring homeless youths 400 miles away in Scotland.
The Addleshaw Goddard Junglette Garden, sponsored by the law firm and designed by Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews of Mike McMahon Studio, has been donated to Rock Trust, the Scottish youth homeless charity supporting people between the ages of 16-25.
The garden won a Gold Award at the show and was chosen for a visit by the King due to his passion for sustainability, a theme which runs through the design.
Addleshaw Goddard has partnered with Rock Trust for the past few years, helping to unlock the potential of young people and providing them with opportunities to grow and thrive.
After the show ended, the garden was deconstructed, packed up and transported to Edinburgh. The environmental impact of transporting the garden to Scotland was carbon offset by Addleshaw Goddard the project produced the best environmental impact possible.
Rock Trust Youth Housing Hub is a friendly space in the heart of the city where young people aged 16-25, who are affected by or at risk of homelessness, are offered a wide range of advice and support, from advice on benefits and employment to taking part in formal and informal group work and 1-1 activities to help them develop their independent living skills and employability, and access training and volunteering opportunities.
Danny McDonagh, Rock Trust Youth Housing Hub lead, said: “We’re thrilled that after a wet and windy winter, Rock Trust’s garden is getting a much-needed makeover.
“Addleshaw Goddard has generously offered to come to our rescue with volunteers and a wonderful donation of flora from the Chelsea Flower Show. This will create a beautiful space for our young people to enjoy over the summer.
“We can’t wait to see it bloom and are incredibly grateful for this support. The young people attending our activities are excited about learning new skills through the gardening workshop, which will give them the chance to design and create a space that truly belongs to them.”
Jewlsy Mathews, of Mike McMahon Studio, said: “We’re ecstatic that the Addleshaw Goddard Junglette Garden is poised to thrive again, at Rock Trust in Edinburgh.
“This transition signifies a pivotal and impactful moment in the garden’s evolution. It heralds the dawn of a lasting partnership that Mike McMahon Studio will foster at Rock Trust, engaging its young people through an ongoing series of workshops.
“Mike studied at the Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow so it means a lot to us to see the garden coming to Scotland. Our aim is to ensure the garden’s legacy transcends the bounds of the Chelsea Flower Show, enriching lives well into the future.”
Alan Shanks, head of Scotland at Addleshaw Goddard, said: “We could think of no better way to sustainably extend the life of the Addleshaw Goddard Junglette Garden, which has sparked the imagination of crowds at Chelsea, than to see it have even more impact on the lives on young people here through Rock Trust.
“Our business’ CSR strategy is based around the objective of ‘unlocking young potential’ and this is a fantastic way to support that ambition.”