QPF is a group of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds, with a keen interest in gardening and improving public green spaces. Since transforming a piece of derelict land with an old caretaker’s hut into a pocket park in 2019, we have been working in both directions along the promenade by the Thames
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The Queen's Promenade Friends is a community group that was set up by a few local residents who wanted to improve the Queen's Promenade along the River Thames in Kingston.
Our volunteers vary in age from their twenties to seventies, and we all enjoy the company of each other while regenerating an area with plants and encouraging wildlife and biodiversity.
This mixed group has become a synchronicity of mindfulness and learning, for example most of us had never constructed a path, restored heritage fencing or even thought about a planting plan!
The Friends are in this project together and enjoy the stimulating challenges that a volunteer day brings; everyone learning from each other with no pressure.
The outcomes have been significant. An area that was barren is now occupied regularly by The Friends who welcome all visitors to the site. For the first time in decades, flowers, often donated by the community, are blooming on the site and the biodiversity is increasing. A loggery for beetles and a stumpery for ferns have been constructed, five bird boxes and a bat box are sited in the trees, a bug hotel has been made along with three raised beds, a wheelchair friendly path and a dry-stone wall.
Many heritage pieces like Victorian benches and railings have been dug up on the site which have been restored and reused for the first time in decades.
Over the years we have pruned bushes back into shape, done copious amounts of weeding, planted perennials and have generally restored pride and beauty along the promenade. In so doing, we have created a Riverview Garden, a Figgy Garden, improved the entrances to the promenade with refreshed planting and have recently embarked on restoring to former glory an old Victorian Italian Garden on a section of terraces.
There are a number of ways you can help out at Queen’s Promenade Pocket Park and we are always on the lookout for new volunteers. We meet twice weekly (Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning). To get involved, send an email to queenspromfriends@gmail.com.
“We are proud of the creation of a pocket park and of the significant improvement of this beautiful stretch along the river Thames between Surbiton and Kingston.” – Stefan Gross, Chair
You do such amazing work everyone to make our environment a better place. A huge thank you from us all in Kingston!
Queen's Promenade
Portsmouth Road
Kingston
London
KT1 2ND
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