All posts by SusanC

World Garden 30 years Celebrations

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World Garden community banner made at the June celebrations

Burgess Park World Garden at Chumleigh Gardens – November 2026 programme 

Exhibitions FREE
Thursday to Sundays, from 5 to 22 November, 12 to 6 pm
at the Chumleigh Gardens Almshouses

  • The world turned upside down by Flora Hunt
    Gabble Magazine presents a solo show of new work by artist Flora Hunt. Across two immersive archival installations, including sculpture, video and sound, Hunt traces the entanglement of community with the landscape of Burgess Park.
  • Photography about the history of the World Garden and its plants
    Archive photographs have been gathered together from many places for the exhibition and show how the garden was originally conceived and how it has changed.

Family art workshops FREE drop-in sessions
will take place outside in Chumleigh Gardens if weather permits or otherwise at No 3 Chumleigh Gardens (NB 4 steps at the entrance). Children must be accompanied by parent/carer.

Poster for the postcard making workshops celebrating 30 years of the World Garden in Burgess Park
  • Saturday 7 November 1.30 to 3.00pm
    Postcards from around the World workshop with Tara Schwarze-Chintapatla
    Travel the World Garden and be inspired to make your own botanical postcard. The World Garden has gardens representing continents and cultures including: Mediterranean, Islamic, Asian, African, Oceanian and the English garden.

More details

Sunday 22 November 1.30 to 3.00pm
Plant label making workshop with Monica Heeran 
Using different techniques and materials, design and make plant labels to go up in the World Garden and take home. Identify the plants which are important to you, represent your culture and territory and how you name and describe the plant and its uses. This workshop uses tools and is not suitable for small children.

Renewing the World Garden planting workshops
Friends of Burgess Park are also hosting two facilitated workshops on renewing the World Garden planting to include representation of plants from Africa and the Caribbean (date tbc) and Latin America (Sunday 22 Nov 12 to 2pm).
If you are interested in attending please email friendsofburgessark@gmail.com.

Priorities for the new council May 2026

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As we head towards the local council elections on 7 May these are the top priorities FOBP is asking the new council to tackle:

Large music events – FOBP is asking the council to review the events policy for Burgess Park. The size and scale of the commercial events 2025 was too big; too much of the park is fenced off; the increased size of the crowd creates too much damage to the ground and grass.  Read more about our call for changes to the council policies for large events in Burgess Park.

Safe cycling routes AROUND Burgess Park – FOBP is calling for (i) safe cycle routes around Burgess Park – the Burgess Park orbital route – (ii) better signage that park routes are shared pedestrian/cyclists. Read more about FOBP activity on cycling.

Metropolitan Open Land (MOL)- Southampton Way – FOBP is campaigning with other local groups for the designated MOL land to be incorporated into Burgess Park. It is important that there is commitment to: this land remaining as MOL and being restored as green space and a local vision for this to happen. Read more about the MOL land.

Floating island and volunteers who have helped assemble.

Small island restored

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FOBP is restoring the small islands on the lake.  We are replacing the buoyancy and replanting. The islands will help with oxygenation of the water and be a refuge for lake waterfowl.

Small floating island towed into place after being assembled on the lake edge.

In November 2025 one of the small islands was returned to the lake. The new buoyancy is the foam filled pipes around the island, replaced coir mat and new plants. The plants will dieback in the winter but regrow in the spring, protected by the wire cages.  

Island base new pipe surround
Pipes back to the lake
Island reassembled and floating

We will monitor the island over the winter. We have another island to restore with new buoyancy which will be returned to the lake in spring 2026.

Cutting the plastic pipes
Polyurethane foam for buoyancy
Foam expands to fill the pipe

FOBP AGM 2026

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Come to the Friends of Burgess Park AGM! Tuesday 24 November 2026  7.00 to 8.30 pm. At 1st Place Children and Family Centre, Chumleigh Gardens, SE5 0RN. Or online Zoom.

Please book on Eventbrite to help us know numbers of people coming.

Find out about plans for the lake; the woodlands; new planting plans and tell us what’s important for FOBP to do and what should be our priorities for 2027.

Agenda 

Refreshments 6.30-7.00pm and meeting at 7.00pm

  1. Report on the last year – update on FOBP priorities and projects
  2. Presentation from Holly Weber, Southwark Council, Ecology Officer and Tom Brodies LWT on the woodlands
  3. Discussion on priorities for next year 
  4. Formal AGM
    • Outline of FOBP committee activity 
    • Financial report 
    • Election of committee 

AGM – FOBP committee election – We need new committee members  – Support your local park an important inner city green space, vital for local people and nature. 

Committee member – As a committee member you will help to run the organisation; our aims are to protect, promote and enhance Burgess Park. We do this by speaking-up on behalf of the park, promoting the wildlife and nature, and organising practical park based activities.  

Read more about our vision, values and aims

Read more about committee roles

FOBP monthly meetings are on Tuesday evenings (first Tuesday) from 7.00 to 8.30pm. Meetings are hybrid join in person at 1st Place or online. Project groups – meet as needed and decided by the group. 

Get involved in project groups:

  • Organising quarterly walk abouts with the Parks team
  • Running community litterpics
  • Coming to practical sessions making small islands for the lake and nature conservation at Southampton Way entrance 
  • Planning community engagement woodlands activity working with LWT
  • Help to organise the World Garden events in June 2027  

Everyone is more than welcome! FOBP is a community group open to park users, local residents, volunteers, local groups and reps from TRAs and other organisations with an interest in Burgess Park. Please come along! 

We look forward to seeing you. 

Accessibility information 

This event is held in person and with an online link via Zoom

There is step free access to 1st Place Children and Family Centre. There are accessible toilets. We will be serving non-alcoholic drinks and snacks.  

Location – What three words: https://w3w.co/supply.trip.wake 

AGM poster with photos of FOBP activities at the World garden June event and a litterpic
Woodland signage showing QR code

Woodlands

woodlands

Burgess Park woodlands activities winter/spring 2024

Butterfly habitat management project – Albany Road woodlands

Join our woodlands maintenance session Sat 27 Jan 11.00 to 3.30 we will be clearing brambles and coppicing to enhance the woodland glade in the Albany Road woodlands. Please book here.

This volunteer woodlands maintenance is the first phase of the works to open-up the woodland glades by coppicing and bramble removal. Southwark Council will organise this volunteer work session.

The second phase will be run by Big City Butterfly Project, who will employ a contractor to; de-turf, remove roots and sow the area with a meadow mix within the glade which we will create.

This is part of the Friends of Burgess Park healthy woodlands project. We have also been awarded funding from the Southwark Council Cleaner Greener Safer fund for a new pathway. Find out more about Burgess Park woodlands.

Celebration 26 March 2023 Passmore Edwards bicentenary

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Old sepia image of the library and overwritten with event details
Join Friends of Burgess Park celebrations Sunday 23 March 2023

Celebrate the Grade II listed building and it’s benefactor Passmore Edwards.

This year marks the 200th anniversary of Passmore Edwards’ birth on 24th March 1823, and Friends of Burgess Park is joining with others around the UK to celebrate the Passmore Edwards 200 Festival. We’ll be holding a programme of events based at the old library, baths and washhouse on Wells Way on Sunday 26th March. There’s an exhibition about the man and his legacy, children’s activities, a commemorative tree-planting, and a reading by local author Jacqueline Crooks from her new book, refreshments and more.

Bike Tour 2-4pm We’ve also organised a short Bike Tour around three of Passmore Edwards’ south London buildings, guided by a renowned local architect. You can book now for the bike tour 2pm to 4pm on Eventbrite – places are limited to 25, so book early!

Commemorative Tree Planting 4.00- 4.30pm- Across the country Rowan trees are being planted to celebrate the Passmore Edwards bicentenary, join us from 4pm for the tree planting and reading by local author Jacqueline Crooks from her new book Fire Rush, and refreshments.

Exhibition 1-5.30pm – Find out more about Passmore Edwards with an exhibition on loan from the Passmore Edwards legacy. Plus more about the old library bath and washhouse building its history and future role benefitting local people.

Read more about Passmore Edwards and the library.