Spring into Community,
Thursday 24 – Friday 25 April and Saturday 3 May 2025, 10:30 – 16:00 Free entry and parking included
- Free for local community groups and charities, supporting individuals facing barriers to visiting
- Three-day festival of activities and workshops at Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden
- Festival celebrates the Millennium Seed Bank’s 25th anniversary
- Activities are drop-in or bookable at the welcome tent each day, and open to all ages
This spring Wakehurst will host Spring into Community, a free, three-day event of activities and workshops for local community and charity groups that are new to Wakehurst, as well as existing group members of Wakehurst’s Community Access Scheme (CAS). Spring into Community opens the gardens for those who may face barriers to visiting and connects participants with the wonder of Wakehurst and Kew Science.
For the second annual Spring into Community event, this year celebrates the Millennium Seed Bank’s 25th anniversary, showcasing the magnificent world of seeds. Home to the world’s largest store of wild seeds, Kew's Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) is housed in Wakehurst’s 535 acres, and the gardens will be marking this milestone with seed-themed workshops, tours and activities. Spring into Community participants can enjoy accessible British Sign Language tours of the Millennium Seed Bank Atrium, and seed-matching workshops that shine the spotlight on the MSB’s celebrated links with global partnerships.
Wakehurst’s wider landscape also forms the perfect setting for horticultural inspiration throughout Spring into Community, and those looking to get hands-on can join a ‘Sow and Grow’ taster session or sustainable gardening workshop. For budding young ecologists, a seed-saving children’s workshop will sow the seeds of environmental passion. Community groups can also play a vital role in Wakehurst’s citizen science project, Trees for Bees. Data collected on a ‘pollinator safari’ will feed into the Nature Unlocked programme, as Wakehurst’s scientists are exploring biodiversity’s benefits to our pollinator population.
Harri Oliver, Participation Manager, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to host Spring into Community, which is all about celebrating community, science and horticulture at Wakehurst. As a team, we work with diverse audiences to ensure everyone can experience the joy and positive well-being effects of connecting with nature. We hope that every participant can spend the day with us at Wakehurst, exploring the gardens and finding a workshop or activity that resonates with them, so they can come away feeling empowered.”
Enjoying free garden entry throughout Spring into Community, visitors can experience Wakehurst’s wider landscape, abundant with spring blooms. April and May are the perfect time to see Wakehurst’s unmissable carpet of bluebells in Bethlehem Wood, whilst the Water Gardens burst into vibrant life with bold rhododendrons in an array of bold colours.
Wakehurst’s Community Access Scheme (CAS) was established in 2023 and aims to break down the physical, sensory, psychological, or social barriers that some face when visiting independently. CAS has so far welcomed 53 group members, encompassing services that support older people, people living with dementia, adults with learning disabilities and many more. CAS membership is valid for three years, and group members can enjoy exclusive workshops such as monthly gardening ‘Sow and Grow’ sessions, Glow Wild lantern-making workshops and more.
Groups can book at: kew.org/learning/community-access/community-access-at-wakehurst/spring-into-community
