The Mark Evison Foundation would like to warmly invite you to join them at The Royal Gardens at Highgrove on 27th June – a wonderful time in the garden, with the wild meadow at its best.
Created with imagination and passion by HRH The Prince of Wales over the last 38 years, the series of interlinked organic gardens reflect his deep commitment to sustainability, as well as a natural artistic ability. As an important haven for a rich variety of flora and fauna, the gardens have been developed to not only please the eye, but sit in succinct harmony with nature.
Arrival is at 10.30am to take high-quality garden tours in small groups led by one of Highgrove’s expert guides. This popular two-hour tour explores the breadth and width of the Royal Gardens at Highgrove, taking in the magnificence of the Thyme Walk to the serene, otherworldly setting of The Stumpery, and everything in between. This tour will reveal the stories behind each distinctive space, and how The Prince shaped the landscape into a series of eclectic and highly personal gardens, from what was once just lawn.
Following the tour, there will be a two-course lunch with wine at 12.30pm. It is a fascinating garden and a great experience, with thanks to Prince Charles. (A bus will go from Dulwich, if interested.) Tickets £85. RSVP as soon as possible to info@markevisonfoundation.org
About
The Mark Evison Foundation’s mission is to promote the personal development of young people through non-academic challenge.
The Foundation works in London state schools with 16 and 17-year olds, many from disadvantaged backgrounds: over 70 partner schools benefit at present from this outreach School Awards scheme. Students’ projects, carried out individually or in groups, must be well outside their ‘comfort zones’ and created from scratch. The power of the learning achieved from challenges built around something applicants want to do, which they plan themselves (with a very light touch of help from the Foundation) and which is not syllabus-driven, is palpable. The projects are usually transformative precisely because students take ownership of them in every way. The awards take students out of their classrooms and beyond the syllabuses that constrain so much of their learning. Many award winners describe their challenges as the most impactful experiences of their young lives. They all comment on the confidence and courage they gain, they value the chance to hone nascent aptitudes and develop new skills. They learn to take on leadership roles, to work as a team and to think laterally. Awards are given for physical challenges, but there are impressive creative and technological challenges undertaken too.
School Awards carry expenses funding up to £500: it is projected that over 100 School Awards will be made this year, benefitting approximately 300 young people.
Major awards are there for 19-25 year olds to carry out bigger projects: these carry expenses of up to £5000.
The sense of achievement award winners feel is clear in the powerful accounts which they write afterwards. (See the Foundation’s home page www.markevisonfoundation.org for a plethora of uplifting stories).
Mark Evison died in Helmand, Afghanistan as a young lieutenant in the British Army in May 2009: he was trying to get his platoon to safety, and his story inspires many of our young applicants.