It’s been a while since we last updated you about our project, but we have been busy developing ideas for designs for the front of the new wooden planters. We love the apple pictured here, designed by Kiera Brown, who is a Year 12 student at Logic Studio School in Feltham. Her design references the large number of local market gardens that grew fruit, vegetables and flowers for Londoners, including the ‘Feltham Beauty’ apple. Keira is studying art and hopes to go to university to study illustration and animation. Her ambition is to be a designer and illustrator, perhaps eventually designing logos and album covers. For our project she will be working with local artist Nadine Fletcher on designs for the nine planters.

Our fantastic project partner, Hounslow Men's Shed, has built a prototype planter to ensure the new ones will be sturdy and secure. We think it looks amazing - hope you agree! Many thanks to Paul Gibbinson.

The panel that will choose which ideas will be carved onto the fronts of our new oak planters are really pleased with the many, fantastic suggestions we have received so far. Please let us have yours by Friday 16 April, which is also when we will close our crowd-funding campaign. People have been so generous with their support and its been lovely to exchange personal messages with some of you. This will be our final Spacehive posting but please continue to keep in touch via Facebook or felthamgreen@outlook.com ps If you live locally and have graphic design skills, please get in touch - we may need your help!

We are gathering ideas about what to carve onto the fronts of the new oak planters to represent Feltham past and present. Suggestions so far include: poppies; the family crest of Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Roger Keyes, who unveiled the War Memorial by the Green on the High Street; references to Feltham’s history of market gardening. We are keen to gather as many suggestions as possible from people who have pledged to our crowdfunding campaign and/or who have a local connection, so please let us have your ideas. A small panel, led by the Friends of Feltham Green’s Chair, Angela Parton, will make the final choice. The planters will be made and carved during the summer, in time for planting up in the autumn. You can contact the Friends of Feltham Green by emailing us at felthamgreen@outlook.com We would love to hear from you. The deadline for making suggestions is April 16 2021. ps If you know anyone who was planning to make a pledge – it isn’t too late! We will be closing the crowdfunding campaign on 16 April and pledges can be made on the Spacehive platform until then. Thank you!

You will have seen the wonderful news that the Mayor of London has pledged to Flourishing Feltham Green, for which we are truly grateful. Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we have not only reached our original fundraising target, we have raised more than we had initially hoped. The additional funds will be spent on buying more mature plants for immediate impact, and for seasonal planting and bulbs, to provide year-round interest in the new planters. Our next priority will be to create a gravel feature in the 19th century water trough on the Green, which we will plant up with drought tolerant plants. The gravel relates to the many extraction pits that used to be located in Feltham and the planting references the impact of climate change. The latest research indicates that the series of droughts and heatwaves in Europe since 2014 is the most extreme for more than 2,000 years. We also plan to re-etch the dedication on the side of the trough. Any remaining funds will be used to renew planting around Feltham Pond. The Friends of Feltham Green have felt so encouraged by all the support we have received from individuals and local businesses – both in terms of pledges and heart-warming comments. We will post regular updates about the project’s progress and look forward to the planters being installed and ready for the Remembrance Day service in November. We can’t thank you enough for all you have done to help Feltham Green flourish.