By Elliott West
Introduction
Amid Battersea, lies a very beautiful garden, an Eden of plants that adorn the rooftop of the STORM charity, a charity set up by my good friend Marie Hanson MBE in 2004 to help families through domestic violence. If you walk up the steps to the roof garden of this building, you are greeted with a metropolis of greenery. Beds of sweetcorn, tomatoes, courgettes, and marrows to name but a few and a multitude of flowers and plants, to many to mention. This garden is lovingly looked after by an army of volunteers, led by Malissa Ritchie, chair of the Doddington & Rollo roof garden committee, forever digging, planting, pruning and watering this magical oasis.
If you live in the flats on either side of the garden, you look at a canvas of colour. White blossoms cascade over the garden with inviting flowers that attract bees, birds and nature to suckle on. This garden was set up 5 years ago and used to be a car park. It has become a truly amazing place to visit and I am constantly amazed every time I visit, how it never ceases to evolve. It is the beating heart of the STORM charity that shows how green fingers can produce remarkable results. A haven is idyllic on a hot Summer’s day, sitting on a chair and admiring this lawn of life.
The Special Relationship
On the 7th of September 2023, STORM was graced with the visit of the US Ambassador to London, Jane Hartley accompanied by US Cultural Attache Pam DeVolder, Simon Hogg, Leader of Wandsworth Council, Cllr Kemi Akinola – Deputy Leader of the Council and Her Worshipful The Mayor of Wandsworth, Councillor Juliana AnnanThe charity has formed a strong friendship with Jane and she was delighted to accept an invitation to have a guided tour of the rooftop garden by Malissa Ritchie and view the location of five new plaques marking hazel trees planted by Queen Camilla during a Coronation visit and unveil a plaque commemorating her visit and the friendship that been formed between the US Embassy and STORM.
Jane spent over an hour in the garden and it was lovely to see how the visit brought a gleaming smile to her face. She spent time looking at all of the gardens on offer and was keen to ask a number of questions about the garden and the various plants. This was a joy to observe and shows how this brilliant Battersea charity not only helps others but is also truly appreciated by a number of people in high office. The US has always had a special relationship with Great Britain, first forged by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill during the Second World War and this is another example of this friendship in action. An appreciation of the local Battersea community and how under the brilliance of Marie Hanson, remarkable results can be achieved.
