Cat joined the BPCG staff team in September 2016. She is a professional gardener, art psychotherapist, potter and stained glass maker. She has an RHS Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practices of Horticulture, a Masters in Psychoanalytic Studies and a Post Graduate Diploma in Art Psychotherapy. She also has a BA in Sculpture. She is licenced to drive buses and is a pretty good fiddle player!

Cat likes to engage people from all walks of life in gardening and she is a strong advocate for the restorative powers of horticulture and the arts. She believes that gardens are full of images and metaphors about living and dynamic processes. Engagement with the living world, our breathing planet, are an enriching experience open to all. Cat works Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

Charlene is passionate about engaging children with the natural world. After years of working as a teacher in local primary schools, she became an environmental educator, developing programmes for getting children out of the classroom and into the outdoors. Through her masters in Education for Sustainable Development, she learned the value of giving children first-hand experience of the world around them.

Charlene is a champion for things that creep and crawl. She loves when she can encourage kids to overcome their aversion to minibeasts – when children go from squealing with fear to squealing with delight. She wants every young visitor to the greenhouses to go away with a greater appreciation of the wildlife on their doorstep and the green spaces around them.

As well as working at the gardens, she is a learning volunteer at the Natural History Museum facilitating interactions with specimens in this historic collection. She enjoys bike rides in the countryside and often rocks up to work transporting education resources in her cargo bike. Charlene works Monday – Thursday.

Kirsty is an artist and educator who has been with BPCG for over a year working with SEN schools and early years. She loves how abundant the gardens are to teach among and with, and how they transform through the seasons, giving with each new stage.

She is also a curious cook, a qualified yoga teacher, finds freedom on her bike, and is often found gleaning from the streets of South East London.

Steph started volunteering with BPCG in May 2020 and has been a member of the propagation team growing house plants, and a designer of the seating circle border. She completed a Level 2 diploma in work-based Horticulture at Walworth Garden.

Before coming to the Greenhouses Steph worked in theatre for over 10 years in a variety of different roles including managing hires, box office and events as well as on stage as an actor/musician.

Steph is excited to be facilitating the events and activities happening at the Greenhouses! She works full time, usually Monday to Friday, but also manages the Sunday gigs.

Joanna David is the new chair of the Trustees for Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses, elected last November. She retired six years ago after many years in local government working in policy, housing and social care and is now a community gardener working alongside tenants and residents on a local housing estate, as well as with refugees at a local refugee support charity.

She is a strong advocate of the significant and wide ranging health benefits that gardening brings and hope that the skills and experience she gained in the workplace, as well as many years of involvement in the community and voluntary sectors, will be useful in her new role. She is delighted to have the opportunity to support this wonderful charity and to help staff, the trustees and our volunteers to build on its many successes and continue to offer a beautiful space for local people to enjoy.

Ian has lived near the greenhouses since moving into the area in 2019. Growing up in a gardening family, he was often found lending a hand in his grandfather’s garden and greenhouse. He has a keen interest in cooking and volunteers in making produce for the shop when he can. He is a chartered accountant and became a trustee in 2022.

Janet became a Trustee towards the end of 2019. Her background is in the public sector and she is a solicitor by profession. She loves gardening (particularly things you can eat or that are bee friendly) and she sees becoming a Trustee as the opportunity to give something back to the community now that she has retired. She also sees it as a chance to make new friends, learn more about the technical side of gardening. And help at some of the diverse events that are organised at the greenhouses.

Lucie has been a BPCG volunteer for 5 years and a resident of Lambeth for 25 years. Brockwell Park is her sanctuary and for her BPCG is the jewel in the crown within it and a resource that is both precious to her personally and a huge asset to the local community. Lucie has over 30 years’ experience of senior leadership in a range of third sector social justice organisations. She is currently the CEO of Street Doctors, empowering young people affected by violence with emergency first aid skills and increasing their understanding of the consequences of violence. Lucie is a qualified social worker, was one of the founders of the Big Issue, and set up its charity The Big Issue Foundation. She also has a range of senior level communications and campaigning expertise including in Director level positions at the Prison Reform Trust, YoungMinds, the Young Foundation and at The Barrow Cadbury Trust.

Verena has been volunteering with BPCG for about 10 years. Initially chipping in with whatever task needed doing, Verena helped to replant the herb garden in 2015 and has been looking after this space ever since. Keen to support the charity and its community at this critical moment, Verena hopes to assist staff and fellow trustees with the running of the charity – ranging from helping out at events to reviewing health & safety procedures.

As a volunteer, she would like to develop the herb garden further, unlocking its potential by promoting the use of herbs via BPCG’s activities. Verena currently works as a manager at a large national museum. She became trustee in 2022.

Kate was Director from 2016 until 2022 and played an enormous part in helping the charity to become what it is today by fundraising, renovating and developing the site, expanding our events and workshop programmes and our production of retail products. Before working at BPCG, Kate worked in Fairtrade.

Since 2022, Kate has pursued her life long passion for horticulture and is working as a self employed gardener in South London. She still organises Gigs at the Greenhouses and cooks for BPCG too.

Chris has been gardening for 40 years and his horticultural interests have been many and varied over that time. An adventurous gardener by nature, he was converted to exotics in 1993 by Christopher Lloyd and been growing Cannas, Bananas and Gingers ever since. He is the architect of the charity’s 2015 climate awareness planting – the Hot! Border.

He was elected as a trustee in 2015 and to the Chair from 2018-22 where he led the charity’s Barn project, individual giving development and retail development.