RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2007 - Centrepoint to unveil garden at Hampton Court

Hampton Court Flower Show will feature a new garden created exclusively by gold-medal winning designer Claire Whitehouse for leading youth homelessness charity Centrepoint.

This garden will highlight Centrepoint's exciting new apprenticeship scheme, which combines work experience and skills acquisition to help homeless young people back into the world of work. For the first gardening apprentices, it will be a vehicle to showcase their new talents.

The garden has been inspired by the wishes, needs and creativity of Centrepoint’s young people to encapsulate their 'ideal' garden.

"When I first started working with Centrepoint I was struck by how the charity helps a whole range of homeless young people, including single mothers with small children," explains Claire. "By providing them with a comfortable, secure home and access to appropriate training, Centrepoint really changes these young people's lives around. I hope that the garden at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show helps to publicise the wonderful work that Centrepoint does in giving these young people the chance of a fresh start in life"

.The Centrepoint garden will be divided into four distinct areas, making it a versatile space for the range of young people that Centrepoint works with. There will be a play area for babies and toddlers, a sunken seated area where young people can spend time together, and a relaxing chill out area where they can find calm and solace away from the world.

The garden will also contain a vegetable patch, something which Centrepoint hopes to establish in all of their services, so that the young people who stay there can grow fruit and vegetables and learn the vital lessons of healthy eating.

The apprenticeship scheme started in January 2007 when a number of homeless young people began a horticultural training course with one of the country's leading horticultural colleges, Capel Manor. Several of these young people are keen to develop future careers in the field of horticulture and a further group of trainees is currently on the second course.

At the end of the Hampton Court Palace flower show, all the plants, play equipment and seating will be distributed amongst Centrepoint's services, and the newly transformed gardens will be maintained and developed by the young people who live there.