The team behind Chelsea’s Modern Slavery Garden: from left, Virginie de Selliers, Michael Galvin, garden sponsor, Pip Goring, wife of Harry, owner of Wiston House, Kevin Bales (Free the slaves), Maggie Ellis (Life Centre), Saskia Peill, Inger Woodcock, Mirabelle Galvin, wife of Michael, Charles Hart, garden visionary, Justin Blake, teacher and anti-slavery campaigner, Kristy Adams, Jono van Deventer, photographer, Sophia Taut, Matt Collison.
AMONG THE beautiful and fanciful gardens on display at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show was a ‘Modern Slavery Garden’ sponsored by a group of Christians.
Designed by BBC presenter Juliet Sergeant, it featured bright front doors, typical of any smart street, but behind the doors was a dark centre, and the doors had no handles on the inside, symbolising the ‘modern slaves’ kept in captivity in every part of the UK today.
The idea for the garden came from Mirabelle Galvin, who sponsored it with her husband Michael to celebrate the 2015 Modern Slavery Act.
At a champagne brunch at Wiston House, speakers launched (hasthtag)askthequestion, an initiative to pressure companies to say what they are doing about slavery in their supply chains.