Five people hold the produce grown at Missenden Walled Garden

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Missenden Walled Garden Charity receives HS2 funding for improvements to its BNU-based site

Missenden Walled Garden Charity has successfully been awarded funding from HS2’s Community and Environment Fund, following bidding and support from Buckinghamshire New University (BNU).

The funding will provide a new greenhouse for the charity, which provides learning and social support for adults with autism and learning disabilities; and is based at BNU’s historic Missenden Abbey site.

BNU works with the Missenden Walled Garden Charity (MWG) to maintain 10-acres of land on the grounds, ensuring the preservation of the conservation area. The charity has regenerated the vegetable garden and orchard, growing vegetables and fruit which, since 2019, have been used in the kitchens for meal preparation.

Steve Edge, Head of Sustainability at BNU, supported the bid for funding as part of the University’s civic commitments.

Steve said: “Missenden Walled Garden Charity is a valued charity partner of the University, and the work carried out by MWG at Missenden Abbey greatly enriches the site. I’m thrilled we were able to help them get this funding.

“The grant will enable the continuation of the MWG charitable works, supporting adults with autism and learning disabilities, reducing isolation amongst vulnerable local residents and providing confidence to people with disabilities to develop friendships, participate in teamwork and building relationships.”

Kyle Charity Director at MWG, said: “We are so happy to have the support of HS2 and the CEF. Steve and all the team at BNU have been an enormous support in helping us to realise this award; and we love having BNU students with us! Part of BNU’s ongoing commitment to their community partnerships, includes providing us with a peppercorn rent here. This helps meet the challenges we all face around funding services in health and social care.  All this support is making a real difference for promoting inclusion and sustaining help for vulnerable adults here in Buckinghamshire.”   

HS2’s Community and Environment Fund (CEF) has been created to add benefit to communities along the route that are demonstrably disrupted by the construction of HS2 from London to West Midlands. Missenden Abbey, and the Missenden Walled Garden Charity, is situated in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, which sits along this route.