The Garden Classroom is an award-winning social enterprise (non-profit) and Company Limited by Guarantee. Any profits made will be donated to King Henry's Walk Garden. The Garden Classroom receives funding from, among others, the London Borough of Islington, Cambridge Education@Islington and Islington Community Chest.

Our workshop facilitators are trained by, among others, the London Wildlife Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society, and all are CRB checked. Copies of our risk assessments are available on request.

Workshop terms and conditions

All sessions are held whatever the weather, except in extreme conditions. Cancellations will be accepted up to 48 hours before a workshop. If you cancel less than 48 hours before the session we will charge a 50% cancellation fee.

For advice on suitable clothing, please see the information page.

Who we are

  • MARNIE ROSE, Chief Executive and Company Secretary
    Marnie Rose started The Garden Classroom in the summer of 2008 after making a successful bid to a local social enterprise project run by Islington Council. The idea of engaging urban communities with nature by offering creative, exciting and high quality workshops, events and courses evolved from her volunteer work creating London’s Best Community Garden, King Henry’s Walk Garden where she is Vice Chair.
    Marnie’s background is in television production with Tiger Aspect Productions and as a media agent with PBJ and KBJ Management until 2007. She lived in Brunei in Borneo for four years and was a keen diver and member of the Brunei Nature Society. Marnie is an enthusiastic organiser with an eye for innovation and listening to customers' needs. She passionately believes that communities should enjoy and engage with the natural world around them as much as they can, regardless of their background and where they live.


  • BOB GILBERT, Chair (click here to read the latest Chair's Report)
    Bob has many years' experience of devising and running environmental projects, particularly with young people. Among other things he has worked as a teacher, a community worker, a stand-up comedian and as Head of Centre at Islington's residential field studies centre. More recently he served as a Director with Islington Council responsible for its greenspace and sustainability services. During this period he was responsible for acquiring and developing several new parks and wildlife sites for the Council, including King Henry's Walk Community Garden.
    Bob has a particular interest in the ecology of urban areas and now lives in the East End where his wife is a parish priest. He continues to write regularly on environmental topics and is currently working on a second edition of his book, The Green London Way, which links parks and open spaces around London in a 100 mile walking route.

  • MATTHEW LOVEDAY, Treasurer
    Matthew Loveday has been involved in environmental education in the capital for the past five years. An avid food grower, he coordinated Islington Council's Edible Islington food growing campaign in over half the schools in the borough. Matthew worked to involve the pupils in every stage of their food growing project, from design and building to growing their crops. He now works for Islington Council leading the nature conservation team, responsible for the borough's three local nature reserves. Matthew has been on the board of The Garden Classroom since its inception and has a strong belief in its innovative work to improve education for London children through creative outdoor learning.

  • PETER CARNE, OBE, Board Member
    Peter Carne was a teacher of Geography at two London comprehensive schools from 1976 to 1990. During his time as a teacher, he led a variety of day visits, field trips and residential visits throughout London and the UK. For five years he was seconded to the Inverliever Lodge Trust to manage its residential centre on the banks of Loch Awe in Scotland.
    In 1990, Peter was appointed to set up and manage Greenwich’s Environmental Curriculum Service, from a nine acre wildlife site in SE London. He was also responsible for developing and delivering a programme of environmental and outdoor education CPD for Greenwich teachers.
    Peter then worked for Learning through Landscapes (the school grounds charity) from 2000 to 2006, holding senior positions. During this time he was a member of the steering group with responsibility for supporting the development of the DfES Growing Schools initiative.
    From October 2006 to April 2009, Peter was seconded to the DCSF as one of two Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto Champions, responsible for promoting the importance and impact of LOtC with a variety of partners and key stakeholders and across government; writing and delivering major elements of the Manifesto Action Plan; developing the LOtC Quality Badge (with PricewaterhouseCoopers); and structuring and writing major parts of the Out & About guidance for the new LOtC website (with CfBT).
    From 2007 to 2010, Peter worked for Farming and Countryside Education to jointly project manage the Growing Schools programme, supported by a Development and Delivery Group of partner organisations (including the RHS, LTL and the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens).
    Peter is now a freelance educational consultant (specialising in LOtC). He was awarded an OBE in the 2010 New Year Honours List (for services to education).

  • ROHAN KNOX, Board Member
    Rohan has worked delivering outreach environmental education in Islington schools for over three years. Prior to joining Islington she worked for an environmental charity delivering youth, community and education projects in areas of deprivation which aimed to empower people to improve their local environment. Her current programme focuses on embedding sustainability in schools through work with pupil and staff action teams as well as delivering hands-on workshops and assemblies in primary and secondary schools. Rohan also has experience as an environmental tutor running after-school clubs and is currently completing her Masters in Education for Sustainability.

  • ROSEY LYALL, Board Member
    Rosey started her working life as a freelance PR and marketing consultant before setting up a small agency specialising in construction industry PR. Mid-career she trained as a primary school teacher working in Camden schools and spent five years as a Headteacher before retiring. She brings educational expertise to TGC and is able to advise the board on what schools and teachers need. She has a hands-on role in ensuring the content of TGC's sessions is relevant and the quality of delivery is high.

  • STUART ROWETH, Board Member

Acknowledgements

Website design by EditNet.

Corporate design by Art on the Grass.

Photography by Ruth Crafer.

The Garden Classroom photograph is 'A classroom in an orchard, Collier Street, Kent, 1939'.

Blackbird song supplied by the Knutsford Ornithological Society.