GARDEN FOR CHANGE GRAND OPENING!!!! - Saturday 29 May Noon SLT

GARDEN FOR CHANGE GRAND OPENING!!!! - Saturday 29 May Noon SLT

Join us Saturday for the opening of the Garden For Change in Second Life. The garden is a virtual representation of the Places of Change Show Garden which won a Silver medal at the Chelsea Flower Show.

500 people, 450 virtual plant species and British charity dedicated to ending homelessness come together in the Garden for Change, which opens in Second Life on Saturday 29th May 2010 at 12 noon SLT with a welcome from Homeless Link's CEO Jenny Valerian followed by live music:
12:30 PM Junivers Stockholm
1:00 PM Jana Kyomoon
1:30 PM CraigLyons Writer

The aim of the project is to demonstrate the healing nature of gardening and the ability of one of our most vulnerable populations to develop skills to help them to attain more for their lives and their own recovery.

The Garden for Change in Second Life is a project of Homeless Link and generously supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Please see the note card attached for more information about both the Real Life and Second Life projects.

“In his garden, every man may be his own artist without apology or explanation.” Louise Beebe Wilder

Come join us in celebrating the talents and dedication of homeless people transforming their lives and the beauty of the Garden for Change.

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􀀂The Garden for Change

Virtual Garden for Change celebrates the beauty of nature and the talent of homeless people

The garden is a virtual representation of the 2010 Places of Change Show Garden which won a silver medal at the Chelsea Flower Show.

A journey through the Places of Change reveals exclusion, choices, opportunity, hope, achievement, enterprise and change. These powerful and challenging themes proved a winner in real life with the judges and with visitors including the Queen, Dame Helen Mirren, Lesley Garrett, David Bellemy, Raymond Blanc and Rolf Harris. The Places of Change was created by around 500 volunteers from 49 homeless agencies from many parts of the UK, brought together by Homeless Link. It was overseen by the Eden Project’s award-winning designer Paul Stone.

Siri Vita has created a representation of the garden in the Garden for Change in Second Life. The zones within the garden focus on the environment, food, the senses, enterprise, and health. Plants were created and donated by Herb Abraham, Luna Bliss, Marmottina Taurog and Zola Zsun. There are almost 450 separate varieties used in the garden, most native to the UK, reflecting the biodiversity theme of the project. Eco features include a plastic bottle greenhouse and a planter wall made from recycled white goods. Velazquez Bonetto has made a pole lathe for the Bodgers Cabin, which represents an old way of living in the forest in harmony with nature.

Jenny Valerian is the Second Life avatar of Jenny Edwards, Chief Executive of Homeless Link. She explained: “We bring the Garden for Change into Second Life thanks to the support of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. We want to spread the word across the world: Open your eyes to the potential and creativity of homeless people when they are given a chance. The beauty and diversity of the natural world is an inspiration and a healing environment for people who have overcome intense challenges and then move on to uncover new confidence, skills and passion.”

There will be a series of talks, events, performances and workshops held at the Garden for Change. Jenny hopes that it will become a meeting place where people from different countries can meet and share solutions to homelessness. She plans to invite some of the people who have played a part in creating the real life garden to come in world to share their stories and experience.

Homeless Link is the national membership organisation for 500 frontline homelessness charities in England. Its mission is to be a catalyst that will help to bring an end to homelessness. Its vision is to see an end to street homelessness by 2012. It is working with the UK national government and civic leaders to this aim

www.homeless.org.uk
www.youtube.com/user/HomelessLink
www.placesofchangegarden.org.uk
www.facebook.com/pages/Places-of-Change-garden/344990417245
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aHx3olvtm8

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Please contact Siri Vita for additional information
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The Garden for Change
Created for Homeless Link, national homelessness charity
With kind support from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Created in Second Life by Siri Vita
Plants created and donated by Herb Abraham, Luna Bliss, Marmottina Taurog and Zola Zsun
Pole lathe created by Velazquez Bonetto
Thanks to Medora Chevalier, Gwenette Writer, Maxwell Graf, Cotton Thorne & Jonny Cardiff, millay freschi and szavanna Anatra

The Garden for Change represents the Places of Change Garden
http://placesofchangegarden-blog.blogspot.com/
Silver medal winner 2010 RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Made by 500 homeless people and 49 homelessness charities
Coordinated by Homeless Link
Designed and created by Paul Stone and the Eden Project
Supported by Homes & Communities Agency
Communities and Local Government
London Employers Accord

Machinima by Debbie Trilling
Soundtrack by junivers Stockholm