Saffron Walden Friends open peace garden
'The garden opened last month and has already drawn new attenders and strengthened the local Quaker community.'
Saffron Walden Quakers opened their peace garden to the public, after months of planning and creating.
The official opening on 23 July drew around fifty visitors with some making peace doves and cranes. One Friend gave a talk about peace, followed by a question-and-answer session on peace and climate justice. There was also a display about the Peace Education project. People were invited from local campaign groups, including Amnesty and the Green Party.
Gill Parker told the Friend, on behalf of the Saffron Walden Inreach/ Outreach group: ‘Back in the 1970s when the burial ground was closed, it was minuted by the Local Meeting for Business that in future the burial ground… should be used as a peaceful garden of tranquillity and spiritual refreshment.’
Over the years, the idea seemed to be forgotten, she said, until, between 2015 and 2017, the Meeting started reconsidering the space. ‘The children became involved in planning a natural wildlife garden [making] bird boxes and a hedge… to encourage nesting birds. In 2019, it was decided to open the space to the public as a peace garden. Then the pandemic struck. The Meeting house was closed and the garden became neglected again.’
Finally the garden opened last month and has already drawn new attenders and strengthened the local Quaker community. Future plans for the garden include a wildlife meadow.
