Chichester District Foodbank sings in Trussell’s Together Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Chichester District Foodbank’s singing group, Hope in Harmony, performed in Trussell’s Together Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on Monday 18 May.

The opportunity reflected what the group is all about: community, connection and coming together through music.

Trussell’s Together Garden was designed by Rob Hardy and funded by Project Giving Back. Awarded a Gold medal at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, it was inspired by the strength of communities working together, from food banks supporting people facing hardship today to the wider movement to end hunger in the UK.

The garden’s design reflects the welcome often found in a food bank, where someone may first feel listened to over a cup of tea. A flexible seating area can shift from a quiet, reflective space into a larger communal one, showing how small moments of support can grow into something bigger.

It also carries an important message. Last year, more than 2.6 million emergency food parcels were provided to people facing hardship across the UK, including over 900,000 for children. In Chichester District, the food bank provided nearly 6,000 emergency food parcels, with 39% going to children.

Food banks are a lifeline, but they are not the solution. Hunger in the UK is not a food problem, it is an income problem, with many people simply not having enough money to afford the essentials.

After the show, the garden will be relocated to Strabane Foodbank in Northern Ireland, where it will become a lasting space for the local community.

Hope in Harmony is a new joint singing for wellbeing project between Sing to Health and Chichester District Foodbank, bringing together food bank staff, volunteers, supporters and customers in a shared space where everyone is welcome. Members had been practising together weekly, supporting one another and finding joy in singing as a group.

Sarah Adams, CEO of Chichester District Foodbank, said: “To sing in Trussell's garden was a very special moment for everyone involved and we are so grateful to have been given the opportunity.

"The garden reflects so much of what food banks and our new singing group are really about: welcome, dignity, connection and community".

Hope in Harmony meets every Friday at 11.30am at Chichester District Foodbank and new members are always very welcome.