Get your summer started with a smile at a new community event launching this month at Fulham's Lillie Road Recreation Ground.
Live music, a guided nature walk and a packed programme of family activities are planned at the Snail-tastic Summer Fete on Saturday 14 June from 2-4pm.
Craft workshops include twine and hat-making, while little ones can get stuck into creating their own slime.
Visitors can also enjoy a golden snail hunt, art competition featuring work from local schools, face painting and afternoon tea.
Vibes
Local band The Gazebo Bandits will be bringing a festival vibe with live music sessions from 2pm, with green activities following throughout the afternoon.
With its spotlight on snails, expert Conor Cooper from invertebrate charity Buglife will uncover the secrets behind the slimy creatures, while a nature walk around the green space is a chance to spot the area's wildlife.
Green woodpeckers, pipistrelle bats, speckled wood butterflies, Jersey tiger moths and mining bees are among wildlife to catch sight of, with the help of a hand-illustrated map.
Organised by local volunteers, the fete will also showcase the work of the Jenny's Corner garden project.
"Everyone is welcome to come along to the Snail-tastic Summer Fete and share in the excitement of this brilliant new community event," says project initiator Joan Viskant, a keen gardener who has lived in nearby Lysia Street for the past 30 years.
It's an important milestone in the transformation of part of this local green space."
Jenny's Corner
The Jenny's Corner community garden was unveiled earlier this year to commemorate former Hammersmith & Fulham Councillor Jenny Vaughan OBE.
The green space is dedicated to the much-loved consultant neurologist, who died in March 2024 aged 55.
The community garden team of local residents worked with nearby charity The Creighton Centre, which supports older, Disabled and vulnerable people, to bring the project to life over the past year.
With its location close to charities Action on Disability and Age UK Hammersmith & Fulham, the aim was to create an accessible and safe sensory garden and meeting place for all community members.
"We want to help reinforce positive attitudes to Disability and mental health," adds Joan.
"We also aspire to make this space a place for outdoor activities for these communities with a focus on gardening with herbs and exploring biodiversity in urban areas."
Learn more by visiting the Jenny's Corner project website.
