St John’s Gate Garden Club
St John’s Gate Garden Club is a partnership between the Museum of the Order of St John, St Peter and St Paul’s Catholic Primary School, local families and community volunteers.
The club gives children regular opportunities to explore nature, creativity and local heritage through hands-on outdoor learning. Together, pupils, teachers, families and volunteers are helping to develop the Museum’s gardens, support biodiversity and care for local green spaces.
Sessions include growing food, planting, composting, wildlife surveys, seed sowing, building bird feeders and bug houses, healthy eating, crafts and creative activities. Children also use the Museum’s historic spaces and collections to explore connections between gardens, medicine, care and the environment, from medicinal plants and 17th-century pharmacy jars to how curators protect historic objects from pests.
Why Garden Club matters
Access to green space is limited in Islington, and many local families do not have a private or shared garden. Garden Club gives children valuable time outdoors, space to be curious and practical ways to make a difference to their local environment.
The programme supports children’s health and wellbeing while building confidence, communication skills, teamwork and a stronger connection with nature. It also provides a welcoming introduction to the Museum and local heritage, helping children and families feel that these spaces are for them.
“My favourite things about Garden Club were having fun, being outside and making stories.”
— Year 5 pupil
Growing the programme
Garden Club has received funding from the City of London Corporation for the past three academic years. Support from The National Lottery Community Fund is enabling the programme to continue in 2026–27 and expand through family volunteering sessions and community events.
Get involved
Families and local residents can get involved through volunteering days, planting sessions and community events.
To find out more, follow the garden’s progress or ask about volunteering, contact museum@sja.org.uk.
For the latest events in the garden, visit our Eventbrite page.
Ten-Minute Talk and Tea
12:30pm on the second Thursday of each month
All are welcome
Join us for a 10 minute talk and discover more about the Order of St John, St John’s Gate, or the history of the local area, before enjoying a cup of tea and an opportunity for an informal chat with members of the Museum team. This is a free event, drop-ins are welcome or you can pre-register on our Eventbrite page.
Volunteering with us
Volunteers are extremely important to our work at the Museum, helping to ensure that our collections are cared for and that they are accessible to all. From assisting with learning activities and gardening, to conservation and cataloguing as well as the maintenance of our garden, there are many ways that you can get involved and support our work. To find out about our latest volunteer vacancies, please see the St John Ambulance website for more details.
