Community Garden Appeal launched on World Refugee Day
Today, on UN World Refugee Day, we have launched a special appeal, where we are asking our supporters to help us bring hope, connection and belonging to people displaced by war in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
There are currently over 280,000 refugees and asylum seekers in the Kurdistan Region, and over 1 million Iraqis remain internally displaced by war and persecution.
We support people to create home and community gardens that bring joy, beauty and a sense of purpose, helping them put down roots and build a new life many miles from home. Our community gardens provide safe spaces for women and children to share their experiences while growing fresh food and flowers for their families and neighbours.
We urgently need support to:
🍋 Create more community gardens and green spaces, bringing fresh food and flowers to displaced people
🍋 Keep our gardens in Kurdistan Region of Iraq maintained
All donations until 1 September 2023 are being kindly match funded by one of our most generous supporters. This means that donations of any amount will automatically doubled.
Find out more about why we have launched the appeal and how you can help.
Get your hands on a beautiful Becky Crowley print and support our Community Garden Appeal (plus, free shipping!)
For the duration of June 2023, flower grower and photographer, Becky Crowley, is donating 20% of proceeds from all sales of any of her prints to Lemon Tree Trust’s Community Garden Appeal.
Becky has created a new print for June that focuses entirely on special varieties of rose – our operations manager Aveen’s favourite flower – which includes the stunning Lark Ascending and Penelope. Over on Becky’s blog, you’ll find a full list of the names with a photograph of the labelled roses.
You can also take advantage of free shipping (UK and worldwide) on any of Becky’s prints purchased in June by using the code:
JUNE-23-SHIPS-FREE
Yesterday, team members Hamid and Othman led a women’s workshop in Hêvî Community Garden, bringing together beneficiaries to learn, share and grow in community. The session began with an introduction to the work of the Lemon Tree Trust, our vision and our ongoing efforts across refugee and IDP (internally displaced people) camps. In places where … Continued
Noora, originally from Damascus, Syria, cooks meals that remind her family of home, using fresh herbs and seasonal produce from her small garden in Gawilan refugee camp, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. “My mother taught me to cook. Now my children help me. I never give up on the recipes that remind me of home,” she … Continued
As we reach the halfway point of 2025, we are delighted to share some of the impact your support has made possible across our projects. Thanks to your support, our projects are creating meaningful change for forcibly displaced communities, improving access to fresh food, mental wellbeing, and opportunities for connection and belonging through community gardening. … Continued