Meet the Team
Trisha Wells – Patron
Trisha is a founding member of the Richmond Community Garden Trust and a great supporter and cheerleader in getting the front space activated, her level head and eye for details have helped the trust get to where it is today. Trisha has stepped back from the Governance position but continues to volunteer at the garden regularly, is involved in the nitty gritty of each element and keeps our garden beds super tidy.
Hayley Guglietta – Chairperson MBA (UC)
Hayley is a founding member of the Trust, completes alot of the compliance documentation and helps with the accounts and funding applications. When she is not doing administrative work you will find her in the garden, weeding, hauling mulch and compost, weaving and talking to the chickens. Her favourite thing about thing about the garden is seeing people simply hanging out enjoying the space whether having a good time at our events or reading a book in the sun.
Jen McBride – Trustee, Graphic Designer B.Des (CPIT)
Jen is a self-employed graphic designer and artist who enjoys gardening and hanging out at the community gardens where she can. Jen is the community gardens artistic director, website developer, responsible for much of the branding and signage at RCG, as well as lending her skills in weaving (hazel weaving, string making, bamboo teepees etc).
Ashley Crook – Board Member
Ashley is also a founding member of the trust, his passion is ensuring our native beds are ecologically sourced and free of invasive weeds you will not find ivy, convulvulus, stink iris or wandering willie in the riverfront of our site. As well as making sure we are invasive free Ashley does a lot of our social media, videos and communications.
Cathy Allden – Treasurer and former Garden Coordinator
Cathy is a founding member of the trust, and hosts the Thursday Evening Summer Gardening Sessions. Cathy enjoys the continuous learning and home economy skills that a community garden provides, meeting people and advocating for the regeneration of the Avon Otakaro River Red Zone.
Damion Chalmers – Garden Ranger
I’ve been part of this great community for almost 3 years now and it’s been a great learning and working experience. Here you can see ways to care for the gardens, meet new people and enjoy the wide range of projects that started this eco-friendly place
Julie Crook – Trustee, Head of ‘Little Shop’ Product Development
Julie is a founding member of the trust, originally from Atherton, UK, she came out here in 2011 for a holiday with their two boys to see if they would like to live here they loved it! The earthquake had not long since happened. Julie and her family visited at Easter for 3 weeks and enjoyed themselves very much. They came to live in 2013 and ended up living in Richmond and were looking for a group to join. Averbury house was asking for people to help set up the old garden again and it all started from there and today she makes chutneys, Jam, balms for the little shop and her famous sausage rolls for morning tea.
Rob Collins- Trustee
Gardening has always been one of his interests along with DIY and travelling. He has been living in Richmond for over 30 years and one of the highlights since retiring has been working as a volunteer at the Richmond Community Gardens for the last 4 or 5 years.
He has been excited to have recently become a board member as well. The great thing about RCG is that no two days are the same because of the variety of tasks, such as gardening workshops, and learning about recycling just to name a few. But, at the heart of it all is the amazing volunteers and meeting the many visitors that pass through the garden.
Morgane Honoré – Operations Manager
Originally from France, she landed in New Zealand back in 2013 and stumbled upon the Richmond Community Garden during a random bike ride in her first week.
She passionately drives the diverse projects that flourish within our space, embodying the spirit of shared growth and connection that defines our garden.
About Us
Cultivating Community, Nurturing Nature at Richmond Community Garden
Rooted in resilience and community spirit, the Richmond Community Garden emerged from a shared vision to rekindle the pre-earthquake vegetable haven adjacent to Avebury House. Fueled by the dedication of our passionate volunteers, what began as a hopeful endeavor soon blossomed into a thriving garden, and our ambitions expanded across an impressive 3-acre canvas of red-zone land.
A testament to the power of collaboration, we are grateful to LINZ for entrusting us with a two-year lease on this precious Red Zone land. For nearly a decade, we’ve been cultivating a space where people can connect with the earth, learn about gardening, and revel in the wonders of nature.
Our journey has been one of growth, learning, and community building. As we approach our ten-year milestone, we stand resolute in our mission to demonstrate the enduring significance of this space in the Richmond community. Our aspirations are clear: we envision a verdant haven where bountiful harvests are shared, where gardening workshops and food preservation techniques are shared, and where families gather to engage with the natural world.
Our Vision
We are a pioneer organisation leading the charge in food resilience, ecological restoration and community engagement in the Red Zone.
Our Mission
Create a safe community space for our volunteers, locals and our wider network to enjoy, learn and connect.
Produce enough food to donate to food banks and for our community to self harvest
3 acres of appropriately planted natives, perennials, food crops, fruit trees and ornamental plants.
Landscape Plan
