Proud Places young ambassador speaks at the House of Lords

Dr Nicola Stacey, Ife Davies, John Phillips, Destine Pinzi, Sir Laurie Magnus and Zoe Craig

Destine chats to Nicola Stacey after completing her My Maiden Speech presentation

Destine shows off her My Maiden Speech certificate from the Speakers Trust.

Proud Places ambassador Destine Pinzi gave an inspiring speech about her work with Heritage of London Trust at the House of Lords last week.

‘Proud Places demonstrates the difference acts of support can make. It has helped me grow in ways I didn’t expect, such as speaking in a room in Parliament, and leading workshops.

Destine supported HOLT as a volunteer in 2023 and 2024 and was made a Proud Places ambassador in 2024.

‘One of the most powerful experiences I’ve had through the Proud Places programme was leading a workshop on The Leaning Woman in Hammersmith. I learned about its sculptor, Karel Vogel, a refugee who fled to the UK during World War II. He rebuilt his life here and found success through art. Like me, he knew what it felt like to be out of place, and his story showed me the strength in resilience and self-expression.

‘During the workshops, I saw young students come in shy and unsure, and leave with pride and confidence. They didn’t just learn about Vogel; they related to him. They created art, wrote poems, and uncovered stories about their own area they’d never known. Watching that transformation reminded me how powerful it is when people feel seen, supported, and proud of where they come from.

‘The Proud Places programme helped me connect with my community by sparking my interest in local events and the history behind where I live.’

Destine took part in the My Maiden Speech event, organised by the Speakers Trust, an opportunity for talented young people to represent different youth charities and speak on a subject they are passionate about. Each attended a workshop about writing and delivering speeches and were provided with the tools, feedback and tips to develop their speeches ahead of last week's event. Destine’s speech was greeted with warmth and admiration by members of the audience who instantly came to share their love of their own local heritage with her.

Eleven young speakers from charities such as London Wildlife Trust, Lord's Taverners, Just Like Us, Voice 21 and The Brilliant Club spoke on a range of topics including mental health, diversity and participation in education and sports. In the audience were Members of the Lords, MPs, community leaders, business leaders and young people.

Congratulations to all the inspiring young people who took part. Special thanks to the Speakers Trust for developing this event; to the Westminster Foundation for their support; and the Jones Day Foundation for their support of the Proud Places programme.

Restoration work begins on historic Coronation Gardens drinking fountain

Restoration work has begun on the historic Coronation Gardens drinking fountain in Southfields, Wandsworth. Read more about the project in the press here.

Stonemason Florian Kirchertz and his team from London Stone Conservation have started work, dismantling the pink granite structure and reconnecting the fountain to a fresh water supply. This exciting restoration project includes fixing the fountain’s base and restoring the ornamental bowl.

In addition, a brand-new, beautiful bronze statue of the UK’s first professional female landscape gardener, Fanny Wilkinson, will be added to the fountain. Wilkinson was a feminist pioneer who was responsible for laying out more than 70 parks and gardens in London, including, fittingly, Coronation Gardens itself. Read more about Wilkinson in this Guardian article: 'She changed the face of London': statue to be unveiled of suffragist gardener.

Local sculptor Gillian Brett is currently working on this inspiring art project.

Children from Riversdale Primary School listen as stonemason, Joe, talks about his work

School children examine a fork chisel tool on site at Coronation Gardens

As part of HOLT’s Proud Places programme young people from Francis Barber Pupil Referral Unit visited the project to learn about stonemasonry.

Teacher, Alberto, explained the impact the workshop had had on his students: ‘Isaiah doesn't normally engage in lessons anymore so the fact that he participated in the stone workshop is amazing.

'That he came back to do it again with the other class shows just how much he enjoyed it,’ Alberto said.

Arlo, aged 15, was particularly inspired by the Proud Places workshop: ‘I didn't really know much about stonemasons before today. But now I'm considering a career as a stonemason.’

Younger children from next door Riversdale Primary School were delighted to learn about the new statue of Fanny Wilkinson. ‘This will be a great way of remembering her,’ said Kenna, aged 7.

• Work on the Coronation Gardens drinking fountain is due to be completed in early July.

Commerce Welcoming All Nations frieze restored

Heritage of London Trust with support from the Jones Day Foundation and Islington Council has completed restoration of a stunning 73-ft-long Victorian frieze in Islington. 

Heritage of London Trust, guests, local residents and school children visited the frieze last week.

The frieze was created in 1842 and was once set into the façade of the Hall of Commerce building in the City of London. When that building was torn down in 1922, the frieze was saved and put into storage.

In 1975, the frieze was repaired and re-installed in the newly created Battishill Gardens in Islington, and unveiled by Sir John Betjeman.

‘We are thrilled to have been able to restore this spectacular frieze,’ said Dr Nicola Stacey, Director of Heritage of London Trust.

‘The artist Musgrave Watson had had a very chequered career before he came to this commission. He’d trained at the Royal Academy, had worked for three years in Italy, and set up studio near the British Museum. But he had got few commissions to turn his plaster designs into actual stonework. He was unhappy, frustrated and living in poverty. And he was very slight, with a delicate constitution, and he suffered with ill health, anxiety and depression throughout his life. 

‘But he finally managed to win this big commission “to set forth the blissful influences of commerce”. And the frieze shows off his rare talent.’ 

Watson died a few years after its completion, aged 42, from tuberculosis and heart failure.

Stacey also paid tribute to the work of Sir John Betjeman and said 'today we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the unveiling of this frieze.’

James Grant, from Sally Strachey Conservation, was also present at the event. Stacey thanked Grant for his impressive work. ‘James has removed quite a lot of the damaging concrete infill from the 1970s and has replaced those parts with lime mortar, which matches the Portland stone.’

Islington Council has removed the railings, laid out new plants for the beds and will be working with Heritage of London Trust on an interpretation panel to accompany the frieze.