PLEASE CAN YOU HELP!

For over 40 years people with learning disabilities and autism from all over

Hillingdon have attended the award-winning Rural Activities Garden Centre

(R.A.G.C.) in Yiewsley where they have benefited from horticultural therapy

and social support. In a hastily arranged meeting on Friday, 30th May 2025,

those with learning disabilities and autism who use the R.A.G.C. and their

families were told by the London Borough of Hillingdon that it had decided to

close the R.A.G.C.

Hillingdon Council’s press release provided immediately after the meeting

stated that it wanted to close the R.A.G.C.’s retail operations and re-locate

the R.A.G.C.’s horticultural therapy to the Civic Centre grounds. On Thursday,

26th June 2025 it was decided at the Council’s Cabinet meeting to close the

R.A.G.C.’s retail operation.

In order to protect the R.A.G.C. in June 2025 the Friends of R.A.G.C.

submitted two nominations to Hillingdon Council to register the R.A.G.C. and

its adjacent land as an Asset of Community Value (A.C.V.). However, the

Council failed to meet its statutory obligations under the Localism Act 2011 to

process the Friends of R.A.G.C.’s nominations within the eight-week legal

deadline.

Visit the Rural Activity Activity Centre Action Group Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/652974616588336/ to find out more.