A Swedish National Trust

At the end of last year, the Swedish Society for Public Parks and Gardens (SSPPG)’s founder and former Project Manager, Cecilia Liljedahl, visited London on a fact-finding mission, including a meeting with Catherine Leonard our Secretary-General.

A follow-up visit was arranged with Oliver Maurice going to Gothenburg in February 2015 at the SSPPG’s invitation.

The objectives of the visit were:

• To meet the staff of the SSPPG and visit some of their members’ properties
• To understand and appreciate their vision and objectives
• To explore ways by which they might establish, in due course, a Swedish National Trust
• To encourage SSPPG to become a member of INTO

Oliver then returned to Sweden at the end of March (25-28) for the Nordic Gardens Fair and to speak about the work of National and Heritage Trusts and INTO, and the value of having a National Trust.   Oliver gave several talks about the work of the National Trust and INTO, promoting the idea of a National Trust for Sweden.

During his visits he saw many magnificent gardens all belonging to members of SSPPG who subsequently applied to join INTO as a Candidate member with a plan to form a National Trust for Sweden within 3 years.

Oliver’s report can be found here.