speaking up loudly on a national stage
You might have seen the recent article in The Times spotlighting the Lady Garden Foundation’s bold presence at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show and it’s been brilliant to see the issue of gynaecological cancers reaching a wider audience through such an iconic platform.
At the heart of our ‘Silent No More’ Garden is a simple yet radical idea: bring the five gynaecological cancers - ovarian, cervical, womb, vaginal, and vulval - out of the shadows and into the national conversation. For too long, embarrassment and stigma have left women suffering in silence. The Times highlighted this poignantly, sharing survivor Rachel Lambert’s experience of delayed diagnosis and dismissal.
Every day in the UK, around 60 women are diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer, and roughly 21 will lose their lives to it. These are not distant numbers, these are mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, colleagues. Many of these deaths could be prevented through vaccinations, early detection, regular screening, and higher awareness.
Yet as the Times article makes clear, screening uptake and HPV vaccination rates remain worryingly low. Not because women don’t want to protect themselves, but because barriers still exist. Barriers of fear, embarrassment, time pressure and misinformation.
This is exactly why national coverage matters. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is one of Britain’s most watched cultural events. Millions tune in from home, read the coverage in national papers and listen to podcasts and broadcasts. By placing our Lady Garden Foundation Silent No More Garden on Main Avenue (one of the most visited spots at the show) we are doing exactly what we promise: speaking up loudly on a national stage.
However, this vital national coverage doesn’t just raise awareness. It can affect policy change, education and in turn public health action. 1 in 2 women feel pressured to prioritise work over personal health appointments. We are calling employers to encourage their team to attend cervical screenings. We are prompting schools and universities to talk about gynaecological health and we are determined to increase the uptake of the HPV vaccination and cervical screenings nationwide.
When a story reaches millions across the UK, it has the power to change behaviour and save lives. Our Silent No More Garden isn’t just beautiful, it is intentional.
Designed with spaces that invite reflection and conversation, it serves as a living metaphor for what our national conversation needs to become: open, informed, and unashamed.
And that’s why seeing it covered on a stage as big as The Times isn’t just good press, it is a public health milestone.