Every year, the Herefordshire Growing Point supports between 150-200 children and adults across Herefordshire, living with physical and mental challenges. Through the therapeutic benefits of gardening, the charity helps a range of people with mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression and physical disabilities such as autism, acquired brain injuries, dementia and learning disabilities.
Established in 1991, the charity has one of the first therapeutic gardens in England. Designed for those living with mental and physical challenges, the garden is fully accessible and features a range of mixed plantings, to facilitate activities throughout the year to promote mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.
Along with their therapeutic garden, the charity provides programmes for individuals residing in care homes. Tutors visit these facilities with all the necessary equipment to facilitate physical activity. Additionally, the charity has commenced delivering therapeutic horticultural sessions to primary school children who are disengaged from school. A child on the course said: “I score today’s session 0 out of 10 because it’s the last day of the course and I don’t want it to end.”
To continue their work the team are in urgent need of a grant or donations of tools and equipment. According to Tamsin Westhorpe, the charity’s Honorary President, the charity has an exceptional team, passionate and care but lack the required equipment. “If you are a gardening company or individual who can help us, we’d be delighted if you could offer us support. We need to secure funds to employ a gardener to cut hedges and mow lawns one day a week, so are looking for funding of £2100 a year, ” said Westhorpe.
Some of the urgently needed equipment and materials needed by the charity includes: potting compost, seed and cell trays, sharpening stones, 2 trailer loads of manure, mulch, grit, trugs, plant labels, shelving, heated propagator, watering harvest kits and water butts.
“You might think that these items are easy to source but when every penny counts it’s a struggle. If you are a garden centre, horticultural business or individual that could help in any way please get in touch. The difference you could make to this vital charity is huge,” she added.
A gardener living with brain injury said, “I don’t feel disabled anymore when I come to Growing Point”.
