Supported Gardening

We help people to find their true potential through gardening. Our gardening work is usually done in teams so that people can have fun, build confidence, meet others and socialise. There are plenty of tasks that enable you to spend time on your own in the gardens if you wish - there will always be someone around somewhere for a cup of tea and a chat when you want one! The groups are led by one of our horticulture workers, or if you're working on your own, one of them is usually available to give you advice or guidance.

Many people who have joined these groups in the past have been experiencing:

    Low self-esteem
    Low confidence and motivation
    A feeling of social isolation
    Communication difficulties
    Memory problems
    Learning Disability

You'll be invited to set yourself goals and let us know what your aspirations are so that our horticulture workers can match you up with an appropriate gardening task.

Wednesday Supported Gardening

Drop in any time during the day and join in with the gardening jobs going on. Help cultivate and crop vegetables, grow flowers for cutting and arranging, help maintain beds and borders. We grow all our own plants from seeds and cuttings so there's a wide range of tasks to do all year round - even on those cold wet winter days! Our horticulture workers will make sure they find a job to suit your needs, and if you're new to gardening they'll give you lots of help and advice.

Tuesday Supported Gardening

If you feel you can work more independently and need less support then Tuesday is a good day for gardening here. You'll need to come at a pre-arranged time so that our horticulture workers can make sure a task is ready for you. This is because on a Tuesday they spend their time gardening with children from local schools. If you do need more support you can always attend with your own support worker or carer.

If you like the idea of growing, cutting and arranging flowers then join us for our cut flower workshops on a Tuesday afternoon 1.30 - 3.30.

Job Done

‘Job Done’ is a project run by The Balsam Centre where our gardens are based. The ‘Job Done’ project helps people prepare for a return to the workplace or get work for the first time read more

What do we do?

→ We grow vegetables and fruit for The Balsam Centre’s kitchens
→ Advice & guidance for new gardeners and growers.
→ Activities to boost confidence and self esteem for those with emotional difficulties, anxiety or depression.
→ Food Growing for primary schools and Pre-schools.
→ Learning disability support & training
→Activity tailored for mobility and physical problems.
→Training for individuals & organisations.
→ Confidence boosting for return to work.

Where do we do it?

→ Working vegetable garden
→ Heated propagation house
→ 13m x 5m glasshouse
→ Shady borders and lawns
→Herbaceous borders
→New orchard
→Children's areas
→Herb gardens
→Ponds and wildlife
→Cut flower beds
→Resources room
→Tea room

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