Bringing Back the Bloom has so far helped us to raise £1,900 to bring the simple pleasures and benefits of gardening to the people we support. However, we still need more donations to meet our target of £5,500 so that we can transform all of the gardens.
The therapeutic benefits of gardens and gardening are well known, but for some people with disabilities such areas are awkward or even dangerous due to accessibility issues. That’s why our appeal is focused on helping people with disabilities reclaim their gardens.
- An architect’s sketch of what our Community Network Garden in Folkestone will look like
We are looking to transform five gardens around the country. The Community Network garden in Folkestone, Kent is the main focus of our appeal, but we will also be adapting gardens in: Liverpool; Ripon; Wantage and Welwyn and turning them into disability-friendly spaces.
We are doing this by creating better paths and adding raised beds for growing vegetables, as well as through the purchase of special assistive gardening tools that allow people with disabilities to participate fully in the garden.
Here are just a few examples of what your support could help buy:
- £30 – four Easi-Grip tools
- £80 – a set of four long reach tools, enabling gardening from a seated position
- £200 – wheelchair-accessible vegetable patches consisting of raised beds with patio sides
- £600 – a water feature to add sound, movement and touch to a garden.
Just a small contribution can add real value to people’s lives, so why not Donate now. Please be sure to put ‘Bringing Back the Bloom’ in the ‘Donation Target’ box.
Please keep an eye out for the next edition of English Garden magazine published in January which mentions our Bringing Back the Bloom appeal. It will highlight some of the work we are carrying out to improve these gardens and will be available in newspaper outlets throughout the UK.
