Gardens scheme grants help thousands of people
NGS money is used to improve lives and communities
Funding worth £247,502 has been given to 95 community garden projects across England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the National Garden Scheme.
From social welfare and gardening projects that help the isolated, the disabled and the disenfranchised to support for community orchards, food banks and social prescribing projects at GP surgeries, the funding provides a much-needed boost to those working on or initiating community garden projects.
Many of the funded community projects in turn open for the National Garden Scheme completing a virtuous circle of giving and giving back. Included among the projects that have benefited are Rhubarb Farm, Nottinghamshire, which provides training and volunteering opportunities to 60 ex-offenders, drug and alcohol misusers, older people, school students, people with mental and physical ill health and learning disabilities.
The project received a grant for £1,352 and now opens its gates through the National Garden Scheme on dates in May, June, July and August.
Ponthafren, Montgomeryshire is a registered charity that provides a caring community to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for all. The charity received a grant for £2,612 from the National Garden Scheme for raised beds and a polytunnel and water butts for grey watering. The venue now opens for the Scheme on 27 and 28 July and by arrangement.
TWIGS Community Garden in Wiltshire provides a therapeutic environment in which people experiencing mental health issues can gain new skills and confidence. They received a grant for £3,887 to design and build a new garden. This garden will also be used to work with people experiencing grief and depression resulting from bereavement issues and will be open for the Scheme in 2024 on May 19 and July 21.
National Garden Scheme chief executive George Plumptre said: “Now, at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is forcing many people to find innovative ways to support themselves, their families and their communities, our Community Garden Grants are providing even more of a helping hand to thousands of people across the UK.”
NGS Ambassador, Danny Clarke added: “The on-going support of the National Garden Scheme to so many great community projects is helping to energise the people they support and introduce new audiences to the huge benefits that gardens, and gardening bring to their health and wellbeing and to the environment and communities around them”
The National Garden
Scheme has been opening exceptional private gardens to the public since
1927. Each year over 3,500 gardens open raising millions for some of the UK’s best-loved nursing and health charities. For more information see www.ngs.org.uk