The health and wellbeing of clients attending a local gardening charity, Thrive, are being supported by a £15,000 donation from AWE. The donation is going towards weekly sessions during which client gardeners receive bespoke support from Thrive’s horticultural therapists.
Thrive has been AWE’s charity partner for the last few years is one of the leading gardening for health charities that uses gardening and plants to help clients who have a wide range of disabilities, health conditions and support needs.
At the weekly sessions client gardeners benefit from an approach called social and therapeutic horticulture (STH). At its Reading centre, trained horticultural therapists work with clients to improve their physical and psychological health, as well as their communication and thinking skills.
Ben Thomas, Head of Operations at Thrive, commented: “We would like to express our thanks to AWE and its staff for their ongoing support of our Reading centre. We are thrilled to be AWE’s charity partner and to have received a further generous donation. This donation will make a genuine difference, enabling Thrive to have a real and lasting impact for our clients. Thank you for the ways you have contributed to the lives of our client gardeners and all the work you have put in to make this donation possible.”
AWE’s Charity Fund secretary, Michele Maidment, commented: “It’s good to know that this latest donation will help Thrive’s clients use gardening as part of their personal health and wellbeing management. We love sharing the progress of Thrive’s clients with our staff as they have taken the charity and its work to heart over the last few years.”
Thrive holds weekly sessions involving tailored activities for each gardener to improve their particular health needs, and to work on certain goals they want to achieve. The space provided in Thrive’s gardens is beneficial to clients like Adam (story below), allowing him to embrace nature and wildlife which has helped his wellbeing and provided an opportunity to socialise with others.
Adam’s story
Adam has been coming to Thrive for the past 6 years and is a key member of the Thrive community, with his keen eye for gardening, caring nature, and desire to help people. Adam has Autistic Spectrum Disorder which can affect a person’s social interaction, communication, interests, and behaviour and he can find new environments, changes to routine and large social situations difficult to cope with.
Thrive has given him the opportunity and space to embrace nature and wildlife which has helped his wellbeing and given him the opportunity to socialise with other people. When life gets a bit too much, Adam has learnt that being in the gardens means he is safe and secure. Working with his horticultural therapists Michele and Helen, he knows that he can take a bit of time out to himself if he needs it, and that help is not that far away.
Adam has many interests – he is a keen gardener who loves taking his produce home to eat, a brilliant wildlife photographer, and loves travelling and spending time with other people. Coming to the gardens at Thrive has enabled Adam to grow his interest and knowledge. In fact, when Adam comes to Thrive, you can either find him at his client plot growing salad items or helping others with advice!
Picture shows: Thrive’s regular client Adam.