Gardening For Health, Totnes is moving forward into a sixth year and is seeking new sponsorship and involvement to help lead the project.

Since launching in 2011 at The Lamb Garden, the project has welcomed over 500 people onto a garden session. Last year’s launch of the School Gardening Programme, meant that up to 60 pupils from The Grove primary school were also attending free sessions.

The Lamb Garden

The project has worked hard to link community food-growing with NHS initiatives. From the outset, the main project partners have been the Faculty of Health, Education & Society at Plymouth University, Leatside Surgery in Totnes, with great support from the South Hams District Council.

Benefits of gardening for health and other green care activities are clearly established and just last month Natural England reported on the capacity for such nature-based projects to complement health care.

Participants on the Gardening For Health Totnes project report positive aspects of joining a session; from social inclusion, physical well-being to mental health improvements. An in-depth review of findings are available online: www.gardeningforhealth.org.uk

Scope to further extend this Totnes-Trust led project is already under discussion, with sites linking more directly to NHS outlets. The Trust is interested in developing the project and so welcomes and invites interested parties to contact info.totnestrust@gmail.com for further information.

Mondays at The Lamb Garden recommence on February 29th at 2-4.30pm and continue through to the end of November, 2016. We look forward to seeing you in the garden!