We're still collecting donations
On the 30th April 2023 we'd raised £12,690 with 66 supporters in 72 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
Life at No.27 Therapy Allotments at Brynawel House
LA
Project by Life at No.27
Total raised £13,980
raised so far125
supportersLife at No.27 needs to build a new therapy garden, offering free & low-cost mental health support and gardening therapy to all ages in need.
The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales is providing live match funding
New stretch target
We are raising money to set up our next five Life at No.27 therapy allotments and garden locations across the country. Where we can offer free and low-cost gardening therapy and mental health support sessions for children, adults and families.
On average each therapy site costs £20,000 to run and maintain per year.
Meeting the need:
The organisation is a social enterprise which aims to meet a very real and growing need. Sadly, mental health struggles are rising in children and adults year on year. The current education system alongside the NHS has been and will be under a great deal of pressure, with limited resources to meet the needs of people who have complex needs and anxiety struggles. Often, these individuals slip through the net or end up disengaged from school and their wider network, which can have a devastating effect on their lives.
The funding will enable us to:
- Build and set up more therapy allotments and gardens easily accessible to the local community
- Recruit professional counsellors and horticultural therapists
- Launch our weekly children's after school club for children 5 years old and above
- Provide weekly group horticultural therapy sessions for adults
- Provide 1-1 bespoke therapy sessions for children and adults
- Offer Individual allotments (2.5m x 4m approx) available for clients, with hands-on growing support and therapy.
- Connect with local schools and the community to offer sessions and workshops within their outdoor spaces
With enough funding we will also launch regular 6 week gardening courses for adults, where the community can come to learn all the basics of growing their own food, composting, soil science and more.
Giving those in the community somewhere safe at our therapy garden to come relax, talk if they wish, be themselves, meet others and learn new skills, all in the community garden.
*We will no longer be building a Life at No.27 Therapy Allotments and Garden within the grounds of Brynawel House. Our intention is that the funds raised will enable life at no.27 to continue to support our current work across South Wales and Northamptonshire, and with building our next new site in South Wales.... Please see our project updates for more info
Who are we?
Life at No.27 provides gardening therapy, mental health support and counselling to children and adults struggling with mental ill health, isolation, low confidence and self-esteem. All accessible via SEND school lead, CAMHS, GP, psychiatrist or social worker referral.
Our aim is to support you to grow in confidence and self-belief, whilst offering a safe space for you to talk, be yourself, learn new transferrable skills and meet others. All whilst connecting with nature, your creativity and learning how to grow and prepare your own food.
We are a Community Interest Company (CIC) based across Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire and South Wales.
In Jan 2023 we successfully Crowdfunded to set up a new organic no-dig therapy garden in Ystrystradgynlais, South Wales. We will be providing new weekly children's after school club and adult's weekly mental health group for those struggling with mental ill health.
Our long-term mission is to become a UK wide mental health organisation and leading horticultural therapy provider. Using our unique partnership of horticultural therapy and psychotherapy at bespoke therapy gardens across the UK to help change lives.
What is next for Life at No.27?
We are raising money to set up our next Life at No.27 therapy allotments and garden, within the grounds of Brynawel House Rehabilitation Centre in South Wales. Where we will offer free and low-cost gardening therapy and mental health support sessions for adults and their families.
Brynawel House is the leading rehabilitation centre for drug and alcohol dependencies in Wales. Brynawel is also the only rehab in Wales specialised to support those with alcohol related brain disease (ARBD).
The funding will enable us to meet the key principles associated with the psychosocial rehabilitation of clients by:
- Giving clients their own allotment space that provides a level of ownership and autonomy.
- Offering a safe, open outdoor space to talk with a professional and work through their challenges, thought processes and emotions.
- Offering bespoke activities and recovery plans for clients, within group, 1-1 and family sessions.
- Teaching tangible skills that clients can use when back at home to maintain recovery and connection to nature.
- Teaching new physical skills, such as taking care of soil, plants, wildlife and self. Gardening, garden design and nature-based crafts.
- Building transferable skills, such as resilience, patience, confidence and self-belief.
- Helping people gain employability skills, alongside improved mental health then assisting people back into paid and unpaid employment.
- Creating opportunities for clients to engage in bespoke sessions to improve the effects of alcohol related brain disease, which include fine motor skills, memory challenges, coordination and social skills.
- Creating opportunities for clients to connect with peers, community and family members.
- Creating opportunities for clients to connect and develop relationships with each other, about something other than recovery.
- Opportunity to give back and help raise funds.
We will do this by offering:
- Weekly group horticultural therapy sessions for Brynawel residents and clients from the wider community referred via their GP, social worker or other mental health professional.
- 1-1 bespoke horticultural therapy sessions for Brynawel residents and clients from the wider community referred via their GP, social worker or other mental health professional.
- Individual allotments (2.5m x 4m approx) available for clients, with weekly hands-on growing support and therapy
- Outdoor horticultural therapy sessions and workshops available to families on visits
- A Kitchen Garden for anyone (clients, staff, volunteers) who wants to get involved with growing and learning, with additional produce going into the kitchen on site and an honesty box, to help us raise funds and connect with the community.
- Social enterprise element where clients and volunteers will work together to sow, grow, nurture plants and produce to sell to the community. Teaching vital skills such as growing plants and business planning. Clients working on prices, names, marketing, connecting with the community, selling etc.
Here is a photo of the fantastic plot of land which we have been donated to set up the new site on:
Here is our design:
Life at No.27 & the cost of living crisis
The current cost of living crisis is affecting so many including Life at No.27. We want to be able to continue supporting those in need. Every £1 donated to this campaign will go towards helping us make a difference. To enable us to work with vulnerable members of the community. To increasing positive mental health and wellbeing while teaching valuable life skills and building confidence. Many of our participants have gone on to secure employment, giving them financial security. Please read what some of our past participants have to say below:
Testimonials:
“As someone who has tried CBT and talking therapy but felt awkward being face to face with a stranger in a therapy room, seeing Annabelle in the garden is a different experience. Annabelle puts me at ease and having the fresh air, plants, birds, mindful tasks like planting seeds, weeding, touching and smelling the herbs, takes away all my self-consciousness and allows me to think, feel and speak freely. It has given me the courage and clarity to make really significant changes in my life, and ongoing support to navigate any difficulties and maintain the positives“
ADULT 1-2-1 CLIENT
"Since gaining a small allotment at ‘Life at No.27’ my mental health and general well being has never been so good. The opportunity to work with a piece of land and turn it into a sustainable food source has been fantastic. I have planted and sowed seeds and week by week watched them turn into a full meal for my family and I. It has given me headspace and perspective which no medication could and I am so grateful for this.”
ADULT ALLOTMENT HOLDER
"In March 2022, I saw an advert on Facebook about Life at No.27 and to reach out if you felt you needed help with your mental health. I’d previously started DBT therapy but because I was a new mum, they said I was unable to take my baby along to the sessions and so I was back to square one in terms of seeking help. When I saw this Facebook post from Annabelle, it intrigued me as despite never having any experience of gardening or growing from seed, I love being outdoors and know that it helps me with my mental health. I bit the bullet and thought “well I’ve tried everything else what have I got to lose”?
I booked an initial consultation with Annabelle which I was ridiculously anxious for but she was approachable, understanding and kind. She literally took all the hard work from me and contacted my GP to get the referral so I could access the service. The whole process only took a matter of two weeks, incredible as NHS waiting lists for accessing mental health services I needed were months/years long.
In summer 2022, I was harvesting my first lot of vegetables. It brought me so much excitement and joy and I loved having the time twice a week to do something I loved. However, Summer 2022 also brought a new challenge to me. I was offered a new job working with SEND & disadvantaged pupils which was something I had always wanted to do, but it meant working full time. I had only worked part time due to my mental health issues so this was a big leap for me. It also meant that the comfort & routine of having Life at No.27 twice a week would have to give, the people I’d grown to love I wouldn’t see anymore and generally a lot of change. I made the decision to go for it...
Meeting Annabelle and joining the Life at No.27 programme changed the course of my life, and I will forever be grateful for her and her team for being there for me when I felt unheard and alone. Life at No.27 was pivotal for me. I have a long way to go on my mental health journey, but knowing she will always be there if I ever needed her again, is comfort enough to try to work through life’s challenges."
You can read their full testimonial here.
ADULT ALLOTMENT HOLDER
How can you help?
There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality:
1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!
4. If you want to run your own fundraiser to support us, maybe a sponsored activity or similar, use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!
Become a fundraiser
Want to raise funds for this cause? It's simple to get started.
Start fundraisingRewards
This project offered rewards
£20 or more
Signed copy of YOU CAN grow your own food
Claim an exclusive signed copy of children's reference book; YOU CAN grow your food. Written by our founder, Annabelle Padwick and published my HarperCollins.
YOU CAN grow your own food is full of fun tried and tested growing guides and activities, as well as lots of interactive pages for children to make it their own. Including colouring in, designing their own garden, growing their first veggies, and starting to learn to cook.
£5 or more
High Five!
For some, it might not seem like much, but for us, it means the world. Thank you for your support.
£10 or more
Get your Growing for Wellbeing Activity Pack
Receive a free download copy of our Growing for Wellbeing Activity Resource Pack!
32 pages of activities, suitable for families, schools, nurseries, colleges, youth clubs, businesses and care homes. The pack contains really fun and easy makes you can do both in the class room, kitchen, garden or office space.
£20 or more
Grow along with us
We will send you a personalised thank you note and selection of seeds so that you can grow with us, in your own home, school or community space.
£50 or more
Become a Friend of Life at No.27
Become a friend of Life at No.27 and we will invite you to all our events and workshops. This is a lifetime membership! Plus we will send you a Growing for Wellbeing Activity Pack, stickers, a pin badge and selection of seeds so that you can grow your own at home too.
£250 or more
1-1 Gardening Workshop and Mentoring
Do you know someone who would love a mentoring and gardening session with our director, Annabelle Padwick?
Annabelle has years of experience, setting up therapy gardens, designing programmes and using horticultural therapy and counselling skills within school and community settings.
As well as the 1-1 session, we will send you a Growing for Wellbeing Activity Pack, a pin badge and selection of seeds so that you can grow your own at home too.