We're still collecting donations
On the 12th November 2021 we'd raised £30 with 2 supporters in 28 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
+ est. £11.25
To deliver weekly gardening sessions to help isolated, sedentary adults to get outdoors, active, socialise and improve their mental health.
by Sport in Mind in Newbury, West Berkshire, United Kingdom
On the 12th November 2021 we'd raised £30 with 2 supporters in 28 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
Our charity is Sport in Mind and we have a simple mission: : to improve the lives of people experiencing mental health problems through sport and physical activity. We run weekly sport and physical activity sessions (Tennis, Football, Yoga, Tai Chi etc) across Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Dorset. Last year, we were fortunate to inherit an allotment in Newbury from the NHS, to branch out and use gardening activities to help improve people's mental health. Over the summer we successfully piloted some gardening sessions to ascertain demand and impact. The response to the sessions was phenomenal and the impact it had on our participants’ health and wellbeing has been huge.
Following this successful pilot we have plans to launch a regular gardening project in a safe and supportive environment to help aid the recovery and transform the lives of people suffering mental illness in West Berkshire. Through this gardening project we want to share the fantastic benefits of getting outdoors in the fresh air, connecting with nature and growing fresh produce. We will use the money to run weekly sessions paying for gardening staff time, plus pay for equipment, seeds, flowers, and plants. The more funding we attract the more people with mental health issues we'll be able to support.
Our research demonstrates that this project will improve our clients' mental, physical and social health, enhance self-esteem, help them gain new skills and offer them a real sense of achievement by growing fruit, flowers, herbs and vegetables.
Here is a testimonial from our sport sessions and we hope our gardening sessions will have the same impact!
“Depression robbed me of a normal life for 10 years, but when I joined Sport in Mind they gave me the chance to play sport again and feel ‘normal’. I’ve heard people say ‘playing sport changed my life’, but Sport in Mind didn't just change my life - they saved it!" Martin
This project offered rewards