New programmes

Gardeners’ update

Thrive’s Great Garden Party

February 2014

February 2014Page 2

Over the next few months we will be carrying out improvements to our facilities at the Trunkwell site and completing the Garden Gallery there, thanks to some generous donations. And with the Birmingham and Gateshead projects now firmly established, the stage is set for 2014 to be a great year for Thrive and all our gardeners.

We shall be growing plants for the Alitex glasshouse again at the 2014 Chelsea, Hampton Court and Tatton Park Flower Shows. Our new partnership with the Boursin cheese brand will see the Herb Garden in Battersea renovated and more disabled Londoners given an opportunity to discover the benefits of gardening. And the ongoing relationship with Jo Malone Limited will ensure that the Old English Garden is kept looking fabulous.

Whilst we are doing well in meeting our targets to increase the number of people benefiting from gardening with Thrive, ensuring we meet our financial targets is not so easy. Over the last year we have received donations ranging from £1 to £50,000! We are very grateful for every one of them.

This edition of Thrive News includes examples of how our supporters are fundraising for Thrive and ways you can get involved. We are always looking at new ways to bring in income – if you have ideas you’d like to share with us, do please get in touch.

Wishing you a healthy and fruitful 2014.

Kathryn Rossiter, CEO, Thrive

Welcome to Thrive NewsI am writing this on yet another wet afternoon!

The hot dry weather of last summer is now a distant memory but it really wasn’t that long ago that we were getting sunburnt discussing the plans for the new building in Battersea Park. I visited the site again today and we are on the home run now –

the roofing slates are going on and the door and window frames being fitted – a little behind schedule but getting there! Our next

challenge is to complete the fitting out and make a start on creating a wonderful new garden around the building.

Down 2 Earth team, Gateshead

Page 3

Oh... will it ever stop raining? Hopefully by the time Thrive News reaches you we will be seeing the first signs of spring and we’ll all be looking forward to getting outdoors...

Perhaps you’re keen to return to the golf course as soon as the weather improves.

Golf is similar to gardening in so many ways, it’s fun, it’s social, it’s outdoors, it’s great exercise and SO many people enjoy it.

So if you’re a fan of golf and a fan of Thrive’s work for disabled people why not put the two together and help us by playing golf for Thrive

Nominate Thrive as your Captain’s Charity

Hold a golf event at your club for us – we can help if you’re not sure where to start

Take a golfing challenge with friends – longest drive for Thrive or how many holes can we play in a day

Donate when you win! Donate when you lose!

Simply get in touch and we’ll support you with promotional materials and some golfing goodies or download our Golf Fundraising Pack from our website.

P.S. We’re thinking of running our own golf event again this year, following our success at Camberley Heath Golf Club, if you’re interested in taking part we’d love to hear from you.

for ThrivePlay golf Giving whilst

shoppingebay for Charity is a way for buyers and sellers on ebay.co.uk to support their favourite charities. Sellers, whether they’re individuals or businesses, can donate a percentage from any sale to a charity of their choice and add Gift Aid to their donations. All ebay for Charity items qualify for a fee credit. Learn more about ebay for Charity at: http://sellercentre.ebay.co.uk/sell-benefit-charity

Easyfundraising.org.ukIf you shop online with Amazon, M&S, Argos, John Lewis or Boden, some of the 2,700 retailers registered with easyfundraising.org.uk, you can raise funds for Thrive whilst you shop. Here’s how: go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk, choose Thrive as your good cause, find your chosen retailer, click through to their website, complete your purchase and the retailer will give you a donation for us, at no extra cost to you.

Give as you Live works with 3,068 leading stores that have signed up to donate a commission on every online purchase to the charity of your choice. This commission is already included in the price of what you’re buying, so you can support Thrive, at no extra cost to you.www.giveasyoulive.com

Page 4

Boursin, the delicious French cheese, is supporting our exciting new programme called ‘Spice it up!’

The project will focus on the renovation of parts of The Herb Garden in Battersea Park, London.

It will provide work-skills training for 51 disabled people who are severely disadvantaged in the employment market; currently unable to sustain independent employment but capable of contributing and developing in a supported environment.

The renovation project, which focuses on culinary, medicinal and therapeutic herbs and spices, is a brilliant brand fit with Boursin, the first French cheese with herbs, and will bring a long-lasting benefit to Battersea.

Sitting down fundraising is just as welcome at Thrive...We’ve had donations from Craft Fairs, Cake Sales, Plant Sales. Donate whilst you’re shopping on line by using Easyfundraising and ebay for Charity, earn donations while you search for goodies or sell your stuff... see page 3 for details.

FUNDRAIS ING ROUND UP

Taking up running in 2014?Mick Dennison, a keen runner, ran the London Marathon in 2013 in 4 hours and 4 minutes – and raised more than £1500 for Thrive. That’s an amazing £57.25 for each mile or £6.14 every minute. Mick’s wife volunteers at Thrive and suggested he fundraise for us when he got a place in the London Marathon ballot.

Do you, or someone you know, have a place to race, can you ask them to run for Thrive? We can provide sponsorship forms, fundraising advice, help with publicity and of course our admiration and thanks for your efforts.

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Mud and more mudJan Broady, one of our horticultural therapists, must love the stuff because he has signed up for the Rat Race Dirty Weekend, it’s the largest purpose built Mud Race and Assault Course on Earth in the grounds of Burghley House, Lincolnshire. 20 miles, 200 obstacles

and it’ll take him around 10 hours to complete it.

Fundraising ideas that can raise a smile, and funds for ThriveWear your wellies to work – encourage your team to join in and make a donation to Thrive when you do.

Hold a competition – who can grow the biggest sunflower, largest pumpkin.

Kidnap a garden gnome and ask for a ransom... you wouldn’t, would you?

A new fundraising idea for 2014 – create your own garden gangGardening together can be good fun and you’ll get a lot done. Get together with a group of gardening friends, tackle those big jobs, and really make an impact on your gardens this summer. Maybe use your expertise about pruning or planting and exchange your knowledge for a donation to Thrive. Collect donations as a group and make a regular payment to Thrive or celebrate your achievements with a Thrive Garden Party for your friends and neighbours.

Boots came in handy!

Sponsor Jan at www.justgiving.com/Jan-Broady

They say walking barefoot in the sand is good for you... Gill’s trek was great for Thrive – she raised £900.Last year Gill Ackroyd trekked across the Sahara with Discover Adventure. It was no picnic – she walked for 8 days for 8–10 hours a day across sand dunes in temperatures over 42ºC. There were no loos, no showers and no phone reception; she endured dehydration and heat exhaustion... But she slept under the Milky Way and says the trek was, “the best experience of my life.”

Fancy a challenge in 2014? Sign up for an open challenge with Discover Adventure or Charity Challenge and support Thrive and we promise you the experience of a lifetime.

February 2014Page 6

Thrive was invited to attend the Conservative Party Conference in October to highlight the health and social benefits of gardening for elderly and isolated people.

We set up a stand in the Social Action Zone and encouraged delegates to pack gardening starter-kits.

Mr Cameron packed a box and personalised it with the message:

“Enjoy your new garden – planting and growing never stops

giving me pleasure.”

In total more than 280 boxes including seeds, compost, tools and Thrive’s Gardening Independence guide were assembled by scores of MPs, councillors and activists during the four-day conference in Manchester.

The boxes will be distributed to elderly people to help them discover the joy of gardening for the first time or reignite their passion for growing their own plants.

For information on how to obtain one of our starter-kits please call Thrive on 0118 988 5688 and ask for a member of the fundraising team.

the P.M.Thrive met

Becky held her party in France... “Everyone had a wonderful time, we introduced the French to the English cream tea and they loved it! We also had a book stall, bric-a-brac, cakes, handicrafts and of course plants. We had a mixture of nationalities, French, German, Belgians and English. Everyone was very interested in Thrive’s work and vision, hopefully we may have sowed a seed for something to happen here.”

Becky is returning to the UK this year and is already planning her 2014 garden party, in Kent.

Thrive’s

Great Garden Party

Last year was the first for Thrive’s Great Garden Party, and we raised more than £8,000 from the wonderful supporters who hosted a garden party for Thrive. They have told us it was easy to do and great fun...

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Thrive’s

Great Garden Party

BBQ

THEME?

SIZE

TIME(summeris good!)

WHERE

WHO

Partyfun &

FUNDRAISING

picnic

posh

small

daytimeP.M.

neighbour‛shouse ?

my gardenallotmentvillage

green

Rovinggardenparty?

neighbours

friendskids

colleagues

Quiz

Plantsales

Cake sale/Teas

Tickets?

2014Great Garden

Party

BIG

A.M.?

?

evening

?Raffle

Vegetables

Garden party ideas...

A garden party can be any size, any time, any day, it can be as simple as you like in your garden, on your allotment or on the village green.

Hold a garden party this summer for Thrive and we’ll help; we have a pack of materials – advice, ideas, posters and invitations – we can send you, or you can download it from the website.

Call the fundraising team on 0118 988 5688 or email us on fundraising@thrive.org.uk for details

During 2013 we featured several gardeners in our appeals. Gardening at Thrive has been a lifeline for them. We thought you might like to hear how some of them are getting along:

Carly has learning disabilities and loves growing strawberries. She has been settling into her own flat and has also completed her Level 1 diploma much faster than we expected. We are encouraging her to enrol with a local college to continue her studies.

February 2014Page 8

Janine has learning disabilities, she is very happy indeed to be back at Thrive. So much so that she is volunteering and helping with other Thrive gardeners who are definitely benefiting from her engaging personality and enthusiasm for gardening.

Matt is living with Schizophrenia. He has completed his Level 1 Diploma in Work Based Horticulture in record time. The confidence he has gained through gaining his qualification has helped him enjoy his volunteering even more and he now hopes to get paid work.

GARDENERS ’ UPDATE

Lesley and her guide dog, Zante, love Thrive so much that she’d like to return as a volunteer; as well as having a part time gardening job. She popped this message into our Christmas card. “Thrive has without doubt changed my life.”

© Simon Kemp

© Helen Jermyn

Page 9

“Tom is living in Denmark with his lovely Danish girlfriend. He is the manager of a Cable Wakeboard centre working with children, young people and local families plus holiday makers of course! So he manages the staff and cable plus takes care of the site maintenance and repairs. He is totally in his element with the job which combines his love of cable wakeboarding plus the general site maintenance which of course includes the grounds (limited but important).

“Unfortunately it is only a seasonal job from April – October so he went off applying for a whole range of jobs this winter and finally managed to get a general handyman job on (wait for it...) a pig farm! Whatever he learnt at Thrive has obviously brought out real skills in general outdoor maintenance and repair, either that or it gave him confidence and an ability to be flexible and adaptable.

“He lives between a large fjord and the sea in an area called Hvide Sande. It is a beautiful place to live and he is very relaxed and chilled out there. Perhaps more importantly they have bought a puppy (Chip) who is a very lively five months old Spaniel.

“I miss him enormously. As always I (we) owe a huge debt of gratitude to Thrive who gave him purpose, meaning and a belief in his

Talk to your friends and colleagues about Thrive

Bring someone new to a Thrive Open Day or fundraising event. Trunkwell Garden Open Days coming up: 27 April; 8 June; 12 July; 14 September 1 pm – 4.30 pm

Sign up for our monthly email bulletin (on our website), and when you get it, send it on to your friends

Ask Thrive to come and speak to your club or group about our work

Pass on this copy of Thrive News to friends – we have spares if you’d like to keep your own copy and share it too, just give us a call and we’ll send you some more.

Thrive needs more supporters, you can help us find them

own abilities. Michael Schumacher’s recent tragic accident caused him very much to reflect on his experience and to grasp a measure of understanding of all the complexities that surround severe head injuries.

“I look back on the past nine years since Tom’s accident with amazement and thank everyone who has helped him to come so far – and to be so independent – which I never dared to either hope for or expect.

“I just wish that I could do more to raise funds and awareness of Thrive and I can only tell your supporters that Thrive took a frail and damaged young man, nurtured and green-housed him to enable him to grow and blossom into a quite remarkable, kind, funny and sensitive young man who is much respected by those around him.

You certainly disproved the psychologist at the neuro rehab unit who said that he would never work, plan, problem solve or be independent. Amazing.

You can read more about Tom and how Thrive helped him on our website.

Update from Tom At 18 Tom was involved in a car accident which nearly killed him, he came to Thrive in 2009 for two years. We asked Tom’s mum Lynne how he is now, and this is what she said...

Together we are creating a building for our gardeners that will be fully accessible, low maintenance and environmentally friendly; a garden project where Thrive can continue its therapeutic programmes with more disabled Londoners than ever before and a space for the public to enjoy.

A practical building with a distinctive appearanceThe architects, Pedder and Scampton, worked closely with Thrive horticultural therapists, service users and

volunteers to design an attractive modern building suitable for providing horticultural therapy for a wide range of disabled people.

The building is curved around the large London plane tree that dominates the site. The buildings walls are clad in cedar with the roof and rear wall finished in natural slate. The inside curve of the building facing the garden forms a glass fronted Orangery.

The building has big “up-and-over” doors allowing the gardeners to come and go all day without needing to worry about shutting

doors or wiping boots. These can be pulled down in bad weather and the glass of the Orangery will still allow natural light to flood in. There are separate offices and training rooms, and tool stores are set into the external

walls for easy access.

Because it is on a shady site the building will be heated using an air source heat pump rather than solar panels. Rainwater will be collected from the main roof for plant watering.

Thrive’s new centre in Battersea Park is close to completion…

The refurbishment of our Main Garden began in earnest on 5 August when the foundations for the new building were laid. We thank everyone who has contributed towards the project for the patience and generosity you have shown since we first asked for your help.

February 2014Page 10

The garden last summer

One of the Battersea team keeping an eye on progress

Garden design…The gardens surrounding the building will be planted up by Thrive gardeners working to a plan created by the award-winning garden designer, Sarah Price. This was Sarah’s first association with Thrive when, as a budding young garden designer, she won a competition to create the garden for our new build.

Sarah has since gone on to design a gold medal winning garden at Chelsea Flower Show, was involved in creating the gardens at the Olympic Park, and worked with Thrive again last year in the Old English Garden.

Kathryn Rossiter, Thrive’s Chief Executive, says: “We are very grateful to the many people who have donated funds towards the cost of the building. I would also like to thank New Covent Garden Market for accommodating us in their offices for the past couple of years and Wandsworth Council for their support and advice with our plans.”

There will be an official opening of the garden in the autumn.

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Above and below: taking shape

© P

edde

r &

Sca

mpt

on

See page 14 for details of how you can help with fitting out the new building.

Architect’s impression of the finished garden

February 2014Page 12

Thrive’s Sow & Grow was an eight-week indoor table top gardening course run at village halls, libraries and community centres in rural locations throughout Berkshire, Hampshire and South Oxfordshire.

Thrive specifically targeted rural and semi-rural areas where services and facilities can be limited particularly for older disabled individuals. Being able to maintain good health was important to participants and loneliness was often cited as a major worry.

With training in Thrive techniques and the chance to try adaptive tools, participants re-discovered their joy of gardening. People were taught new skills and helped to adapt their methods to make sure their disability did not act as a barrier to gardening indoors, or outside.

Given the opportunity, the environment and resources, Thrive discovered that older and/or disabled people are willing and able to take responsibility for their own health and well-being. But access is key – opportunities in rural and semi-rural areas are often restricted due to lack of transport provision, personal financial restrictions, cuts to services or unsuitability for the disabled; these challenges can increase significantly with age.

Sow & Grow reached 554 people with an average age of seventy.

Results showed that participants relished the chance to meet new people and make friends whilst learning new ways to garden. After the course groups were encouraged to stay in touch and keep gardening; 12 new community gardening groups were formed and 53 people moved into volunteering.

Sow & Grow proves that disability is not a barrier to active ageing but isolation can be a problem…

FindingsSow & Grow

I’m really enjoying myself and the sessions are really useful and interactive. Lots of hints and tips that help me carry on gardening with Multiple Sclerosis. I come home every Wednesday buzzing.

“

”Sow & Grow client

A copy of Thrive’s Sow & Grow empirical study is available from the Thrive website. Go to the bottom of the home page to ‘Publications and Information’.

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About Green Care“Green Care” describes a collection of therapies which use nature to produce health, social or educational benefits for a variety of vulnerable people. The Green Care concept is illustrated below...

Thrive sees first-hand how gardening can help everyone, regardless of age or disability, but evidence is needed in order to convince many in the NHS. Thrive, recently held a seminar “Green Care White Care” to share the findings of our Growing 4 Life Programme Evaluation and to open the discussion about getting “green care” on the health agenda.

The keynote speaker was Sir Richard Thompson, Thrive Patron and President of the Royal College of Physicians.

He praised Thrive’s new INSIGHT™ database; an outcome measurement tool that records gardeners’ behavioural scores. For the first time Thrive can collect and analyse data and show the impact of its Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) programmes.

Sir Richard went on to highlight the importance of exercise in health and well-being, rather than focussing on people’s weight. He said, “Gardening can be quite considerable exercise; and I always say there is a free gym outside your window, a green gym.”

Dr Joe Sempik is a research fellow from Nottingham University, School of Sociology and Social Policy who has worked with Thrive for a number of years. He emphasised the wide range of circumstances suited to STH. Working on a garden project, in allotments, growing food and conservation work, he said, all form part of STH as shown by Thrive’s recent Growing 4 Life project.

Dr Sempik also stressed the need to continue to raise awareness of nature-based approaches for health.

“Fifty-six per cent of GPs still need convincing – yet they encourage people to lose weight with exercise, so why not gardening?”

Putting gardening on the national health agenda

Range of different contexts, activities, health benefits, clients, motivations and needs

Facilitated Green Exercise as TreatmentCare Farming

Animal Assisted Interventions Ecotherapy

Wilderness Therapy, Nature

Therapy

Social & Therapeutic Horticulture

GREEN CARE

Thrive

✁

Thrive News is printed on FSC certified paper from responsible sources. When you have finished with this newsletter, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it. Thrive is registered in the UK as the Society for Horticultural Therapy. Thrive is a registered charity (number 277570) and a limited company (number 1415700).© Thrive 2014

Contact ThriveThrive, The Geoffrey Udall CentreBeech Hill, Reading RG7 2ATT: 0118 988 5688E: info@thrive.org.ukW: www.thrive.org.uk

Ways to donate:

Telephone: 0118 988 5688

Text: THRI02 and the amount of your gift to 70070

Online: www.thrive.org.uk

By post: Fill in the form overleaf and return it to Thrive

Help complete Thrive’s new garden in Battersea ParkThe building is complete but now we need to provide everything else:

In the office we’ll be needing desks, chairs and filing cabinets for our paperwork.

In the kitchen, our gardeners will be cooking and eating produce from the garden so we’ll need preparation surfaces, a cooker, hob and microwave. We’ll need shelving and kitchen storage for cookery utensils, crockery, a fridge of course, and chairs and tables too.

Outside we want to put up a pergola with some seating beneath and put down paving and hardstanding areas. We also want to install lighting and plenty of seating around the garden.

As for the garden itself; we need all the plants for the new planting scheme, as well as trees, hedging and a new lawn.

Help us complete the transformation and together we can give disabled gardeners a place where they can grow and achieve their dreams, and for the local community and Thrive provide a centre that they can be proud of for many years to come.

Call us or see our website for a complete shopping list and if you would prefer to donate an item please ask us for the specifications. Contact the fundraising team on 0118 988 5688.

Thrive relies on charitable gifts and we are very grateful for your support.£5 could fund a pair of gardening gloves

£25 could buy a plants for the garden £50 could help us buy cookery utensils and crockery for the kitchen

Please help us and give today; use the form opposite or one of the methods shown below.

February 2014Page 14

✁

I would like to support Thrive with a gift.

Here is my Cheque/CAF charity voucher/Postal Order for £5 £25 £50

or £. . . . . . . . . . . . . (please insert amount) made payable to Thrive.

Financial SecurityIf you prefer to make a donation by credit, debit card or CAF card please do not send card details through the post. Please call us on 0118 988 5688 and ask to speak to a member our finance team. Or donate on our website: www.thrive.org.ukOr donate using your mobile phone: text THRI02 and the amount of your gift to 70070 e.g. to donate £60 text THRI0260.

Gift Aid – make your gift larger:Using Gift Aid means that for every £1 you give Thrive can claim an extra 25p from the Inland Revenue. Just sign the statement below.

Gift Aid Statement

I want Thrive to treat all donations I make from the date of this declaration as Gift Aid donations until I notify you otherwise. I understand the requirement is that I must pay an amount of income tax or capital gains tax at least equal to the tax deemed to have been deducted from this donation.

Signature ......................................................................................... Date ............................

Your detailsWe need your full address and postcode to process your Gift Aid claim, please complete the section below.

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Please return this form to: Thrive, FREEPOST (SCE 6522) The Geoffrey Udall Centre, Beech Hill, Reading RG7 2ZZ.

Data ProtectionAny personal information we collect from you will be handled under the terms of the Data Protection Act (1998). We will not share our data to help other charities or marketing organisations without asking your permission.

Thrive is a national charity whose vision is to enable those touched by a disability to transform their lives using gardening.Registered in the UK as The Society for Horticultural Therapy Charity No 277570 Company No 1415700Source: FRNEWS0214

Thank you

John has been volunteering at Thrive in Beech Hill for six months now. He comes on a Friday afternoon and spends two hours working with gardeners and then two hours in the national office helping us to find ways of getting local companies to support Thrive.

John is a scientist by profession; he lives and works locally. He first noticed Thrive when passing our gate on his way to work. John negotiated with his manager to allow him to squeeze his working week into four and a half days so that he could give a half day a week to Thrive.

When we asked John if we could feature him in Thrive News he was a little surprised and wondered why on earth we would want to talk about him. But, as we explained, Thrive volunteers come from all kinds of backgrounds, and there may be more young professionals like him looking for an opportunity to volunteer. He could be paving the way for a whole new group of volunteers at Thrive.

February 2014Page 16

For information about how to volunteer at Thrive please call our

national office on 0118 988 5688, email info@thrive.org.uk or see

the volunteering section of our website www.thrive.org.uk.

Finding the time

to volunteer

We are opening our gardens at Beech Hill on 27 April, 8 June, 12 July, 14 September all 1.00 pm – 4.30 pm.

We’re hosting Thrive Garden Parties for supporters in Battersea and Beech Hill.

We’ll be finding creative ways to celebrate and show off our new building and garden in Battersea.

We’re planning another Thrive Golf Day in the autumn.

Thrive gardeners will be at Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows.

We’ll be out and about in the communities near our gardens promoting Thrive’s work and raising money.

We’re looking forward to a busy summer this year...

To keep up to date with opportunities to meet Thrive and support our work sign up

for our monthly e-bulletin or visit our website www.thrive.org.uk

VOLUNTEERS ’ UPDATE