What does Growing Roots do?
Growing Roots is a small charity based on an allotment on Highfield Park in St Albans which aims to encourage the growing of vegetables, fruit and flowers by individuals.
Growing Roots would like to reach individuals who live in a permanent abode with no garden and who would benefit from having a productive activity to take part in to encourage them to get out and about, as well as the opportunity to grow healthy food, get lots of fresh air and exercise, and hopefully save some money.
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This includes:
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people who have had an unsettled or traumatic way of living, or who have previously been homeless, and are now settling down to living in new permanent accommodation and perhaps finding it a bit overwhelming,
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people with a diagnosed mental health condition or simply poor mental health, e.g. low mood, anxious, tending to stay indoors a lot and lacking motivation to go out,
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people with a physical condition or illness, e.g. an acquired brain injury, who might tend to stay indoors a lot and lack motivation to go out.
This is a referred scheme. Ideally people who take part would have expressed an interest in growing produce to their sponsor, even if they have not done this before. We ask that people commit to cultivating their own patch. We provide the tools, equipment and seeds, advice and encouragement.
