A secret garden and labour of love, it’s amazing what has been achieved here! Bridewell provides social and therapeutic horticulture for people enduring mental health issues, helping them move forwards with recovery. It’s pretty inspiring stuff and you can really feel the sense of hope and optimism taking root alongside the flowers and vegetables. Founded in 1994, the emphasis is on getting out into the open air, taking on new challenges and becoming part of a team.
Families are very much welcome to their open days: there’s no tutting or shhhhhing as children do what children do – run around exploring. We encountered warm welcomes and friendly conversations; to both children and adults. We were given grapes to feed the chickens (beware: they will stampede towards you!) and a beautiful posy of flowers to take home too. Every person we spoke to just had a sense of openness and community about them.
This year, Bridewell are open for two days in the winter for a Winter Wander and four days for their usual open days:
Winter Wander: Sunday 19th January (10am – 1pm)
Winter Wander: Sunday 16th February (10am – 1pm)
Open Day: Sunday 11th May
Open Day: Sunday 15th June
Open Day: Sunday 6th July
Open Day: Sunday 7th September
Let’s support charities like these who are the unsung heroes of our communities.
