Rachel Healy, Marketing and Communications Manager at Share Community is celebrating the reopening of their garden in Tooting.

Lockdown affected so many services and we were no exception. Horticulture training at the garden stopped and we weren’t able to run our social enterprise, Share Nurseries, as usual. Despite some employees being furloughed, we maintained our lovely garden with a core group of staff who nurtured our array of plants and kept everything looking beautiful.

With restrictions easing we’re now pleased to offer plants for sale to the public every Tuesday from 10am until 3pm. Despite the building work at Springfield Hospital, the Share garden is accessible by footpath and you may use the hospital car parks if coming by car.
 

We’re also delighted to welcome back some of our students for respite and therapeutic gardening. Our priority is their safety and wellbeing and our reduced opening hours reflect this as currently we can only welcome customers when we’re not running student sessions.

Lockdown has been particularly difficult for those with learning disabilities, autism, and other sensory needs. Routine and structure have been disrupted, causing stress and anxiety as people haven’t been able to get around and access their usual services.

We’ve been supporting students over the last few weeks remotely, staying in contact by phone and Zoom and providing online learning resources. But people have missed out on direct human interaction. The garden is a tranquil restorative space where students benefit from hands on learning, fresh air and much needed social contact.

If you want to get involved, we’re looking for volunteers to help support students in their sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from 10am until 4pm. For more details contact leannew@sharecommunity.org.uk.

We adhere strictly to current health guidelines – read our statement here.
 

Share Nurseries is a horticultural social enterprise run by Share Community, a registered charity that provides training and employment support for disabled adults, including those with learning disabilities, autism, physical and sensory impairments, and mental health needs. To find out more about Share’s work or how you can get involved, visit www.sharecommunity.org.uk  

You can find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, all @sharenurseries. Please follow us and support our work!
 

Share Nurseries is a horticultural social enterprise run by Share Community, a registered charity that provides training and employment support for disabled adults, including those with learning disabilities, autism, physical and sensory impairments, and mental health needs. To find out more about Share’s work or how you can get involved, visit www.sharecommunity.org.uk