Latest News
Therapeutic Gardening - Late Autumn 2026
As we come to the very end of the growing season in Northumberland, we are amazed at just how abundant the garden is, even into the month of November. We have been busy harvesting root veg - celeriac, parsnip, beetroot - as well as green leafy veg such as kale and cabbages. Our veg box scheme this year has been a huge success and we have enjoyed putting together a varied selection each week for our customers. Garden group members have also enjoyed taking away some of the produce at the end of the day to cook with at home.
The shared team effort of harvesting and packing the boxes gives us lots of opportunities for learning. As always there is much joking and chatting whilst we work.
Cooking Together 2026
Autumn is always a good time for making pickles and chutneys with some of the end of season produce from our veg garden. Green tomato chutney and cucumber pickle were both a big success this year, as was the runner bean piccalilli. Garden group members love to take a jar home at the end of the process to share with their families. Our next cooking projects will be pumpkin soup to share for halloween and quince jelly with our bumper crop of quinces.
It is always very companionable standing around our large table in the sanctuary chopping and measuring. Sometimes we like to sing or listen to music as we work!
Nature-based Arts and Crafts 2026
When we fancy an alternative to gardening we get 'crafty' making a wonderful variety of unusual art creations using materials from the garden and the surrounding countryside. This makes a gentle, relaxing and companionable activity for anyone feeling creatively inspired and has kept our building bright and interesting. We have enjoyed making colourful bunting using sponging and block printing effects and also a range of decorative slates for the garden and new polytunnel. We are currently gathering ideas from everyone for a new garden sculpture to be created over the winter.
New Seating for the Meditation Corner
Thanks to generous funding from the Catherine Cookson Foundation and hard work from two of our volunteers, Rob and Liam, we have been able to install a new seating area in the meditation corner. This provides an intimate, sheltered corner for the many groups who use the Peace Garden, as well as a quiet spot for contemplation or personal space when needed.
We inaugurated our new seating circle by having our afternoon tea and sharing circle in this space at the end of one of our gardening therapy days and enjoyed the autumn colour in this area of the garden.
Celebrating our new polytunnel
Thanks to generous funding from the Truemark Trust, we have realised a long-held dream to install a really large polytunnel (5.5M x 12M) in the Peace Garden. This now provides us with an all-year-round indoor growing space that can be used for a wide range of activities with the whole gardening team. We have enjoyed watching our first crops grow in this wonderful new space and are now experimenting with winter crops to extend our growing season. We also received funding for an extra tall raised bed suitable for anyone with mobility issues or in a wheelchair. We are delighted that this will help to support us in being as inclusive as possible in what we offer.
Our wonderful Sanctuary building is still available for hire by third parties as an alternative workshop space or away day venue. The building has a small kitchen, wood burner and the poshest compost loo you have ever come across! It's simple, cosy and the setting is truly idyllic. Cost £50/half day or £100/full day. All proceeds go towards maintaining the building to support our gardening therapy work. For more information on hiring the building or to check dates, do contact us
Sanctuary Hire
We now have a JustGiving donations page, which makes it easy to support the work that we do with people living with mental health and learning difficulties, some of whom may be unable to work and may not be eligible for statutory funding to cover their attendance at gardening therapy sessions. Every little makes a difference and we are very grateful for every contribution we receive.
To make a donation now, please click here
Funding update
As a registered charity, Let's Get Growing is committed to keeping its therapeutic horticulture service available to all, regardless of financial circumstances. The majority of participants attending our gardening therapy days are able to access a personal budget or direct payment. Those who are not supported through the NHS can apply to our bursary fund, as we have a clear policy of welcoming all, irrespective of personal means. The nature of the beneficiary groups with whom we work means that some charitable funding is therefore needed to support our work. We would like to express our sincere thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund, the Truemark Trust, the Shears Foundation, the Catherine Cookson Trust, EDF Boundary Lane Windfarm and the Riverbank/Watkin Family Fund for generously supporting us in 2026.