Growing Together

Our Growing Together gardens are at the heart of Trust Links.

The Growing Together therapeutic community gardening project provides a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for adults, improving mental health, physical health and wellbeing. Our members enjoy a range of gardening activities and can complete horticulture qualifications.

We have six therapeutic community gardens: Westcliff, Shoeburyness, Rochford, Thundersley, Cressing Temple and Basildon.

A wide range of activities at Growing Together

As a Growing Together member you can benefit from workshop activities at each site, helping you build confidence and skills. Groups include music, art, yoga, creative writing, woodwork and a women’s group. There is also access to vocational training and employment support.

We believe that everyone has something to contribute, whether you are a keen gardener or you simply enjoy being outdoors. No matter your skills, we’ll work with you to find the best way for you to benefit from the project. Our members include adults with a wide range of mental health conditions, learning disabilities, dementia, physical disabilities, sensory impairments and neurodiverse conditions.

Our members produce wonderful fruit, vegetables and plants, which are then sold at our on-site shops and at our regular community events open to children, young people and families. The gardens have been frequent winners of the Green Flag Awards, Southend in Bloom and Anglia in Bloom competitions, and are also open to the public.

The Growing Together study

In 2021 and 2022, researchers from University of Essex worked with Trust Links to evaluate the impact and outcomes of the Growing Together project. The Evaluation sought to identify the project’s impact on wellbeing, social isolation and life satisfaction. To find out more about the impact of Growing Together, click here!

If you could benefit from the Growing Together project, visit the referral page using the button at the top of this website. Make sure to select ‘Growing Together’.