Gloucester’s Gardening for Wellbeing programme, launched during the Covid pandemic to bring people together through outdoor activity, is set to grow after receiving money from the Barnwood Trust to create a new sensory garden in the Cathedral grounds. The scheme, which shifted its emphasis to wellbeing and practical skills when Lizzie Hathaway‑White took over its running in 2022, supports vulnerable residents and aims to give participants hands‑on experience in construction and horticulture.
From seed bombs to paving: participants to lead the build
The funding will be used to provide wheelchair‑accessible raised beds, adapted gardening equipment and accessible pathways, while also supporting training in practical skills such as laying paving, spreading gravel and building benches. Organisers are clear the project will be participant‑led: those who take part in the gardening sessions will help shape and physically create the new space rather than it being installed by contractors.
"You've got people across generations talking, working together, learning and being brave trying new things," said Lizzie Hathaway‑White, the Cathedral's community engagement and participation officer.
That intergenerational element has been a hallmark of the group since its formation in 2020. People who take part often face challenges including mental health issues, disability or social isolation. For many, the programme is about more than growing plants: it offers routine, companionship and transferable skills that participants can use at home and in other community settings.
- Programme launched: 2020
- Current lead: Lizzie Hathaway‑White (running the group since 2022)
- New funder: Barnwood Trust
- Planned features: sensory garden, accessible raised beds, adapted tools, pathways
Volunteers already make things such as "seed bombs" to plant wildflowers and gain experience harvesting vegetables grown in the Cathedral grounds. One participant, Jasmin Webb, who joined three years ago, described how the group has changed the way she gardens at home and how sharing skills multiplies their effect across the city.
"I enjoy doing something that I really love as I only have a balcony, which I've turned into a little garden with the skills I've learnt," Webb said. "It feels really good to pass on the knowledge I've learnt, which they can pass on too. It has a knock on effect. If you bring a smile to it all, then you're taking smiles away."
Organisers say the sensory garden will be a practical resource as well as a therapeutic one. The planned accessible features are intended to make the space usable by people with a wide range of physical abilities, and the hands‑on construction work is framed as a chance for participants to gain tangible experience in landscaping trades. That approach aims to foster independence and confidence while keeping costs down and ensuring the space meets users' needs.
| Planned facility | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Wheelchair‑accessible raised beds | Enable gardening for people with mobility limitations |
| Adapted tools | Make tasks easier for users with different needs |
| Accessible pathways | Improve movement around the garden for all visitors |
| Practical skills training | Provide experience in paving, gravel setting and bench building |
For a city that values both its historic cathedral and grassroots community projects, the expansion of Gardening for Wellbeing is an example of creative use of green space to address social need. The Cathedral's grounds have long been a public asset in Gloucester; the new sensory garden will extend that role by creating a space designed specifically to be inclusive and to promote wellbeing.
Those involved say the next steps will include finalising designs with participants, sourcing materials and scheduling the construction work so that volunteers can be fully involved. As the project moves from planning to physical build, organisers hope it will continue to attract people who are looking for practical activity, social connection and new skills — all within a familiar city centre setting.
