Please help us fund a sensory and a kitchen garden for children with autism.

Set at the foot of an inner-city large council estate in Sheffield, ‘Discovery School’ is a special school for 108 students aged 7-16 with Autism and associated Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs.

Friends of Discovery is a group of parents, carers and friends who are trying to raise money to develop a school garden on undeveloped land surrounding the school.

With your help we will purchase tools and equipment such as hoses, watering cans, wheelbarrows; we will build raised beds, buy soil, compost and compost bins; we can buy plants, bulbs and seeds, trellis work, bird boxes, frames, polytunnels and more.

We all appreciate the sensory aspects of a lovely garden with its colour, smells and sounds but many children with autism have heightened sensory awareness. Plant textures, earthy smells and quiet can give autistic children a sense of being in another world. Gardens can help instil calmness and emotional regulation. A garden can be a place to find a quiet corner in nature when the indoor environment at school with its lights and busy noise are just too overwhelming for an autistic child. Sometimes just stroking a plant, placing fingers in soil or listening to outdoor sounds can soothe an anxious mind.

In tandem with the sensory area, the children would also love to grow vegetables and herbs in a kitchen garden area. We would start with just a small polytunnel, but we have great dreams about raised beds teeming with seasonal vegetables and maybe even a greenhouse.

We would hope that eventually our garden would lead to students gaining qualifications in horticulture and even employment for some. While only 10% of adults of working age with special needs find employment, the number of adults with autism in full time employment is only 3%, a shocking statistic for a developed country.

Not every child has access to a garden at home. The Friends of Discovery School want to ensure that every one of our children has the right to their own small garden space.

We would really appreciate your support. Thank you!