Growing Forward for social and therapeutic horticulture

Jeremy Rushton is raising funds for Growing Forward, a social and therapeutic horticulture project founded in 2019 in Nottingham, by cycling a 1200 mile version of Land's End to John o' Groats.

Jeremy decided to celebrate passing his 60th birthday by taking on the challenge of a Land’s End to John o’ Groats (LEJOG) bike ride! Jeremy is no stranger to cycling. A week without some use of a bike has been a rare thing since he moved to a small Cambridgeshire village aged 10, where it was the best way to get to school.

During the intervening 50 years, he has come to really appreciate the many benefits that cycling brings to both physical and mental health. And it is the mental health side that has become of particular focus to so many people in these recent, pandemic and post-pandemic years. Consequently, he wishes to take the opportunity to raise money for a local charity, Growing Forward, that does fabulous work helping people with their mental health (Growing Forward ).

Actually, this will not be the first end-to-end bike ride Jeremy has done, however it will be the most difficult. For a start, he and the small group of friends that he is facing the challenge with, will be doing the ride ‘un-supported’. This means that they have devised the route and arranged accommodation for themselves (no small task), and will be carrying all of their own luggage and supplies. They have also set themselves a route that will be the longest they have done so far - the planned route of 1,150 miles is some 200 miles longer than the ‘normal’ route. Part of the inspiration for the route was to visit three of Britain’s iconic modern architectural highlights - The Severn, Humber and Forth bridges. Older masterpieces such as Lincoln Cathedral, York Minster and Bamburgh, Edinburgh and Stirling Castles will also be visited. This route requires doing a side-to-side as well as an end-to-end! In the course of the ride they will also be climbing more than 13,500 m (almost exactly 10x the height of Ben Nevis, which they will also be passing).

Of course, the truth is, the factor that makes the challenge such a big one is age. With an average age at the start of over 61 years, the group knows that the body breaking down is a much of a threat to success as the bikes breaking down! Certainly since the group last did a cycle challenge we have all become aware of how much more difficult it has become to take on such physical challenges. But we all know that even preparing for the ride reaps such rewards for our bodies and minds that we are determined to give it our best try. We will be taking on the ride in September, starting on the 8th, due to reach John o’ Groats on 28th.

So, please sponsor Jeremy’s epic LEJOG bike ride to help Growing Forward continue to provide their support to people in Nottingham.

About Growing Forward

Growing Forward CIC is a social and therapeutic horticulture project founded in 2019 in Nottingham. With initial limited funding the Growing Forward team offered group sessions and one-to-one counselling in community gardens. They continued to provide remote and socially distanced support through the COVID-19 lockdowns. When the gardens were closed, they offered one-to-one walks in parks and nature settings.

Since then they have created their own garden space to deliver small group and one to one counselling sessions as well as partnered with other organisations to provide therapeutic gardening elsewhere. A key aim of Growing Forward is for participants to later become involved in the organisation as volunteers and to support new participants joining the sessions. This means that the service continues to support individuals even after their time in counselling or gardening sessions end.

Their work is needed now more than ever but funding is scarce.

They work closely with local health professionals, GreenSpace, Windmill Community Gardens and Summerwood Community Garden, Emmanuel House Support Centre, Bikeworks, Refugee Roots and other local wellbeing organisations.

Participants who use Growing Forward’s services are referred via GPs and health professionals, community gardens and other wellbeing organisations. Their social and therapeutic horticulture (STH) sessions provide an abundance of opportunities and activities to improve physical and mental wellbeing. To name a few it can help to alleviate anxiety and depression, improve fitness and recovery, build confidence and hope for the future. The STH garden is an ideal environment for learning and applying vocational skills which can be transferred to employment, volunteering etc.

However, without funding Growing Forward cannot continue their work.

Money donated through this sponsorship will make a big difference to a small organisation that has a huge impact on individuals’ lives. It will help Growing Forward to continue to provide weekly therapeutic gardening and counselling sessions at their specially designed garden.

Any donation will be hugely appreciated and a big help.