Gardening for Wellbeing

Gardening for Wellbeing runs every Wednesday from 10.30am to 12noon at Gloucester Cathedral, 12 College Green, GL1 2LX. It's a project the Cathedral has been running for a few years now, and while it starts with gardening, the focus is more on the people, the confidence, and the community that grows around it.

It began back in 2020 as a response to the social isolation of the pandemic, giving people a reason to get outdoors and come together. In 2022 it was renamed and shifted its focus towards wellbeing and skill-building. Since then, it's picked up the AQA Unit Award Scheme, and the sessions work around the Five Ways to Wellbeing: Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give. Participants have earned around 2,500 certificates since that change.

There's also a 'Sowing and Growing' strand for children and young people with additional needs, which was piloted with schools like Paternoster. With funding from Barnwood Trust, the Cathedral is planning a fully accessible sensory garden, designed alongside the people who'll use it. That means wheelchair-accessible raised beds, adapted equipment, and accessible pathways, as well as a Community Voice Panel to keep participants involved in the process.

As an Eco Church, the Cathedral frames the whole thing around wellbeing, inclusion and caring for creation. If you're looking for a regular morning out in the city, it's every Wednesday, 10.30am to 12noon, at Gloucester Cathedral.