A Bournemouth nursery has marked 36 years of support for adults with mental health conditions.
Plants and Minds held a special event at Cherry Tree Nursery on 6 July to thank donors and supporters, with almost 75 guests attending alongside Bournemouth Mayor Roberto Rocca.
Patron Norman Aish said the charity, co-founded in 1990 by his late father Reverend Canon Roslyn Aish and Cyril Speller, had grown from a “seedling idea” into a working nursery.
He said his father wanted “a better way forward” after seeing people regularly readmitted to hospital, and believed horticultural therapy could offer support through growing and selling plants.
Cherry Tree now supports around 80 adults each week, known as team members, in a pressure-free environment, with Norman saying it had “saved many lives” and helped reduce hospital readmissions.
The event also saw a new polytunnel opened in memory of former propagator Trevor Randall, with support from Moose International, Ferndown and Parley Rotary and Ringwood Women’s Institute.
Trevor’s son Shawn Randall, now a team member, joined the ribbon cutting, while Community Liaison Officer Maria Tidy said the new space would help “ensure that his legacy lives on.”
Share us with your friends on social media, and have a listen to Bournemouth One online and on DAB for all your local news, traffic, jobs, weather, coastal info and more.
Register below for free regular updates via email.
