Sydenham Garden has recently received a donation of £1,500 from local housebuilder Barratt London in a bid to boost access to gardens for mental health and wellbeing recovery. The housebuilder launched its nearby Bermondsey Heights development last year and has provided the charity with funds as part of its Community Fund scheme, which aims to improve the quality of life for those living in the local area.
Sydenham Garden is a unique wellbeing centre utilising its gardens, nature reserve and activity rooms to help people in their recovery from mental and physical ill-health in Lewisham. They aim to do this through five projects. Four of these projects are focused on Adult Mental Health and include gardening, art & craft, and cooking. The fifth project is focused on Dementia and includes all the same elements but underpins them with Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST).
Beth Jaichand, Director of Sydenham Garden, said: “At Sydenham Garden, we understand that speaking out about mental health worries can be difficult. Thank you to Barratt London for their donation, this will go towards buying equipment for our gardens as well as enabling our professional staff team to bring local people together to feel supported in a warm and inclusive environment.”

Yolanda Jacob, Sales and Marketing Director for Barratt East London, comments: “Our Community Fund scheme is focused on supporting local organisations. The pandemic placed a large strain on many people’s mental health and highlighted just how important togetherness is. We are proud to be supporting Sydenham Garden, nearby to our Bermondsey Heights development. We hope this donation makes a real difference for all who benefit from the charity’s great work.”

If you are interested in the services that Sydenham Gardening provides or would like to volunteer with the charity, please call 020 8291 1650 or visit https://www.sydenhamgarden.org.uk.