The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales is collaborating with horticultural therapy and mental health counselling provider Life at No.27 to create therapy allotments and gardens in South Wales.

Their Royal Highnesses visited the site where the first garden will be developed at Brynawel Rehabilitation Centre, near the town of Pontyclun. The project will form the second in a series of “community impact” pilots from The Royal Foundation, designed to leave a “lasting legacy” in the communities Their Royal Highnesses visit.

The allotments and garden are being developed over the coming months and will offer free and low-cost gardening therapy and mental health support sessions for the Centre’s service users and their families. In time, residents from the local and wider community experiencing mental health issues, low confidence or isolation will also have access to the garden through GP referrals.

Life at No.27 aims to scale this model to create six gardens across South Wales thanks to funds raised via Crowdfunder. To support this, The Royal Foundation is working with Crowdfunder to attract additional funds for the garden at Brynawel and for future gardens for Life at No.27.

Annabelle Padwick, founder, director and wellbeing practitioner at Life at No.27, wants to work with businesses across the gardening industry to support the initiative either through donations or the provision of materials to bring the new site to life, to support the therapy and activity sessions.