A group of teens have been working alongside a national organisation to help restore a garden at a historic property.
Over 10 weeks, the Green Hub Project for Teens assisted the National Trust team at Gertrude Jekyll’s Munstead Wood in Godalming.
Ten young people helped to reinstate the historic woodland garden area, as well as using the garden and planting as inspiration for art and craft projects.
Co-founder and chair of Green Hub, Vanessa Lanham-Day, said: “Over the last three years, we have been supporting young people in the Surrey and Waverley area who are facing social, emotional and mental-health challenges.
“The teen mental health crisis is escalating in all parts of the UK and traditional support methods are struggling to meet demand.
“When the team at Munstead Wood approached us, Tone Tellefsen Hughes (my Co-founder) and I jumped at the chance to allow our teens to become the first ever volunteers to work in this extraordinary garden.”
The Munstead Wood team approached Green Hub in spring this year, interested to understand ways in which the two organisations could work together. In order to deliver community benefit through the power of working in nature.
The end of the programme was marked by an informal ‘graduation’ ceremony at Munstead Wood, where the teens received a special certificate to add to their personal portfolio.
The National Trust provided a cream tea for everyone to enjoy and Green Hub’s patron – BBC’s Flo Headlam, gave a short talk to congratulate them on their achievements.