Veterans' Growth

Veterans' Growth is a charity dedicated to helping ex-service personnel (men and women 18+) who are suffering from mental heath issues. We provide this through social therapeutic horticultural therapy and support at our site. Having your support means we will be in a position to provide help and support and to welcome more veterans.

www.veteransgrowth.org

Latest News

Introducing our SeedShare project

Nicky, our SeedShare Manager and the team have collected seeds from last years crops of vegetables and flowers and they have been packed into preset amounts ready to be posted out to any veteran who would like them.

Veterans have a list to choose from which Nicky will share with them, so if you know of a veteran who would like to get involved with our SeedShare project please email seedshare@veteransgrowth.org and Nicky will be in touch to tell you more about this project.

Mixture of events happening on site for our Veterans'.

Two weeks are never the same at Veterans' Growth. We had such a mix of things happening on site a few weeks ago. One of our veteran groups took part in some sheep shearing activities whilst another veteran continues with his wood work. He decided to create two soldiers for the front entrance and we love them. He was proud to inform us that he has been 💯 successful with every cutting he has touched in 7 weeks and we must agree he has a flair for design as his patch looks great too.

Hanging Basket Workshop for both Veterans and Civilians

On Saturday 8^th May we hosted our first group workshop since the last lockdown. Adhering to government guidelines, this workshop was outside and limited to 6 places of groups of two only, where we could ensure social distancing and safety at all times. We opened the workshop up to both veterans', their families and civilians. Everyone had a fantastic morning and got to take their master piece home with them. Veterans' Growth supplied all the plants, materials and tools and all we asked for was a small donation. We hope you enjoy the photos as much as our participants enjoyed their morning creating their hanging baskets.

About us

Veterans’ Growth is a UK registered charity based at Rocks Farm Oast in East Sussex, providing social therapeutic horticulture (STH) therapy and support to veterans facing mental health issues. Through our programmes, veterans gain confidence, knowledge and experience and some go on to gain further work experience and, in some cases, employment. The aim of our charity is to provide support and a place on the programme to every veteran in the UK who wants to attend and /or is unable to access help through other channels. We work with veterans in small groups, helping them overcome the isolation, stress and anxiety that can arise from their situation. We help each of our veterans to build social relationships during their time at Veterans’ Growth.

Our CEO, Jason Stevens is a veteran of 16 years in the Army. Jason undertook tours in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone and spent time in Germany. He was medically discharged from the MOD in 2016, after he suffered a bilateral stoke caused by a hole in his heart. The stroke has left Jason with disabilities, both physical and cognitive. Jason was also diagnosed with PTSD. After months of searching for a job, he opened a plant shop in Hastings, East Sussex. Being surrounded by plants provided Jason with green therapy and a calm and contemplative environment that helped his recovery immensely over the ensuing months and years. After reading a report in 2018 about the 42^nd veteran suicide of the year he knew he had to do something, and he passionately believed from his own experiences that horticulture offered a new approach. He sold his business to raise the funds to create Veterans’ Growth.

Our multi-disciplinary team includes qualified horticulturists, qualified therapists, and a garden designer. The courses we provide for veterans include one-to-one sessions and group work, where we provide STH to participants. During initial assessment, individuals’ needs are considered, and the programme tailored to these. Each course consists of a combination of physical horticultural activities, alongside theory-based learning, visits to sites of interests, talks and guest lectures covering subjects including horticulture, and wellbeing and therapy sessions and social activities.