Wokingham Link to Nature program is part of The Link Visiting Scheme, which matches volunteer visitors with elderly and vulnerable individuals (‘Friends’) in the community.
Set up by Lottery funding just after the pandemic, the Link to Nature befriending programme is now offered to around 90 individuals in the area.
Initially Bloom provided plants, seeds and bulbs every month to both the Friend and volunteer, enabling a mutual interest, and occasionally competition between the two.
Over the years, as the Friends’ confidence, to leave home grew, other garden centred activities have been arranged, including festive wreath making (pictured!). There is now plenty of evidence of the beneficial impact on Friends for improved mental well-being, mobility and confidence.
Link volunteers also enjoy the challenge of growing their own plants and often gain from the greater gardening know-how of their Friend, gardening is a level playing field after all!
We choose plants that support pollinators, and are easy to grow by volunteers and friends.
This year we mobilized more “plug plant foster parents”, growing our numbers up to 15, caring for 1,200 plug plants (for this projects as well as for others).
The scheme is very successful, barely any plants are lost in the process.
Jane grew 300 tomato plants from seed to ensure everyone had one to take home, and Alan nurtured 100 strawberry plants to perfection with amazing fruits for everyone.