Ategi Volunteers Roll Up Their Sleeves!

Growing Together: An Ategi Volunteer Day at Bloomin Well

As the summer sunshine continues, gardens need plenty of care and attention to keep them thriving. So, what better way to spend an Ategi Volunteer Day than getting outdoors, rolling up our sleeves and helping nurture a beautiful therapeutic garden?

Ategi colleagues, Aisha, Rupesh, Nikki and friend Michelle spent their Volunteer Day at Bloomin Well CIC (Community Interest Company) in Clophill, Central Bedfordshire, helping prepare its tranquil 1.5-acre garden for its upcoming Open Day on 5th September.

A garden with purpose

Bloomin Well is much more than a garden. It provides a welcoming and supportive environment for adults who are neurodiverse, have learning differences, acquired brain injuries or experience mental health challenges.

Across the garden, raised beds, sensory spaces, seasonal planting areas and a pond provide opportunities for people to develop their gardening skills through activities including planting, pruning, clearing and staking.

People can access Bloomin Well through a referral from Central Bedfordshire Council or by self-referring.

The garden also provides a wonderful environment for volunteers. Whether supporting others or simply enjoying time outdoors, volunteering offers people the opportunity to connect with nature, learn new skills and contribute to the local neurodiverse community, growing a wide variety of flowers, plants and vegetables, with produce sold to help raise much-needed funds for its work.

Getting stuck in

With this year's summer weather providing hotter than average temperatures, there was plenty to do to help ensure the garden continues to flourish.

Aisha and Rupesh took on the challenge of laying a new pathway leading towards the pond area, transforming the space, creating an attractive new feature and improving access to one of the garden's most peaceful areas.

Meanwhile, Nikki and Michelle got stuck into a range of gardening jobs, including weeding, pruning and deadheading. They then turned their attention to the compost heaps, cutting them down to help the contents break down more effectively.

A 'messy' job it might have been – but it was also a fun and rewarding way to round off a fantastic day of teamwork!

The benefits of volunteering

Bloomin Well's volunteer sessions take place every Wednesday and Sunday, with opportunities to get involved in different ways.

Wednesdays focus on supporting adults with additional needs. Volunteers can choose to work alongside people with learning disabilities, autism and brain injuries, or take on independent gardening tasks.

Sundays are dedicated to community volunteers, who come along for many different reasons – from giving something back and connecting with others to enjoying gardening or improving their own wellbeing.

Sunday afternoons have a particular focus on mental wellbeing, offering a restorative environment where volunteers can experience the therapeutic benefits of gardening together.

It is a great reminder that volunteering can benefit everyone involved. A few hours spent planting, pruning or simply being outdoors can help create a stronger sense of connection – while making a real difference to a community organisation.

A day of teamwork and community spirit

For the Ategi team, the Volunteer Day was a fantastic opportunity to step away from the usual workplace and make a practical contribution to a local organisation doing important work.

From building a pathway to tackling weeds and compost, every task helped prepare Bloomin Well for its Open Day while supporting the continued development of a garden designed to help people grow in more ways than one.

A huge thank you to Bloomin Well CIC for welcoming us and for the incredible work they do to support people through the therapeutic benefits of gardening.

And, of course, a big thank you to Aisha, Rupesh, Nikki and Michelle for giving their time, energy and enthusiasm, helping to ensure that this special garden continues to bloom.

Find Out More About Volunteering

Want to make a difference in your community? Find out more about volunteering with Ategi and discover how you can share your time, skills and energy to help others.

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