Mental health charity launches third site in Cumbria

A Cumbrian mental health charity is celebrating the launch of its third site in the county.

Growing Well first started in Kendal 20 years ago and has now just launched a site in Egremont alongside its second base at Tebay.

It supports people's mental health by getting them gardening and growing vegetables.

Chief Executive of Growing Well, Mary Smith spoke of the importance the need for the service is in the region just now.

Speaking to ITV Border, she said: "Over here in West Cumbria there is a huge mental health need at the moment.

"We're able to respond to that professionally. We can work with people from a moderate to a severe level of mental health within the community and we can support people swiftly."

An ex-council nursery building has been redeveloped by the charity in Egremont for the new site.

Paul Cambre, Head of Horticulture said: “You will get hands in the soil, working with other things that are alive with the plants and fruits and vegetables, working with other members that are here on site.

"All the work that you do on the day that you're here goes in to the rest of the team and us producing a product and a veg box or wholesale sale to a restaurant and then that money kind of goes back to the charity.

"And so you can feel like, I really had grown out part of the team. We harvested 20 kilos of salad today, what a great effort."

The charity opened its second site at Tebay Services in 2023.

Garry Wilkinson, a volunteer said: “I think it's important for a lot of people.

"I mean, when you retired, you used to work with a lot of people and suddenly you're on your own. You know, that's what I found."

The charity offers a service five days a week across its three locations.

Duncan Nicholson, National Lottery Community Fund said: “Isolation in Cumbria is a problem and there's not many places to have a site this size that can accommodate the numbers of people that they want to work with.

"But obviously being in a town like Egremont means that they have direct access to the markets and to that and answer the people as well who can benefit from this kind of a project."

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