Britain’s best known herb grower Jekka McVicar has cemented her support for leading homelessness charity St Mungo’s by hosting a charity open day at her specialist farm.
Earlier this month, staff and clients from St Mungo’s horticultural therapy and training programme Putting Down Roots were invited to spend a day at Jekka’s family-run farm in Bristol to raise much-needed funds and awareness about the charity’s work.
Reflecting on the visit, Gardener Trainer Rubyjo Narbey, said: “We’re honoured that Jekka has chosen to support Putting Down Roots. She welcomed us back with open arms and spent a lot of time telling us about the different herbs and getting us to taste them. All the clients and volunteers chose a packet of Jekka’s seeds and we’re keen to start sowing them!”
This marks the second time St Mungo’s has been invited for a series of intimate talks and tours by Jekka, who is an ambassador for the Royal Horticultural Society and also designed The Quiet Garden – a training space for Putting Down Roots clients based in London’s Notting Hill, and sponsored by the fragrance brand Jo Malone London.
Putting Down Roots is open to all St Mungo’s clients and uses gardening as a tool to help people in their recovery. The project establishes routine and responsibility, supporting clients recovering from homelessness, mental health issues and substance and alcohol misuse.
Julie Baly, another St Mungo’s Gardener Trainer, added: “It’s special for our clients to be able to connect with Jekka and her team because they are so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The trip to Jekka’s gave us all a chance to get out of the city and we were still talking about it for days afterwards. It was a truly memorable day and opportunities like this really feed our enthusiasm for herbs and plants beyond how they look and smell. I’d like to thank Jekka and her family for their ongoing support.”
Jekka’s is hosting more charity open days with St Mungo’s this December. For more information please visit: https://www.jekkas.com/pages/jekkas-open-days
Putting Down Roots is funded by our generous supporters including corporate partners Barratt Developments and Jo Malone London.
Find out more about our partnerships and how you can get involved here.
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