Green-fingered Sheffielders take on massive overgrown garden for mental health – and they need your help

Sheffield Bloom, based at Heeley and Meersbrook Allotments, on Carfield Lane, created a flower garden for women and girls to promote positive mental health through therapeutic horticulture.

It recently took on a vacant five-plot secluded area which has a large orchard, woodland area and open space to expand its work.

It is recruiting people to help turn the huge green space into a pleasure garden and green resource for the community.

Kendall Turner, founder of Bloom, said the group had welcomed nearly 700 people into their garden since it opened in 2019 and they hope this larger space will enable them to help more people.

On their website, the team said: “This had actually been in the works for a while, so it feels so great to be able to share the news with our community.

“This garden will have a very different feel to our flower growing plot… We are hoping to make use of the abundance of fruit trees and we would love to team up with other organisations to make fun and interesting things happen.”

There are some old structures and features on the site, some of which can be restored and some of which need to be knocked down.

An open volunteer day is taking place on Saturday, October 15 from 1pm until 4.30pm to prepare the site for use. Tea and cake will be provided as fuel.

People were also encouraged to get in touch with ideas for what it could be used for.

Louise Haigh, MP for Sheffield Heeley, encouraged everyone to get involved.

She said: “Sheffield Bloom is a great community organisation.

“They have already taken uncared for plots of land and created beautiful community gardens, at the same time helping women manage their mental and physical health. Now they are asking for help to do the same on land in Meersbrook allotments.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced gardener or can’t tell a weed from a flower, I’m encouraging everyone to come out and spare an hour or two to help create this beautiful garden.”

Bloom said the garden is very overgrown so advised anyone attending the volunteer day to wear sturdy shoes, long trousers and bring any tools – including petrol powered tools – and gloves they have.

To confirm attendance for the event, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-bloom-sheffield-work-day-at-our-new-plot-tickets-423188687757.

How Bloom Sheffield works

On its website, Bloom said: “Our garden is a safe space for females to learn and share skills, meet new people, and be involved in positive, nature-based activity to help improve mental health.”

It grows and maintains flowers then picks and arranges them into bouquets and wreaths to sell online and at pop-up shops in collaboration with local artistsans and independent shops. Every penny raised helps deliver the gardening groups in support of mental health.

Find out more and donate to the project on their website here: https://www.bloomsheffield.com/