Thrive is the leading charity in the UK using gardening to change the lives of disabled people.

Thrive help people who want to garden at home, on an allotment, in a community setting or who may to access our own structured horticultural therapy programmes.

Gardens provide restorative environments and getting outside promotes recovery from stress and helps restore the ability to focus attention. Gardening can lift moods and help people to connect with others, reducing isolation by forming friendships and improve communications skills.

Thrive run structured programmes of activities for people with dementia which focus on positive reminiscence, re-connecting with others including friends and family and gentle appropriate exercise and cognitive stimulation.

Thrive also run workshops in dementia care homes to encourage more people to take part in gardening and deliver training, support and information for professionals working with dementia patients.

A research programme underpins Thrive’s work to provide evidence and improve understanding.

Results from a piece of research which helped us pilot a new programme of horticultural therapy activities for people who were diagnosed with dementia before the age of 65.  The perceived benefits of the activities have now been assessed qualitatively and quantitatively and the results are available through this publication. Download it here.