HORTICULTURE

The Benefits of Allotment Gardening

There is a growing awareness of the role that gardening plays in both preventing mental ill-health and promoting positive mental health. In 2018 the UK Government produced a 25 Year Environment Plan, which acknowledges that connecting people to their environment will also improve their health and well-being.
Allotments are a great way to encourage  children and young people to lead a healthier lifestyle,  grow their own healthy foods and also benefit from extra physical activity. They can feel a sense of achievement at seeing their efforts come to life and getting away from phones and computers into the fresh air will help to reduce stress and improve their mood.
Gardening is educational and can help them to learn about the environment and wildlife, which can have a positive effect on memory and focus, and this non structured, fun time spent with adults is also a perfect opportunity to perhaps talk about things that are troubling them and any worries they may have.