Wellbeing garden opens to combat isolation

Wellbeing garden opens to combat isolation5 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNaj ModakNorth East and CumbriaSuppliedThe outdoor area in Yarm will officially open to the public on SaturdayA new garden is to be unveiled dedicated to improving the wellbeing of residents and combating social isolation.The outdoor area at Yarm Wellness, on the corner of West Street and High Church Wynd, will officially open to the public at 13:30 BST on Saturday.Volunteer Linda Fisher, 68, discovered the hub two years ago when she was "socially isolated" and said the garden "will be an ice-breaker for people walking past".The community garden, which is a work in progress, will be made up of three separate spaces to include raised plant beds with disabled access, flower beds and benches.Fisher looked after her family and worked long hours in healthcare during the Covid-19 lockdown, but after retiring found herself "not knowing anybody".After five attempts to reach out to the charity were hampered by low confidence, she was invited to the hub which, she said, changed her life.SuppliedLinda Fisher (right) said she was "looking forward to growing things"She became a volunteer and said she had since made new friends and was no longer "feeling alone"."I've got my group of friends now and an amazing community in Yarm who I mostly met through the Wellness centre," she said."[The garden] is going to be transformational."I'm looking forward to growing things, it's good for your mental health."SuppliedThe garden will include a shed project, sensory garden and outdoor yoga and mindfulness spaceThe centre provides a weekly programme of peer support groups, drop-in cafés, creative and musical sessions and wellbeing classes. The new outdoor area, developed on adjacent arches secured from Network Rail, will expand provision to include a Wellness Shed project, a sensory garden with raised beds and an ou...