The Wild Mind Project at Chiswick House and Gardens
It was a glorious autumn day as we arrived for our first session at Chiswick House and Gardens. The drive leading to the Education Room was lined with golden Lime Trees, leaves dropping like large snowflakes.
Chiswick House grounds offer an amazing location for our programmes and last October and November we ran a young LGBTQ+ programme.
We were taken back in time in the wonderful Kitchen Garden which has existed since 1682. The young people were inspired by the magnificent insect hotel, and made our own humble versions from recycled bottles.
Halloween gave us an excuse to weave spider webs and paint scarey stones!
The young people enjoyed walking around the grounds, identifying some of the magnicent trees and spotting some amazing fungi.
One of our favourite days was spent making winter wreaths in the kitchen garden, while we listened to a facinating LGBTQ+ History talk by one of the Chiswick team.
There is an ever-growing body of research stating the many benefits of getting outside into nature for both physical and mental health. The grounds at Chiswick offer a beautiful and peaceful urban escape. Our thanks to Chiswick House and Grounds and the Linbury Trust for their amazing support.
We will be back this April (2022) with another group of young people in need of wellbeing support.
