Gardening can improve our health. After a stroke or heart attack, serious illness or road accident, time spent in the garden can be really therapeutic. Even people suffering from depression can benefit from time in the garden and Thrive wants to help even more people who have a disability to garden.
Thrive’s Plant a Difference campaign, which runs between April and September 2011, aims to do this.
Nicci Carruthers, Chief Executive of Thrive, said: "We want people to raise money for us so we can buy and send boxes of fresh herbs or perennials to a person with disabilities who asks for our help. They can then be planted in window boxes or on the kitchen window sill, in containers or in the garden.
"Just £35 will enable us to do this. Last year we sent over 100 boxes to people throughout the UK. This year we want to send more.
"We’d like people to help us by holding a Swap event at home, at work, with friends, or somewhere in the community.
"The idea is simple, bring along something, swap it with another and make a donation to Thrive in the process. It doesn’t have to be a plant, why not a jar of jam, a book, anything people might be interested in. Send all the donations to Thrive and for every £35 we receive another box will be sent out."
If you don’t fancy holding your own event, Thrive has four organised during the year at its gardens in Beech Hill, near Reading.
Swaps will be held as part of our NGS Open days on Saturday April 30 (between 11am and 4pm); Sunday July 10 and Sunday July 17 (between 2pm and 4.30pm) and Saturday September 17 (between 11am and 4pm).
Gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh said: "I'm a great supporter of Thrive, and their work.
"Gardening is great as a therapy, and Thrive sees first hand how gardening can help everyone, regardless of age or disability.
"I hope that you will support Thrive's work in 2011, and help them make a real difference to disabled people's lives."
MS sufferer Marika Sullivan, who received a box of herbs last year, said: "When the box of herbs arrived I was absolutely delighted. The herbs were such excellent quality, and there were ones that I’d never even think about buying like dill and camomile.
"They’ve all been planted out and our food tastes even better using the fresh herbs – it’s wonderful."
The campaign will be officially launched at 11am on Saturday April 30 at Thrive’s Trunkwell Gardens, The Geoffrey Udall Centre, Beech Hill, Reading, RG7 2AT.
Find out how you can help us do this by holding swap events.