Yesterday, my wife and I visited the Growing Together Gardens in Prittlewell for the occasion of celebrating 25 years since it began, where we spent an amazing three hours down memory lane.

These days, I tend not to go to events like this due to health issues but this was an exception. I was there at the beginning and along with numerous others I played a part in making Trust Links what it has become today. The last time I visited the Growing Together Gardens was in 2017 and I wrote about it (see here). I left Trust Links, the responsible charity, some nine years prior to that and while having had little involvement since that time I have taken an interest in its activities and witnessed with delight the way it has grown since I left and knowing our early efforts were not in vain.

Trust Links indeed arose out of small beginnings. It is a work that nowadays incorporates numerous activities and several sites where the central activities are horticulture and mental health related. As for the event, the highlight for me was meeting old friends (and new ones), seeing how what was once a dumping ground and derelict jungle being transformed into a beautiful garden with every space creatively utilized, catching up on some of what has happened in the intervening years, and listening to all sorts share their thoughts, ranging from Matt the CEO, Cheryl the founder, our city mayor, our local MP and what members of staff, volunteers and service users had to say. It was refreshing to take in the various reminiscences.

I was reminded of what drove Trust Links from the outset. A few of us, coming primarily from local churches, got together recognising that in our orbit were folk affected by mental health issues and they weren’t getting the help they needed, both from us and a non joined up system, and we wanted to do something to help. We were also driven by the idea of linking up with individuals and organisations outside of our churches, taking a “joining the dots” approach to include aspects like employment, education, environment, benefits, lifestyle, psycho and gardening therapy. To do this we needed to provide a safe space for the people we were wanting to help, that was welcoming. That was where the Growing Together gardens and resource centre came in with much more added after I left.

We managed this initially with help from our council and half a million pounds from the then government as part of its regeneration SRB agenda, given over six years, to implement many of our ideas. Two people from the Council stood out in those early days were Ros Jack who headed the Council SRB program and Nick Harris their horticulture related activities. While the relationship with the Council at the time appeared not be a marriage made in heaven given the disparate nature of the partnership, it did work and credit goes to Ros and Nick in those early days. Before starting the Growing Together project, there was the building up of networks and preparation of what was to come. I was reminded that in 1999 we held a conference where many of these ideas were aired and things gradually began to fall into place. While Trust Links as a charity did not to emerge until sometime after, it was the start.

Two more people particularly stood out for me, and I credit both in encouraging my getting involved in those early days. They were Cheryl Higgins and Andrew Polson. Cheryl is rightly credited as the founder of Trust Links. Andrew was a psychiatric patient who saw the importance of the spiritual and of churches being better placed to help meet the needs of those experiencing difficulties arising out of their mental health or rather the lack off. One early activity, which marked my own transition from that as a computer consultant to that of a community worker, was in compiling the Southend Mental Health Directory, with much more to follow.

Another person involved from those early beginnings was our MP, the late Sir David Amess, who was a great friend of what we wanted to do and a champion of what was to follow. But also many others were involved, like the original staff members, trustees, volunteers (including service users), partners and friends. There were too many to name or recall who, often unheralded, made important contributions. When I walked through the garden yesterday, I could not help but note the many developments post my time on the project while at the same time noting many features that came about during my time. There is with each one a story that could be told relating to the remarkable Trust Links story over 25 years.

One contributor was our mayor at the time, Roger Weaver, who made Trust Links his charity for the year. He raised a lot of money and this led to our building an onsite resource/training centre.  It should be added that as with most charities funding is an important issue but that Trust Links has been helped from numerous sources following that initial injection of SRB money. I fear if I continue naming names I would never end for so many have played a part. One I would mention is our first horticulturist, John Williams, who planned how to develop the site with a view to producing something that would benefit the community many years ahead. I saw many of his ideas having been implemented. Another comes under the unlikely category and the fantastic thing about what was achieved is how many people contributed who we would last expect. One such was Dr. Pasha, a retired hospital physician and secretary of the local mosque. He was involved with another SRB project that had begun a year before Growing Together and he became my mentor.

I should end with a few words about going down memory lane. When we arrived we managed a quick tour of the garden toward where Prittlewell Chase and Fairfax Drive meet with a highlight being the Pond that back in the day youngsters from the YMCA helped to build. But then I was inundated with catching up with folk, many I hadn’t seen for a long time. But before we left I insisted to my better half we check out the opposite side of the site going toward Shakespeare Drive where there is a car park with two Trust Links mini vans/busses parked. We passed between the poly tunnel and stage, both with fond memories, onto the splendid oak tree surrounded by decking and benches, where there was a bar-b-q. I recall a carpenter friend, who had his own mental health issues, helping to create this. We passed between the nature trail and ornamental garden onto the herb garden – all with great memories. In front of the herb garden was a tree that had grown much since it was planted as a sapling in memory of one of our early volunteers, who took his own life. In front of that was a memorial plaque with the text: 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”. I noted another mature oak tree where back in the day a kestrel flew, much to the fascination of one our volunteers who wanted to work as a falconer. Then onto the car park, in front of which was a beautiful mosaic lovingly provided by one of the people who came to us who had to do community service. All along, we met friendly faces, including two home educated children we knew who come to the gardens as part of their education curriculum. And we left. A well worth visit and a wonderful ending to a wonderful day!

Back in the day, those of us who were involved had all sorts of dreams and visions of what needed to be and could be done. It was far from being a swift and easy journey to see many of these realised, with one lesson learned that it takes time, stickability and patience, and that is what happened. As a result of yesterday’s visit, I could see much has been achieved and some of the ideas we had are now being implemented, often in ways we could not have imagined. It was a humbling experience but an encouraging one too to learn how those early foundations painstakingly laid have been built on and that over the years many lives, including many with mental health challenges, transformed. I end by including two personal photos taken on the day the Garden was opened 23 years ago!