Health Charity Launches Wellness Garden to Benefit Drumchapel Residents

The Wellness Garden is situated at the Growchapel Community Allotment Gardens, a community space that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the local area. The garden forms part of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s health defence activity in the local area.

The garden was designed and created by CHSS volunteers Lynette Green and Stephen Fraser with help from CHSS staff from the charity’s Health Defence team.  It has been created as an accessible space for those living with chest heart and stroke conditions to improve physical and mental health. It comprises wide paved walkways that are wheelchair accessible, as well as raised planters which can be accessed while sitting or standing.

Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive of Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland commented: “We are delighted to officially launch our CHSS Wellness Garden at Growchapel today.

“At Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, we are committed to the primary and secondary prevention of chest, heart and stroke conditions.  Physical activity such as gardening is known to have many benefits for adults and older adults including reducing the chance of developing cardiovascular disease by up to 35%.*

“Our Wellness Garden has been consciously designed to provide a welcoming and accessible environment to those living with our conditions to enjoy and participate in.  Alongside gardening activities, we hope to be able to offer other forms of exercise such as Tai Chi or Pilates.

“As well as people from our own support groups, the garden will be open to community groups from Drumchapel and beyond early next year, with the aim of benefiting as many people in the local community as possible.

Volunteers Lynnette and Stephen have been key to getting the project to where it is today, transforming an empty plot to a useable and beneficial space.

Volunteers Lynnette and Stephen have been key to getting the project to where it is today, transforming an empty plot to a useable and beneficial space.

Stephen Fraser, 34, is a personal trainer who lives in Glasgow. He volunteers at Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland’s Wellness Garden at Growchapel.  

For Stephen, the experience has been an overwhelmingly positive one, helping transform a waste piece of land into a growing space for the community.

He said: “Being a volunteer has given me a real sense of fulfilment. I’m lucky that the role in the garden adds an additional level of nature. Being outside really helps with mindfulness, whether that’s building planters from scratch or discussing what to grow where.

“There’s a sense of purpose, too, knowing the work we are doing will aid and help others to flourish. Giving someone even 10 minutes of distraction or peace from their own situations can go a long way.

“Working in the fields of health and psychology, I knew volunteering could be powerful and give a real sense of community. But when you get to know other volunteers, you build such authentic relationships in pursuit of a common goal. It’s an unrivalled feeling.

“Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland know that volunteers have their own lives to schedule around their time, and they are super supportive and accommodating. Helping out has never felt like a chore.”

Find out more about volunteering with us to help make sure there’s no life half lived in Scotland.

*Source – the UK Chief Medical Officer’s Physical Activity Guidelines 2019