London gardening co-operative helps young people find work

A Hounslow based co-operative has been combining gardening with therapy to help at-risk young people get into work.

Cultivate London, with support from the local council, employ young people to help landscape the garden outside the civic centre.

Adrienne Attorp, Cultivate London's CEO, said: “A lot of the young people that come to us have mental health issues or trouble with depression, anxiety or other health issues.

“Being here, interacting with their peers, interacting with people of all issues and doing something practical every day has worked wonders for a lot of young people.”

Cultivate London is based across multiple derelict sites in London and trains unemployed young people in landscaping and horticulture.

Hounslow councillor Corinna Smart said: “Learning of any skills is important but those creative skills that they can harness are also very useful for them for full-time work.

“We know that Cultivate London offers apprenticeships, which is very important to us in Hounslow.”