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Grow

Nature, gardening and a safe place to breathe

Grow is a peaceful rural site just outside Coleraine where the outdoors does some of the healing. Gardening, growing food and time among plants and wildlife can lift mood, ease anxiety and help people reconnect with others.

A pergola and trellis with many plant pots filled with flowers

Grow is a private site, used by partner community groups such as adult disability charities, older people’s groups and schools, and for booked events and courses. We can’t accept unannounced visitors, so we don’t publish the address. It’s near Coleraine, and if you book an event we’ll send you directions. If your group would like to work with us, please get in touch.

About

What happens at Grow

Activities vary with the needs of each group, from gardening and horticultural therapy to growing and cooking food, mindfulness and nature walks, environmental education and woodworking.

On site there is a 375 m² polytunnel with the Garden Kitchen fitted inside, orchards, a pond and wildlife areas, a beehive and a mindfulness walk. Whoever visits, our aim is the same: to inspire people to enjoy the outdoors and feel the benefits of being active in a natural setting.

Inside the polytunnel: raised beds of salad and herbs, grape vines overhead and tables set for a group meal beneath bunting

What we offer

  • Gardening and horticultural therapy

    Time in the garden, growing and tending plants, which can lift mood and ease anxiety.

  • Growing, harvesting and cooking food

    Growing fruit and vegetables in our polytunnel, then cooking them in the Garden Kitchen.

  • Mindfulness and nature walks

    Through orchards, past the pond and wildlife areas, and by our beehive.

  • Environmental awareness education

    Learning about nature, wildlife and the environment, for groups and schools.

  • Volunteering opportunities

    A way to give your time, learn new skills and be part of the team.

Who it's for

Grow welcomes adults with physical and learning disabilities, including day opportunities run with the local health trust; older people and community groups, including groups from areas of high disadvantage; and local primary schools, for outdoor learning.

Grow is easy to get around in a wheelchair or with limited mobility, so everyone can join in.

A group of women and men potting up flowers around a long table in the polytunnel

Work with us

Group bookings

We welcome group bookings and can tailor sessions to suit your needs, whether you’re looking for a one-off activity or a longer course or programme.

Get in touch

Team building days

Whether you want to support staff wellbeing, strengthen connections within your team, or simply enjoy a day away from the workplace, we can create a session to suit your group. We can also host community give-back days, giving your team the chance to spend time together while making a positive difference.

Get in touch

Veterans support

Grow is proud to be a hub garden for the Defence Gardens Scheme, and we have supported local veterans for many years. Not all of our sessions are advertised publicly, so if you are a veteran and would like to get involved, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

Get in touch

A closer look

  • A volunteer in a green polo shirt picking ripe plums from a tree and holding a bowl of plums
  • Hands crumbling fine compost into a tray beside a pot of lettuce
  • Snowdrops in flower on a woodland bank in winter sunshine

What people say

I realised I shared the same struggles as others and that I wasn’t on my own. I’m so glad I took that first step and asked for help.

Grow volunteer

A place to escape

A place to feel safe

A place to get away from the chaos

A place to feel like me again

A place to make friends

A place to keep busy

A place of purpose

Ashes to Gold volunteer

Coming up

Nothing is planned here just yet. Please check back soon, or see all our events.

See all events

How to get involved

Grow is a private site, so we ask groups to get in touch first. Tell us a little about your group and what you hope to achieve, and we’ll be in touch to talk it through. You can also come to one of our booked events and courses.

Email hello@ashestogold.uk. Office phone 028 7044 0386.

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