An inspiring team from London College of Communication (University of the Arts London) dedicated their volunteering days at our award-winning Gateway Community Garden. We were delighted to give the team an opportunity to step away from the day-to-day workplace and support our community garden focused on wellbeing, connection, and inclusion.
The days were spent gardening and cooking with fresh produce and engaging with visitors in our incredible community space. Read more below about how this experience strengthened their team relationships and enabled them to give something meaningful back to the local community.
I first heard about the Gateway Community Garden through a close friend I’ve known for more than 40 years. She originally trained as a chef before deciding to change careers and focus on giving back to the community. Part of her role now involves cooking in the garden’s outdoor kitchen using produce grown on-site, which immediately inspired me to learn more about the project.
Hilary, Information Centre Manager – LCC
Gateway Community Garden is an award-winning outdoor space based in Reigate. The garden offers individuals, families, and groups the opportunity to take part in a wide range of horticultural and wellbeing activities alongside trained volunteers. The project supports vulnerable people by helping improve life skills, confidence, and wellbeing through spending time in nature.
The activities available are incredibly varied, from maintaining the site and growing produce to more therapeutic experiences such as sensory planting, crafts, and creative workshops. We also provide support around healthy eating, budgeting, and employment advice, making it a genuinely holistic community initiative.
I was really keen for our team to volunteer together because we work in a busy, front-facing environment where supporting others is a big part of our daily roles. Although we’re already a close team, I knew volunteering together outside of work would help strengthen those relationships even further while also supporting our mental wellbeing.
Alongside my colleagues, we spent two incredible volunteering days at the garden. As Mental Health First Aid trained staff, we understand how important resilience and wellbeing are, particularly when working in emotionally demanding environments. Spending time outdoors, away from screens and the office environment, had an immediate positive impact on us all, and reinforced the importance of taking time to reset.
During our volunteering days, we helped pick fruit and vegetables, carried out weeding, and even took part in pond dipping activities. In the outdoor kitchen, we made tomato pasta sauce, plum jam compote, and potato and leek soup using freshly picked produce from the garden. There was also a dedicated crafting area where visitors could take part in painting, wood carving, and other creative, therapeutic activities.
What stood out most to me was the sense of compassion and community at the garden. Many of the people supported by Gateway Community Garden are living with complex challenges including isolation, poor mental health, unemployment, poverty, and family breakdown. Seeing the dedication of the volunteers and engaging with visitors in such a supportive setting was incredibly rewarding. It reminded me how important empathy, patience, and human connection are in supporting wellbeing and recovery.
I would absolutely recommend making use of volunteering leave. It’s a valuable opportunity to step away from routine work pressures, connect with the wider community, and do something genuinely meaningful. Volunteering not only benefits the people and organisations you support, but also has a positive impact on your own wellbeing, giving you a renewed sense of purpose and perspective.
Hilary, Information Centre Manager – LCC
Interested in volunteering at our award winning Gateway Community Garden? Get in touch here.
Full photo credit to Paul Murrihy
