The Missenden Walled Garden charity provides day support for people with disabilities or mental health issues, based within the grounds of Missenden Abbey in Buckinghamshire. Our team of staff and volunteers help our members to grow and reach their potential at their own pace.
Our members are referred to us from a variety of sources, including: Bucks Council, SEN Schools, other charities and private networks.
In everything we do we strive to enrich the lives of our members, through Work, Education and Community Engagement
Working in the garden appeals to a wide range of ages from 17 to 70+ years old. A typical day will include a mix of outdoor work and educational opportunities such as: garden maintenance and mower operation, along with, indoor activities within our education centre and large glass houses, including art and music. We also deliver external gardening contracts where we take small groups of members into the community to maintain gardens.
The educational element of our work is critical as it provides our members with a real sense of achievement and recognition for the effort they put in and delivers lasting impact, often helping to prepare for the next phase of their lives.
Opening times
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are unable to be open to members of the public at present.
If you would like to support us at present, the best way to do so would be with a donation (please see our DONATE section). If you did wish to purchase our plants and other produce, such as: pressed apple juice, honey and seasonal floristry items, please do contact us in advance, so that we can plan safely.
Data protection
We take your privacy and the protection of the data we hold very seriously. You can read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy here. If you have questions or concerns then please contact us
Key charity personnel for First Aid and Data Protection
- First Aid Trained: Our employed care team are first aid trained
- Data protection. Our Data Controller is Janet Oldknow – admin@missendenwalledgarden.org
Referrals
Our referral form for members can be downloaded here
Can you help us?
Demand for our services is increasing and we now need to develop our site and extend the work we do. Can you offer support on the following?
- Volunteering: We would be delighted to speak with you if you have time to volunteer within the garden Monday to Friday, or if you could help in our fundraising activities at other times
- Constructing and equipping our education centre: We are delighted to announce that this project has now been paid in full. Our sincere thanks to all those who’ve been so generous in supporting us. The ‘Clubhouse’ is now open!
- Extending wheelchair access: We are concerned that suitable wheel chair access is currently restricted to 25% of our site. This is limiting our ability to support disabled adults while also limiting our engagement with the local community as visitors are often put off by the uneven and muddy nature of the surfaces. We aim to provide ‘environmentally and wheelchair friendly’ paths, linking all parts of the site
Please contact us to if you are able to help in any way
Donate via Just Giving: https://www.justgiving.com/missendenwalledgarden
Our team
- Kyle, Christine, Anne, Annie, Lydia, Dave and a wonderful team of volunteers ensure each of our gardeners receives the support and attention they need every day
- Janet Oldknow provides invaluable administrative support in our office
Our history
The Walled Garden was run by Buckinghamshire Council as a centre for adults with disabilities but threatened with closure in 2017. A dedicated and passionate group of parents and local supporters stepped in to save the centre and run it as a charity. The rest, as they say, is history!