KCF Volunteering Day at Abbey Physic Community Garden

Each year the Kent Community Foundation team offer some time to volunteer in the community as part of their commitment to getting to know the grassroots organisations that they support.

On Wednesday 8 September, the Kent Community Foundation team spent the day volunteering in Faversham, at the Abbey Physic Community Garden. The list of jobs awaiting them included planting spring bulbs, weeding, watering, picking fruit and trying to remove a large and very stubborn tree stump.

The Abbey Physic Community Garden provides companionship, therapeutic activities, training, and skill building for people with mental health issues, those who are socially isolated and everyone in the wider community.

Josephine McCartney, Chief Executive, Kent Community Foundation, said, “We were so lucky to have glorious sunshine on Wednesday as we watered, planted and tidied in the beautiful ‘secret’ walled garden. We have been supporting this charity for many years and during the pandemic, we awarded them £14,500 to cover the additional staff costs, volunteer telephone and member broadband expenses required to support their members in new ways, while the garden had to close.

“After a superb lunch which the garden’s volunteers prepared using produce from the garden we sat and held our team meeting in the tranquil garden and listened to the beautiful sounds coming from a choir singing in one corner of the garden. It was a fabulous day, and we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who made us so welcome”

As well as supporting the volunteers who tend to the garden, the Physic Garden hosts a variety of activities including The Faversham’s Men’s Shed, beekeeping, poetry and singing groups and is open to visitors on Friday afternoons between 10am and 3pm.