Notcutts Garden Centres are proud to have partnered with national charity Thrive to help cultivate the nation’s wellbeing through gardening. 
 
Launched just before the first UK wide lockdown in March 2020, the ‘Cultivating Wellbeing in Gardens and Nature’ course has been enjoyed by many – helping them to connect with nature and understand why being outdoors is so beneficial. 
 
The free online course, developed by experts in therapeutic horticulture from Thrive, has been designed to encourage people to use their gardens to spend more time connecting with nature as a tool to restore wellbeing and improve physical and mental health. 
 
Caroline Notcutt, Vice-Chairman of Notcutts Garden Centres, said: “At Notcutts, we have always been passionate about the benefits that gardening can bring to mental and physical health as my Great-Grandfather, Roger Crompton Notcutt, was advised to work outdoors due to ill health. It was then that his passion for horticulture began and Notcutts was founded over 120 years ago”. 
 
She continued: “We are delighted to have had this opportunity to partner with a charity we have been long standing supporters of and proud to be involved in making such a wonderful experience accessible to all. It’s been well received with a survey of students showing a 99 per cent positive rating among respondents. With people now spending more time at home we feel it is the right time to encourage more people to learn about the benefits of being in gardens and nature”.  
 
The five-hour course, which can be completed over any length of time, is split into three short modules. Suitable for any age and ability, the course includes expert advice and practical ideas on how to engage with nature, using interactive activities and video tutorials. Users are encouraged to develop and implement their own wellbeing plan, even if they don’t have access to a garden. 
 
Damien Newman, Thrive’s Training, Education and Consultancy Manager, said: “Coronavirus and its associated social restrictions has underlined the importance of spending time in gardens and nature to maintain good health, and we are delighted this course has helped so many people”. 
 
He continued: “We’re pleased that Notcutts' support means we can make this course freely available and hope it will lead to more people using gardens as a pathway to wellbeing as they continue to face lockdown and other challenges." 
 
For more information about Thrive and to access the free ‘Cultivating Wellbeing in Gardens and Nature’ course, visit at  www.thrive.org.uk/nature 
 
To find out more about Notcutts Garden Centres, visit www.notcutts.co.uk.