After first witnessing the therapeutic potential of gardens and gardening within the mental health services where he worked for the first 12 years of his career, Damien was offered the opportunity to join Thrive where he looks after the Training, Education and Consultancy work of the charity. Every year he’s able to visit many different gardens for therapy and to spend time in the company of altruistic professionals who share his passion.
Having developed 3 curricula at Higher Education level in the field of Social and Therapeutic Horticulture and delivered education and consultancy from Cumbria in the UK to the Central African Republic, Damien is proud to be able to support others to maximise the use of nature and gardens for health and wellbeing for those they care for.
Damien believes that everyone benefits from time spent in gardens and gardening and has seen first-hand the transformative effect it can have on those facing the biggest challenges to their health and wellbeing. He passionately wants society to fully utilise the value of gardens for health and wellbeing from everyday life through health promotion and in health, care and education settings.