Through her passion and energetic enthusiasm, she aims to change the way allotments and growing your own is viewed and bring a stroke of 'highlight and contour’ to the gardening world. Showing that gardening can change your life in so many ways, both mentally and physically – whilst keeping it simple, easy and more than anything fun.
Annabelle’s allotment helped her overcome severe anxiety, panic attacks and confidence challenges, and her story is proof that gardening really can make a difference to the lives of people of all ages who may be suffering from similar issues.
Using her experience, she is now developing and building her UK wide vision for Life at No. 27 – creating an allotment-based support network to help change lives across the country, accessible through self-referral, GP’s, psychiatrists and local councils.
Annabelle says `My aim is to raise awareness for Thrive and the benefits that gardening can bring to people suffering from mental ill health, disability, vulnerability and more through sharing my story of how my allotment helped me to overcome my troubles and build my confidence.'
Kathryn Rossiter, CEO at Thrive said; `Annabelle is already a strong supporter of Thrive. Her personal experiences mean that she completely understands the benefits of gardening and the difference it can make to people’s health and wellbeing.
`We join Annabelle in inspiring the next generation of gardeners and spreading the message 'It’s not just gardening…’ It’s improving mental health, experiencing better physical health, connecting with others, acquiring new skills, and enjoying the great outdoors.'
Annabelle has become a regular face at events throughout the gardening calendar and hosts a monthly radio show where she shares her allotment journey, the latest from the gardening industry and top tasks.