Growing Places Berkshire

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Growing Places Berkshire

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A local Charity that enables adults with learning disabilities through activities in horticulture Tel: 07771 125 907
Email: [email protected]

ABOUT US

Charity Number: 1097671

Growing Places Berkshire is a registered Charity set up to promote opportunities for people with Learning Disabilities through the provision of social and therapeutic activities, training and practical work experience in Horticulture. We have a site on a farm at Turgis Court on the Duke of Wellington Estate where we support people to grow vegetables, flowers and herbs in their own plots and enjoy the benefits of working in our conservation area, greenhouse and polytunnels. OUR AIMS
To provide a real sense of enjoying the freedom that comes from working in an environment that brings out positive changes and benefits for people with Learning Disabilities.

• Enabling individuals to make new friends, develop their social and communication skills
• Promote and encourage choice & independence
• Improve concentration and focus on tasks
• Reduce stress and improve physical & mental health
• Build confidence, self-esteem and a sense of achievement
• Practice numeracy, reading and writing skills

All of the income generated through plant sales is used to fund seeds, plug plants, compost, tools and equipment needed to support the charities development. The majority of plants grown are looked after by the people who come to the farm, but as we have no public access for visitors the plants are sold on our site at the Acorn Community Centre at Woosehill in Wokingham. Our plants are allowed to grow naturally without the use of fertilisers to enhance their growth and are very well looked after and generally loved! VOLUNTEERS
We are always happy to welcome volunteers who would like to help look after and sell our plants on site or at fetes, fayres and other venues. If you have green fingers or are interested in what we do then please contact David or Val Baker for more information on how you can support the Charity.

29/10/2026

We have just taken delivery of 1500 Spring flowering bulbs for 2027 which we will start potting up in the next couple of weeks. There will be 6 varieties for people to choose from next year, including 2 narcissus, 2 dwarf tulips, anemones and, for the first time for us, Ipheions which are also known as Spring Starflowers. Once they’ve been potted up they’ll be kept in one of our polytunnels until the shoots start to appear in the New Year, and will go on sale from late January into February. We’ll keep you posted on their progress via our page and website.

18/09/2026

A big thank you to the Wokingham Lions Club for the supersized cheque that they presented to us recently. Their generous donation will help us to continue to improve the important facilities we have at the farm. Jennifer Rawsthorn from the Lions met with David Baker, the Chairman of the Growing Places Trustees, to hand over the cheque and see for herself the good work that is being done there for the benefit of all the people we support.

27/07/2026

It was Open Week at the farm last week, with families of clients meeting up with friends and staff to see for themselves the improvements that have been made since last summer. And of course no Open Week would be complete without the clients receiving their coveted Growing Places certificates. Well done to everybody!

29/06/2026

Although most of the flowers and vegetables we sell are grown by the local adults we support at our farm in Turgis Green, we sometimes manage to get our hands on other plants which are also sold to raise important funds for the charity. This month we've acquired a selection of stunning tropical plants, some of which are hardy enough to be planted outside, which will be on sale this Thursday. They include Dwarf Banana Plants (Musa Cavendish), Date Palms (Phoenix Canariensis), European Fan Palms (Chamaerops Humilis), Yucca Jewels, Flamingo Glows (Beschornaria) and small Cordylines.

We will be at the FBC Centre in Gorse Ride, Finchampstead (RG40 4ES) on Thursday 2nd July, from 9.30am until 4.00pm. We can take payment by cash or card, so why not pop along and grab yourself a tropical bargain?

Please note that these plants are NOT available to view or buy at the Acorn Centre in Woosehill.

08/05/2026

Our pre-planted patio pots are now ready and will be on sale at the Acorn Centre from Monday. Each pot includes 7 different plants, all colour themed and well established, giving instant impact … and we’ve got mixed herb pots too! All pots cost just £16, or £15 each if you want 2 or more, so pop along to the Acorn Centre and choose your favourite. The Acorn Centre is in Fernlea Drive, Woosehill, just past the Medical Centre and is open for sales every weekday from 10.00am until 3.00pm.

04/05/2026

Thanks to everybody who supported us today at the Wokingham May Fayre by buying our Summer plants and vegetables. For those of you who weren't able to make it, or who wish you had bought more, we will be open as usual at the Acorn Centre tomorrow and every weekday between 10.00am and 3.00pm. We will also be at the FBC Community Centre in Gorse Ride on Wednesday 6th May and Monday 11th May, from 10.00am until 2.00pm.

27/04/2026

Our summer plants and vegetables are now on sale at the Acorn Centre. This year we’ve got more than 20 varieties of beautiful, colourful plants for you to choose from, to brighten up your beds, borders, containers, hanging baskets and window boxes, including petunias, verbenas, lobelias, geraniums, aubretias, osteospermums, calibrachoas, fuchsias, veronicas, nepetas and dianthus.

We have also got more vegetables than you can shake a stick at, including 10 different varieties of tomatoes, plus green and yellow courgettes, cucumbers, peppers and more. The tomatoes include standard, cherry and beef varieties, as well as a couple of more unusual ones - Sungold Supersweet which are orange in colour and Ricola Chocolate which are a sweet, brown variety. Well worth a try!

The Acorn Centre is in Fernlea Drive, Woosehill (RG41 3DR) just past the Medical Centre, and is open for plant sales every weekday from 10.00am to 3.00pm. We will also be at the FBC Centre in Gorse Ride on Thursday 30th April and Wednesday 6th May, between 10.00am and 2,00pm, and will be at the Wokingham May Fayre on Monday 4th May.

We hope to see you soon!

21/04/2026

Our summer flowers and vegetables will be on sale from Tuesday 28th April at the Acorn Centre in Woosehill. We've got lots of varieties for you to choose from, including annuals and perennials, so call in as soon as you can to see for yourself. The Acorn Centre is in Fernlea Drive (RG41 3DR) just past the Medical Centre and is open every weekday from 10.00am until 3.00pm.

Address

Acorn Centre, Fearnlea Drive
Wokingham
RG413DR

Website

http://www.growingplacesberkshire.org.uk/

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