The RAF Benevolent Fund will have its first ever garden at The Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show 2022; the world’s leading gardening charity enriching our lives through plants and making the UK a greener and more beautiful place.
Helping the RAF Benevolent Fund develop their display at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden, is award-winning garden designer, John Everiss, who find gardening supports his mental health giving him time to take a step back.
The garden will be funded by Project Giving Back, a new scheme helping raise awareness of the diverse and varied ways people, plants and the planet can be helped. For some, gardening is much more than a hobby but can support mental health; something the RAF Benevolent Fund recognises and has been able to provide Amileigh Salt with her own plot at the RAF Leeming Polytunnels.
Amileigh suffers from alopecia, depression, and anxiety, but finds an escape through gardening. She grew up around a great deal of stress, moving a lot as the daughter of an RAF serviceman – and is now the wife of a Corporal second line engineering support, workshop supervisor.
Amileigh met with John, to show him the plot she maintains at RAF Leeming Polytunnels; share planting tips and discuss how gardening helps their mental health.
"Gardening has helped me massively, especially during the Lockdowns. I'm someone that suffered with mental health from a young age. My dad served in the RAF when I was a child, and as result of moving, I suffered with alopecia from about the age of 10 from stress.
Then, growing up as an adult, I've suffered with depression and anxiety. Coming to the Polytunnels gives me a sense of escape from the real world. It eases the burden and takes the weight off my shoulders."
Amileigh Salt
RAF Leeming
"There are all sorts of strains and pressures we face and even doing Chelsea Flower Show means that there is a lot of pressure riding on me. However, when I’m working, I make sure I take a moment to sit down and really look where I am – it’s not all about being head down and getting the job finished – I take the time to appreciate my surroundings, and I encourage my team to as well. I’m very lucky I get to spend my time gardening outside – it’s helped with my mental health tremendously."
John Everiss
Award Winning Garden Designer
Featuring a stainless-steel sculpture of a young pilot, the RAF Benevolent Fund garden at the RHS Chelsea show will be a tribute to those who have served and continue to serve in the RAF.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 will run between the 24th and 28th May, and once complete, the RAF Benevolent Funds garden will be relocated to a permanent site at London Biggin Hill Airport. For more information about the garden or to buy tickets for the show, please visit the RHS Chelsea Flower website.
RAF Benevolent Fund
