Branching Out is a series of holiday schemes offering opportunities for young people aged 16-25 with additional needs, to gain horticultural skills and work/life experience in a supported therapeutic environment. The perfect opportunity for young people with a learning disability to come and try out gardening as a group activity as part of our social therapeutic horticulture programme.
Thanks to ECET (Eastern Counties Educational Trust) we now have funding for 2026’s Branching Out Easter and Summer Schemes, and will run these for one week during the Easter holidays (4 part days) and 10 weeks over the summer (2 half days per week). Each session will be run by two members of staff with up to 8 participants attending. Branching Out is open to young people with additional needs from Herts and Beds.
Thanks to the funding secured we can offer this provision at the subsided fee of £15 per session (less than half the actual cost).
We will offer places dependent on the spaces and resources we have available. If demand is high you may be offered fewer sessions than you applied for so we can give a chance of attendance to as many people as possible. Email us now to express an interest or contact Hayley on 07887 725962 to find out more.
In 2025 we ran a three day Branching Out Easter Scheme open to all young people in Herts and Beds. It was a huge success and the feedback was amazing – see below. You can find out all about what we did and how it went in our blog here
“After just three days at the gardening project, I’ve seen a remarkable change in my son. His confidence has visibly grown as he masters new skills in a supportive environment designed for adults with learning disabilities. The programme provides structure and purpose whilst nurturing his independence in ways I hadn’t thought possible. The sense of accomplishment he feels when showing me what he’s planted and learnt is invaluable. This programme isn’t just about gardening—it’s developing life skills, social connections, and genuine joy. Regular attendance would provide consistent growth opportunities that would benefit him tremendously in all aspects of his life. The community you’ve created gives both him and our family hope for a more independent future.”
Parent of T
Those who come to our holiday schemes get a taster of what it’s like to attend our Growing Ability project and we hope that when the time comes for them to consider what they will do after college, that they will see Growing Ability as a safe, supportive and stimulating option.
Check out our short video called “Growing Ability – Come and Try!” to find out the sort of things we do at Branching Out.
