Chantal Dawson, Founder of Grow My Wellbeing nature based workshops and plant installations, has launched a new scheme: Grow For Schools. Here she explains how schools in the Bury St Edmunds area and beyond are benefitting each month
Can you remind readers who you are and what you do?
I’m Chantal from Grow My Wellbeing. I started my business three and half years ago after I experienced the mental health benefits that indoor planting can bring. I created wellbeing planting kits to encourage others to get their hands dirty in soil and to grow their own plant indoors. I now work with corporate organisations to run wellbeing terrarium workshops, I install office plants, deliver community terrarium workshops, work with dementia care homes and schools.
We last featured you in 2022 – how has everything been for you and your Grow My Wellbeing business over the last couple of years?
Business has been great, and I’ve been fortunate to work with some wonderful corporate businesses to install plants and deliver team building workshops.
I’ve also featured on a Sunday morning ITV breakfast show – making terrariums on ‘Jimmy & Shivi’s Farmhouse Breakfast’ with Jimmy Doherty, Shivi Ramoutar and ex Olympian, Ewan McGregor.
How has Grow For Schools come about and how does it work? Who is supporting the scheme?
After looking around a secondary school with my son, I noticed a room in the school called the ‘Wellbeing Room’. The door was closed but I looked inside and noticed they had no plants in the room. I thought to myself that if I was to spend time in the room then I’d love to have a few plants in here. I wrote to the school and asked if I could donate five plants for their room – they said yes.
I decided to start ‘Grow For Schools’ to donate five plants per school every month. The public nominates their chosen school during the first two weeks of a new month, and I randomly pick the winning school at the end of the month. I started the scheme only including Bury St Edmunds schools, but I’ve decided to wider the geographical reach and, from November, schools from Sudbury and surrounding villages (Postcode CO10) can be entered into the draw.
After posting about Grow For Schools on LinkedIn, the lovely team from Ivyline got in touch and offered to sponsor beautiful pots each month so that I’m able to deliver the plants complete in pots.
What’s happening in April, with Adam Frost and the Suffolk West Federation of Women’s Institutes?
I’ve been asked to be a speaker at the Suffolk West WIs in April, alongside British gardener, Adam Frost. The event will take place in Bury St Edmunds for all members of Suffolk West Federation WIs. I can’t wait and I’ll be talking about my business, plants and mental health.
Visit growmywellbeing.co.uk/services/schools/ and follow on Instagram and Facebook.
Featured images supplied by Grow My Wellbeing
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