Sowing Seeds of Sanctuary

Story & photo:Tim Neal

As part of their Ecominds-funded project, SAGE Greenfingers has produced a film about their mental health gardening project's experience of engaging with refugees and asylum seekers. The film, Sowing Seeds of Sanctuary, was premièred at the Welcome Centre, Christchurch, last December.

Filmed on site at Grimesthorpe Allotments, through voice-overs and interviews with refugees and asylum seekers, the film explores the healing experience that gardening can offer. The film communicates very directly and bears witness to the potential of such work. This made watching the film profoundly poignant, a sense that was enhanced by the presence at the screening of a number of the participants alongside members of their families.

The film was made by Jamie Marriott, with a moving narration by John Lawson interspersed with interviews with some volunteers on the project and others working with asylum seekers and refugees. The discussion that followed the event was very rewarding and considerable support was voiced for the film to be made available as widely as possible; it was felt that it could act as a support, model and inspiration to other groups.

As we reported in the last issue, SAGE Greenfingers is restructuring the services it offers. Their Refugee and Asylum Seeker project has drawn to a close but the meeting heard that there is a new volunteer initiative developing to offer allotment gardening sessions with refugees and asylum seekers starting from Easter.

For more information about the film, please contact Diana Tottle on: enquiries@sagesheffield.org.uk