Volunteers cultivate student success in the garden

In the heart of Hereford at The Royal National College for the Blind a dedicated duo are making a real difference. Paul Smith and Phil Griffiths lead the College’s horticulture activity, providing students with an enriching, hands-on, gardening experience every week.

Pictured L-R: Paul, Sonali, Katie and Phil

With the campus poly tunnel as their base, students are involved in all aspects of gardening. They plant seeds, bulbs and cuttings which are grown for various locations on campus including the Sensory Garden, the Anniversary Garden, and borders around Stephens and Bradbury buildings.

Co-ordinating with Clive Stewart, the College's Estates Manager, the students maintain some of the gardens with pruning and deadheading and applying organic fertiliser.

Students also develop their entrepreneurial skills by organising public plant sales throughout the spring and summer, funding their horticultural projects. They collaborate with business students to create promotional materials and run the plant stall, gaining experience in customer service, cash handling, and accounting.


Pictured: Katie on duty at a recent plant sale

The gardening group is further supported by the Old Railway Line Garden Centre, Brecon. Volunteer Phil approached the Centre, who generously agreed to provide a discount on gardening materials. The group is very grateful for their support - Katie wrote a letter to express their appreciation. 

The gardening group has had a real impact. Student Sonali said:

'Getting involved in this activity has really helped my mental health. It's really enjoyable and I like seeing the plants grow. I hope to link this type of ecotherapy with my future studies in Environment and Sustainability at Birkbeck University.'


Pictured: Sonali potting up some cuttings in the polytunnel

Paul emphasised the satisfaction of volunteering:

'Working with fellow volunteer Phil and supporting the students gives me a tremendous amount of satisfaction and I can see it builds students' confidence in terms of their creativity and their customer service skills.'

He is really impressed with the dedication of the current student gardeners:

'Katie is great at the physical activities, and Sonali gives a lot of her own time looking after the plants. Sonali shows great responsibility and never runs away from a problem. Katie gets involved in sowing seeds and taking cuttings, feeding and watering the plants. Both of them always turn up! My enjoyment comes from seeing them grow in confidence and developing their skills and knowledge.' 

Phil, a former electricity board employee, also finds the experience of volunteering at RNC rewarding:

Volunteering at RNC is unbelievably special. This is a completely different environment to what I was used to. I look forward to my Wednesdays and go home feeling pleased. I thoroughly enjoy working alongside Paul who has such a wealth of plant knowledge.'

If you're interested in volunteering at RNC you can find out more on how to get involved here. 

If you'd like to brighten up your garden with some healthy, reasonably priced plants, follow us on social media for dates of our upcoming plant sales.