Mental health charity receives £75,000 donation

A charity that supports people's mental health with gardening said £75,000 funding from the People's Postcode Lottery will keep the project going.

Seven people in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, will share a £1m prize, working out at £142,857 each, and funding awards will also be distributed to local charities from the Postcode Community Trust.

One of those charities is Trust Links, in Westcliff, Southend-on-Sea, which helps its members with their mental health by providing therapeutic gardening projects.

Matt King, chief executive officer of Trust Links, said: "It's completely out of the blue. We're so delighted, it makes such a difference to our community to get funding like this."

He added: "It helps us keep the project going because all the costs are going up - the increased tax, the increased cost for us as an organisation and the rising demand for our services."

The charity supported more than 4,000 people last year and works with about 200 volunteers, he said.

Mr King said: "When people first come they might feel depressed, dejected, suicidal- really struggling. Very quickly we boost their connection, their wellbeing and mental health."

Mr King said there was a waiting list of 1,000 people who wanted to use the services but had to wait due to a lack of resources.

Alex Butler, 47, has bipolar and started using the services at Trust Links after he lost his job in 2014.

He recalled: "I ended up at Trust Links because I knew I needed some kind of therapy. When I was there my whole life changed.

"I got to know people, I basically built my life back up again."

Mr Butler took part in gardening courses provided by the charity and has since found work as a gardener.

"I find it so therapeutic and so rewarding," he said. "It's not just the gardening aspect. You can do woodwork, a music group, you name it they do it."

Mr King added: "Honestly our work transforms lives. We save lives on a daily basis just through the work we do.

"Funding like this is so important to help us keep our work going."

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