VE Day garden project for veterans' charity

A charity providing gardening therapy to improve mental health among ex-military personnel is to create a garden and pathway in just one day to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

The fully wheelchair-accessible project will be a jointly created by Veterans' Growth charity, based in East Sussex, and the National Lottery.

A workforce made up of veterans using the charity and a team of lottery winners will be gathering at the charity's headquarters, near the village of Westfield, on Monday to create the space.

Sarah Wilson, Veterans' Growth chief executive, said she was "delighted" that the project would be able to commemorate VE80 in a "productive and memorable way".

"We're looking forward to welcoming everyone to see first-hand the work we are doing here and, importantly, help us to improve access so that all of our veterans, no matter their mobility, can access the site for many years to come," she said.

"Creating the pathway and the border, which will feature plants specifically chosen by veterans, feels like a fitting way for Veterans' Growth to remember VE80."

The garden and path will be formally opened by local Royal British Legion veterans.

The charity said it was important to make the space as accessible to all their veterans as possible, including those with mobility issues.

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