https://salmon-owl-9a2b.squarespace.com/about daily 0.75 2025-10-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/1604168709123-ZLAUOW6ALNGBLA6J3K1T/Colebrooke+in+the+Snow.jpg About - People, Place and Purpose DGS combines People, Place and Purpose brought together by a trained Practitioner (PPP + P). A manual outlines the programme and evaluation framework. For clients, the manual explains the sessions as well as the opportunities for progression. For project leaders it explains the integrity of the course, as well as a fidelity of delivery and evaluation that is understood by funders and sponsors. The programme runs for 10 weeks for groups of 8 supported by 2 staff plus an experienced veteran who supports progression. Each of the 10 sessions includes therapeutic outcomes whether Physical, Social, Emotional or Cognitive. There is one 3 hour session a week, usually 11 am-2 pm on a weekday. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/727d2f14-b885-4bf0-a5d3-8bd5b61ca1c5/IMG_0689+%281%29.jpg About - Progression Pathways A range of supported options to explore as individuals reach week seven of the programme For further information please contact the DGS Project Support Co-ordinator Rachel Willis https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/db894143-bf2a-45c2-964d-c53708f0d3a9/Books1_4.jpg About - Defender to Entrepreneur A bespoke blended programme that combines self study with on line tutorial support. Veterans who have attended a DGS programme and are considering self employment can enrol on DtE and be guided through a 4 week- (one session a week) bespoke support programme Delivered to small cohorts of 4 veterans and facilitated by David Morgan CF- Founder and Managing Director of Entrepreneurs Unlocked. For further information or to register please contact the DGS Project Support Co-ordinator Rachel Willis https://salmon-owl-9a2b.squarespace.com/home daily 1.0 2026-03-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/1608810841282-K9TGIEM3T9HCHJBWDJUW/SAM_1448%252B4.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/70c17053-3d27-47e0-8696-94ff164b5414/202502-DGS_Locations_Map.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/23e1656b-6e9e-4060-bc84-c3f0386a232d/202305-Eden_Spring_certificates_04.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/1609790394364-YZ3Z4CIA8EAYYCCIRU99/image.jpg The Defence Gardens Scheme https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/1613578288331-WU3BXUYGDU881M4O9TLZ/image.jpg The Defence Gardens Scheme https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/1609790425298-K6RQF7QR1OJ70TPZXXUB/3.jpg The Defence Gardens Scheme https://salmon-owl-9a2b.squarespace.com/directors daily 0.75 2026-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/1625134279631-GTO212KUUEGU4WZGC2NP/Sally+Coulthard++CEO+Defence+Gardens+Scheme Directors - Sally Coulthard MBE CF FRSA Founder and Managing Director Sally is a former regular and reservist Army officer with career experience in education, training, and personnel policy and strategy. She has worked as a Programme Manager for the Royal British Legion Training College. In 2017, Sally studied an MSc in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture and In 2019 was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study Nature Based Therapy for military personnel in Denmark and the USA. The Defence Gardens Scheme has been developed from her experience and this research. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/18223c62-dd9d-4dca-bdc9-3217e1bef5e0/Robin+Bacon+Strategy+Director+Defence+Gardens+Scheme Directors - Brigadier (Retired) Robin Bacon Strategy Director Robin served worldwide for 32 years in the Royal Corps of Transport and then the Royal Logistic Corps including operational tours in the Balkans with NATO and in Angola with the UN. In the latter part of his career he specialised in tri-Service personnel strategy; this included chairing the MOD’s operational stress management working group which first kindled his interest in mental health issues. On retirement from the Army in 2010, he then spent 11 years as the Chief of Staff of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, working closely with veterans and their families. He professes to be a reasonably competent gardener and also enjoyed having an allotment whilst living in Hampshire. He and his wife now live in Devon which is a whole new garden opportunity. Other interests include bagging Dartmoor Tors, of which there are 160, and playing the cello. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/c005ae30-8320-427d-ae4d-ce9dc1cd784f/thumbnail_IMG_0843.jpg Directors - Brigadier (Retired) Charlie Hobson Director Charlie Hobson joined the Royal Marines in 1976 and retired in 2005. He saw active service in N Ireland, the Falklands, Kosovo and was part of the planning team for ISAF in Afghanistan. He also played cricket for the Royal Navy and Combined Services. He has worked in charity since 2005. First as CEO of the Royal Marines Association, then as Master of the Charterhouse in London and now as Company Secretary of Rock2Recovery which provides non-clinical coaching to serving members of the Armed Forces, veterans and their family members. Charlie is married to Trish, has 5 children and 5 grandchildren, two dogs and lives in Exmouth, Devon. He is a keen gardener provided he does as Trish says. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/99df4731-687e-4c7b-9f58-20a9c6fb9879/Caroline_Waters.jpg Directors - Caroline Waters OBE FRSA CiPD (Hons) HR Director Caroline routinely works with and advises policy makers and contributed to the Department of Work and Pensions publications. As a key opinion former in the business community she also chaired Employers for Carers from 2001 to 2013, was founder and inaugural Chair of the Employers' Forum on Belief, Employers for Fathers and Chair of the Lone Parents working group. As vice Chair of the EHRC (2013 to 2023) Caroline was also responsible for the delivery of major findings on EHRC investigations such as Anti-semitism in the Labour Party, The Windrush scandal, Equal Pay at the BBC and a year long review of the cleaning sector. She has also judged a number of prestigious diversity awards and awarded the OBE for services to progressive HR practice, diversity and equal opportunities in 2010. Caroline’s work at BT was recognized by several diversity awards including best ethnic minority recruitment programme. BT is the only company ever to top seven leading diversity benchmarks at the same time. An accomplishment achieved for three consecutive years. https://salmon-owl-9a2b.squarespace.com/england daily 0.75 2025-10-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/7568d857-ea0f-4031-a1b7-2dd6878b9330/Screenshot+2025-07-08+112249.png England - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/b1f25bd5-0750-45fa-af6f-04ce2f7f1dfd/Garden+shots-24+x.jpg England - Delivery of the DGS Space to Grow 10-week Programme takes place at the Vounder Therapy Garden within the Eden Project Cornwall. This Programme is deigned for and delivered to Service Leavers and Veterans to support their rehabilitation journey. Here you will be given a quiet and safe space to think and learn skills such as green woodworking (making stools and spoon whitling), mindfulness, hedge laying, food preparation, marking out rows, planting seeds, potting on. No gardening experience needed! Defence Gardens at the Eden Project https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/1aa00979-4407-45c8-8929-eff86fc5b741/WhatsApp+Image+2025-08-28+at+09.15.07_2c1fb626.jpg England - Come and join us for our Armed Forces Community workshops, Cultivate and Connect, taking place at the Vounder Therapy Garden within the Eden Project, Cornwall. Full of fun and friendly family activities such as flower pressing, seed sewing and plant identification. Refreshments provided. Cultivate and Connect is a fully adapted and physically accessible set of workshops running throughout 2025 and 2026, please check date here for dates. The delivery team will be led by James Clarke, for further information please contact James https://salmon-owl-9a2b.squarespace.com/northern-ireland daily 0.75 2025-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/fc13d96a-f836-41d4-a828-f9502e981879/202402-BH_Drone_Walled_Garden.jpg Northern Ireland - Colebrooke Walled Garden, Co Fermanagh continues to lead DGS Hub programme design with client input. Dougal the Head Gardener and Anja who is an Eco-Therapist practice within a traditional large walled kitchen garden. Progression from the course is supported by an experienced veteran ensures each client has a clear progression plan. Opportunities range from volunteering to retraining and can lead to PT or FT employment or self-employment. Brooke House Health and Wellbeing Centre https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/29d3ea34-7e1f-46b1-b3b1-df6b98079c9a/Ashes+to+Gold+Water+Feature+-+June+%281%29.jpg Northern Ireland - Ashes to Gold, Co Londonderry are the DGS Hub delivery partner in Coleraine, on a wonderful 10-acre site. The landscaped paths, a lake and forest as well as dedicated polytunnels provide every facility for a wide range of nature based therapy options. Brett who runs the garden and Deborah who works with him on the DGS Programme look forward to welcoming you to Ashes. Ashes to Gold https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/48e3c71c-7cc5-417e-b3d2-55c62e879455/5d8e0dfe-a325-49c7-b43f-78e4c27ebac5.JPG Northern Ireland - Somme Nursing Home, Belfast remains a strong and passionate DGS Spoke garden. This garden is a project aimed at reducing isolation for the Armed Forces Community living in the local and surrounding area, helping them respond to isolation and loneliness, improve their mental health and wellbeing, develop new friendships and networks and have positive experiences. Somme Nursing – Professional and Compassionate Care https://salmon-owl-9a2b.squarespace.com/regional-coordination daily 0.75 2025-06-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/1615903671029-S729WAPOUQY3WU2WIJND/DGS%2BPICS%2B1.jpg Regional Coordination - Charlie Marno National Operations I served in the army for 22 years, from private soldier to Regimental Sergeant Major and subsequently was commissioned to the rank of captain as a late entry officer. The majority of my service had been operational in Northern Ireland except for a 12-month tour in Sierra Leone as a military advisor with IMATT in the 3 Bde area bordering Liberia. I retired in 2007 due to the diagnoses of Multiple Sclerosis. My transition on medical grounds was something that affected, and still does to a certain extent, my own mental health. As a result, I have been interested in our veteran’s mental health and general wellbeing and take a large role in welfare for the Royal British Legion and two other organisations., as well as connecting veterans to organisations that would help in relation to finances, housing and health. Gardening has helped me get through some very dark days. The sense of relief and distance from the outside world seems to take away the madness when I extract into my Narnia with my vegetable patch, hens and ducks with only my dog to listen, poor dog! My role within DGS is to help identify and set up new Spoke sites which will be linked to our Hub locations. We will marry up with community partners who can support community integration for our service leavers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/1631691987198-9G4REGSHBW6UV63OOZB4/RW.jpg Regional Coordination Rachel Willis Regional Coordinator England and Wales and Project Support/Comms Rachel served in the Army for over 20yrs before being medically discharged with physical and mental health issues. Her last role was in in the Army Welfare Team so she has extensive experience of the wider welfare needs of transitioning and veteran personnel. Rachel used horticulture as her main therapy while transitioning to civilian life and has personal experience of the benefits that it can bring. In addition to her regional coordination role within DGS, Rachel is a RHS qualified self-employed horticulturist, who also enjoys and participates in archeological projects, as well as, arts and crafts. Rachel is delighted to be involved with DGS. The network has similar echoes of her own recovery journey, which is one she would like to share and develop. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/1609530047308-IVARJ31XA25MKR6E7TTN/Lucy%2Bphoto.jpg Regional Coordination - Lucy Thorpe BSc Dip STH Regional Co-ordinator for London I have has been working in land based further education and therapeutic horticulture for 15 years following a career change from a Chartered Surveyor and brings extensive experience in developing therapeutic gardens and facilitating programmes within these having worked with a wide range of client groups. Following completion of an RHS Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Horticulture and a Professional Diploma in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture I began work for Help for Heroes in their Wiltshire Recovery centre. Here I established a thriving fruit and vegetable garden around which I developed and ran a programme of nature-based activities. These were delivered for both educational and therapeutic benefits to military serving personnel, veterans and their families. During this time I also collaborated with Sparsholt College and veterans to create a Chelsea Flower Show garden winning a Gold medal and Best in Discovery Exhibits award. More recently I have been working as a Head Gardener and Horticultural Therapist for Horatio’s Garden in Salisbury supporting patients and their families to access and benefit from nature whilst recovering from life changing spinal injuries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7899e17ef94c529f024879/ebe29784-8412-43f0-a5f9-3d15afb82d78/Helen_B.jpg Regional Coordination Helen Bridle Strategic Partnerships Manager Helen is a passionate advocate for the outdoors and although she has the least green-fingers of the DGS team she understands and sees first-hand the benefits of social and therapeutic horticulture. After completing a couple of degrees in London and some years within Arts and Culture, Helen married into the Army which has seen her move a ‘few’ times and grow her friendship-groups up and down the country. More recently Helen was part of the Invictus Games Foundation and the VPPP Programme in the Southwest. 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