“It’s a place where you can come and be who you are”
Alison P: There’s a magic here with the connection of the plants and people. I always see a shift in my emotions when I come here. I always feel different at the end. That shift is so valuable.
I’ve been coming here for three years. Originally, I came to PLOT 22 through the Survivors’ Network when they held the monthly session for women survivors of sexual violence. I’d already been accessing other groups there. The first time I came I was quite paranoid and I would cry. But now I feel the impact it has as it’s shown me you don’t have to be stuck.
I’m usually given heavy jobs like smashing chalk with a mallet or chopping wood because it’s really good at getting rid of anger and it always seems to work. Sometimes I come here depressed because I’ve turned the anger in on myself, but the smashing and chopping really helps me move through those emotions.
I think everyone who comes here feels better after. Hearing other women’s stories and the connection we have to each other whilst gardening is inspiring. You feel validated and not alone because other people are going through it as well. My trust has been broken and the fact that I look forward to coming here is quite incredible. Something that I find very useful is knowing that there is space to be here on my own as well - that I can just go off and be. I’m comforted by the thought that I can do that and at the same time put my trust in people.
I’ve found it therapeutic to come here. It’s also helped me to join other groups too – it’s been a stepping stone. Before, I didn’t feel confident enough. Music is a way I communicate. I normally find it difficult to play my instruments in front of people, but I’ve joined a music therapy group at the Brighton Women’s Centre and I’ve brought my recorder here and played with others. I feel my confidence has increased. I absolutely love music and to be able to communicate is wonderful!
I didn’t have any experience at all of gardening before I came here, but just touching and handling plants and trees does seem to lift my spirits. I also have more of a connection with nature and the land and I’m now more likely to go for a walk into the woods and to the seafront to feel the different moods of the sea. I want to have that connection. Most of the time I feel hyper-vigilant but this plot is boundaried and I feel safe here. It’s like a sacred space. It is very special. It’s a place where you can come and be who you are – and be with God.
As told to Vaska Trajkovska September 2019