Natural Growth Project on BBC Television

Freedom from Torture's 'Natural Growth Project' has featured on BBC1 television as part of 'Inside Out London'. You can watch the feature here.

The film explained how the rehabilitative project runs from Freedom from Torture's garden and allotment spaces in North London and included firsthand experiences of torture survivors who are rebuilding their lives in the UK.

I get nightmares, I feel traumatised, I feel lonely, but when I'm with people in the community I feel cheerful - now these are my family."

~ Natural Growth Project Participant

The Natural Growth Project uses nature as a tool to healing; many survivors have difficulties talking about their past experiences or the uncertainty and difficulties of their present. For some, being in the open and in touch with the outdoors can bring instant relief and can open the path to extraordinary change.

"The way we work here is to combine psychotherapy with working in nature and the essence of the project is that everybody – wherever they are from, whatever they have been through – has a connection with nature and, if we can access that in our work, straightaway something begins to happen with our clients."

~ Mary Raphaely, Natural Growth Project Co-ordinator

The project has two outdoor spaces in which both group and individual therapy sessions take place. Some clients work on small pieces of land, cultivating plants on community allotment plots. For others, the tranquil therapy garden at Freedom from Torture's London centre provides a safe, enclosed space for psychotherapy.

Growing something; it makes me forget about stress, forget about I've been imprisoned, at the time I'm doing it my mind is just concerned with what I'm doing. I'm thinking that when I plant this plant I have to water it, look after it, I'm thinking about that, I forget about my stress."

~ Natural Growth Project Participant

Thank you to the thousands of individual supporters, trusts and organisations (past and present) who have donated to make the Natural Growth Project a reality for our clients. In particular we would like to acknowledge the following donors:

Ecominds
Edible Islington
Eva Reckitt Trust Fund
Peter Stebbings Memorial Charity
Sutasoma Trust
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation