Give torture the green finger - visit our plant shop in London!

Calling all plant lovers!  Give torture the green finger and stand with survivors by joining us at our first ever plant shop in Shoreditch.

About the shop

Visit our horticulture-inspired popup shop in Shoreditch where there will be host of free talks and workshops, as well as plants and botanical-themed artwork available to buy on site, with all money raised going to support people who have survived torture.

The shop is inspired by our garden therapy group that allows survivors of torture to begin their healing journey by reconnecting with nature. Tap into your green fingers whilst knowing that all money raised will go towards supporting people who have survived torture.

The shop has now closed but you can check out our online shop!

About our garden therapy group

Proceeds raised at the shop will go towards our garden therapy group and fund therapy for survivors of torture. The group is a safe space for torture survivors and allows torture survivors to get in touch with nature, and discover another way to heal. Our mindfulness activities help survivors live in the present moment, rather than constantly reliving their traumatic experiences, and learn new skills that help them process their emotions.

Planting seeds from their home country brings their loved ones closer to them. The fresh air and regular outdoor exercise bring better sleep and improvements in physical health. Building relationships with other survivors who have endured similar experiences helps with their self-esteem and reduces their social isolation.

After a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, our life-changing Horticultural Therapy is finally back. The garden didnʼt receive the care and attention it needs for almost two years. Many survivors would love to start nurturing the garden again as part of their journey to healing, but they need your help.

Please give whatever you can to help survivors grow and our garden become glorious again.

Help torture survivors heal through nature.

Rashid's story

As a young teenager, Rashid fled Afghanistan when he was forcibly removed from his school by the Taliban – for what they called, ‘further education’.

He was taken off to a residential military training camp and expected to learn how to make bombs and kill people. Rashid wanted nothing to do with this so as soon as he was allowed a visit home, his uncle arranged to smuggle him out of the country. He hasn’t seen a single member of his family since he left and has not been able to make contact.

That’s just one of the reasons why Horticultural Therapy has been so important to him. Here in the garden he has found nine friends. People he can talk to about his experiences and who know exactly what it’s like.

The gardening group became the only place that I could release my pressure and talk openly to people like me who were missing their homes and families, because I had nobody else to support me at that time and I had no family or social networks and I was just by myself. I’m really glad more people like me can come here and find people supporting us and trying to motivate us and give us a new life, a good life, a better life.