SOUTHAMPTON, UK — The Mayfield Garden Centre, a not-for-profit initiative run by the mental health charity Solent Mind, has officially reopened following a two-month renovation. The newly updated garden centre now features an expanded café and aims to serve as a welcoming community hub for local residents.
Located at Mayfield Park on Weston Lane, the garden centre underwent essential maintenance, including the installation of a new composite roof for improved insulation, a refurbished shop, and an extended kitchen space to offer a broader café menu. These upgrades ensure the centre is prepared for the winter season and ready to be used as a vibrant community space.
To mark the occasion, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held, with the Lord Mayor of Southampton, Councillor David Shields, joining Jude Gardner, acting operations manager, to celebrate the reopening.
Jude Gardner expressed the centre’s importance to the community: “It’s so good to see Mayfield Garden Centre fully reopened. The centre has been at the heart of the local community for almost two decades, and lots of people look forward to visiting us on an almost weekly basis as part of managing their mental wellbeing.”
The renovation also included an enhanced café space, which has already received a five-star hygiene rating. As part of its commitment to community engagement, the centre plans to consult local residents to develop new community groups and activities.
Profits from the garden centre’s plant sales are reinvested into Solent Mind’s wellbeing programs, which offer initiatives such as gardening for dementia, a men’s shed project, and support for young people aged 16-25 facing mental health challenges.
Councillor Shields praised the garden centre’s dual role in supporting mental health and contributing to the local environment: “The centre provides a useful place for therapy for those who have mental health issues and makes a contribution to our green environment – It’s a space I want to see more people get behind.”
As a social enterprise and subsidiary of Solent Mind, Mayfield Garden Centre’s mission remains clear: to create positive change and offer therapeutic support through gardening for those struggling with mental health issues.
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