A meeting of minds and gardening for good health

Michael Wale meets MindFood, a health charity in West London that is using allotment space help improve mental health

- Michael Wale

MindFood was set up several years Amersham, ago in rural just outside London in Buckinghamshire. Founded by Cieren Biggins, it then moved to West London, where it raised funds by selling its spare vegetables every Saturday morning, in the large central space in front of the local supermarket. Ciaran Co-Founded MindFood in 2012 and has responsibility for fundraising, marketing, partnerships and finance. Ciaran is passionate about the role nature can play in supporting mental health recovery and overall wellness.

Ciaran has worked in business development teams for some of the UK's most well known charities (NSPCC, Scope, Teenage Cancer Trust) and more recently at local grassroots charities. He has personally secured over £12million of funding across Corporates, Trusts, Statutory and Community fundraising streams. Ciaran is a fellow of the School for Social Ent preneurs and has held Trustee roles at Mind in Ealing and Hounslow, MAC UK and Action est London.

Lucy Clark is a Programme Director and Wellbeing Grower, and works from an allotment site hidden just behind the traffic busy Hangar Lane to the West of London. They also have another site at Horsenden. Farm in Greenford further down just off the A40.

When I first became aware of them Cieran appeared every Saturday morning in Central Acton using the large are at the front of the local supermarket, where there was an impromptu market. He manned a stall that sold vegetables and produce. At that time that was one of Mindfood's main funding. Even my allotment association gave them funds from our then annual open day. But now Lucy Clark tells me funding is on a much more continual and official scale. Principally this consists of the Co-Op, Ealing Council and West London Central Health Service.