PASSION PROJECT

Joely Richardson tells us why she's digging deep to help bring young children closer to the natural world

- SOPHIE HAMILTON

Joely Richardson's mother, the renowned actress Vanessa Redgrave, once gave her some acting advice that she holds dear to this day: "Stay forever a student.”

“It’s a life lesson, really,” Joely tells HELLO! in this exclusive interview. “Never think you know the answers, be open and you'll learn something new every day. Another expression is: ‘Be of service.’”

We're speaking to Joely, 60, as she takes part in a voluntary initiative in Kent with Save the Children; she has worked as an ambassador for the charity since 2012. “This is something I do out of passion and a love of community,” she says as she meets youngsters taking part in an allotment project supported by the organisation in a socially deprived area of Margate.

“One of the first things I saw was a mud kitchen,” she tells us. “It took me right back to my childhood, making mud cakes at the roots of an old tree in our nearby park. These children were elated about getting their hands muddy.”

The actress speaks highly of the benefits of the project, which gives children from underprivileged backgrounds who are under the age of five a chance to grow food and play outdoors in twice-weekly sessions.

“You forget how important it is to have your hands in the earth — it recalibrates you on a cellular level. It takes away stress and it’s a very holistic form of education,” she says. “I certainly can get lost in the garden for hours. My mind goes completely still: pruning, clipping, designing, cooking the rhubarb I’ve collected.”