GARDENING is highly therapeutic and can bring meaning and belonging to people who suffer from mental ill-health, the Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Revd James Newcome, said at Lambeth Palace earlier this month.

The Bishop of Carlisle gets in some pre-conference gardening

He was speaking at the start of Green Health Live 2— a day conference that focused on the health benefits of green spaces and gardening, particularly within a parish and a chaplaincy.

The conference — which took place on World Environment Day — was organised jointly by The Conservation Foundation, the Guild of Health and St Raphael, and the Church Times. It was attended by, among others, chaplains, public-health experts, and healthcare professionals.

Read the Church Times report of Green Health Live 2 here.