What an incredible week it’s been for Brighterway at the New Forest Show 2025! With over 90,000 visitors flooding through the gates – a significant jump from 2024’s 72,000 – this year’s event was a powerful platform to showcase our mission, creativity, and community spirit.

We were proud to represent Brighterway in two vibrant spaces on Northern Avenue:

• Our joint Brighterway & Hampshire & Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS stand: this featured CPR demos, engaging “have-a-go” sessions, and plenty of public interaction, and
• The standout attraction of the week was our award-winning Incredible Edible Garden. It captured the hearts and minds of visitors and judges alike!

Watch our highlight reel: Click to watch the event summary video

A Gold Medal for Mental Health and Nature

In our very first year entering a show garden, we’re proud to say that Brighterway’s Incredible Edible Garden won a Gold Medal! And beyond the award, the garden symbolised something even more meaningful – the healing connection between nature, community, and mental health.

Created in collaboration with patients and staff across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, the garden featured:

• Sensory planting spaces
• Hand-painted pots and upcycled materials
• Beautiful, sustainable landscaping

These were all designed to spark joy, reflection, and conversations about mental wellbeing.

This garden was made possible by a grant from NHS Charities Together, awarded in 2021 to support community-based mental health recovery projects following the COVID-19 pandemic. Four years later, its legacy continues to bloom.

A Garden That Grows Beyond the Show

True to our sustainable values, nothing in the garden will go to waste. Plants and materials from the Incredible Edible Garden are already being replanted across NHS sites, including Southfield and Bluebird, where they’ll provide calming, restorative spaces for patients, staff, and visitors for years to come.

“The most important thing is how Brighterway’s connection with supporting mental health has been put on another level,” smiled Brighterway Charity Manager Phil Pride.

Collaboration, Community, and Connection

The success of this year’s New Forest Show wasn’t just about the spaces — it was about the people. We had:

• Nine passionate volunteers, including staff using their annual charity day and others giving their time freely
• Three NHS Governors in attendance
• CPR demos and wellbeing activities that proved hugely popular with children and families
• Engaging conversations with members of the public about the work of the NHS Trust and Brighterway
• Incredible networking opportunities that helped plant seeds for future partnerships

We were also delighted to welcome TV gardening legends Charlie Dimmock and David Domoney, who visited our garden and shared their support and praise.

Watch our interview on That’s TV Solent here:  https://x.com/TTVSolent/status/1951013316144537933

Thank You

We want to thank everyone who made this week possible – from the designers, staff, and volunteers, to our partners across the Trust and NHS Charities Together for their invaluable support. This project was truly a collaborative triumph, and a shining example of what’s possible when we blend creativity, community, and care.

If you missed our pre-show blog, you can still read about our hopes and plans leading into the event here: Brighterway at the New Forest Show 2025 – Pre-show Blog

Let’s Keep Growing

This year’s New Forest Show has shown what’s possible when we bring people, purpose, and plants together. Brighterway will continue championing mental health through the power of nature. We’re already looking forward to what comes next.

Stay connected with us and explore how you can support mental health recovery across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: www.brighterway.org.uk

Brighterway returns to the New Forest Show in 2025. As the dedicated charity for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, their bigger, bolder message for this year is ‘Growing For Mental Health.’

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust plays a vital role in delivering a wide range of community-based health and public services across the region – from mental health and learning disabilities to community nursing, urgent care, and more. Brighterway supports this work by funding projects that exceed what the NHS alone can provide.

At this year’s New Forest Show, Brighterway is showcasing its mission with two dynamic spaces. Each will offer a hands-on experience that blends nature, community, and the power of gardening to support mental wellbeing.

The main Brighterway stand will be in Block 13, Stand 146 on Northern Avenue!

Two Stands, One Powerful Message

As Charity Manager Phil Pride puts it, “We’re there in two capacities. We’re there saying, ‘Here we are. This is what we do. This is where we fit into the NHS.’ And we’re also offering a practical illustration of the work we do and the benefits it provides.”

Brighterway’s main stand at the 2025 New Forest Show, located in Block 13, Stand 146 on Northern Avenue, will spotlight not only the charity’s mission. Importantly, it also emphasises the broader work of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Visitors can learn how the Trust delivers integrated healthcare services across the community, and how Brighterway enhances this care through creative, nature-based initiatives.

A highlight of the stand will be live CPR demonstrations running each day. These are sure to be educational, interactive, and especially popular with children. Participants will even get to measure their CPR performance via tablet-based feedback!

Just across from the main stand at the Flower and Garden Show, Brighterway will debut its first-ever show garden: the Incredible Edible Garden. This vibrant, sensory-rich garden has been designed to illustrate how growing food and connecting with nature can support recovery and mental health.

The Incredible Edible Garden: More Than Just Plants

Inspired by Brighterway’s ongoing work in hospital and community gardens, the Incredible Edible Garden is a bold and beautiful example of therapeutic horticulture in action. Designed by award-winning landscape gardener Derinda Wolfe Murray, who brings expertise from working with brain trauma patients, the garden is built to be both seen and experienced.

“It’s not ‘come along and have a look from a distance’,” says Phil. “Rather, come along, have a look, touch, feel, enjoy, get ideas for your own garden. Use it in whatever way you can.”

Unique for the New Forest Show 2025, Brighterway’s immersive garden encourages visitors to literally dig into the idea that being outside, breathing fresh air, and tending to edible plants can provide meaningful support for those struggling with mental health challenges.

The garden has been shaped by patient input from units like Ashford, Antelope House and Southfield, whose residents have helped create plant pots that will be on display. These contributions echo Brighterway’s recent success transforming therapeutic green spaces such as the gardens at Antelope House.

Their achievements here are a testament to the charity’s belief that healing is rooted in connection, nature, and ownership.

Perhaps best of all, the show garden won’t end with the show. It’s designed to be relocated to a Hampshire or Isle of Wight NHS site, where it will continue to grow and serve patients long after the final visitor leaves the showgrounds.

Star Power in the Garden

Adding to the excitement, Brighterway will be joined by two celebrity guests from the world of gardening.

• David Domoney, known for his appearances on ITV’s This Morning and Love Your Garden, will be with Brighterway on July 29th and 30th.
• Charlie Dimmock, beloved for her role in Ground Force and Garden Rescue, will be appearing on July 31st.
  

Both celebrities will speak at the show’s Live Chat Stage and spend time in the Incredible Edible Garden, offering gardening tips, answering questions, and connecting with visitors.

A Personal Mission

For Phil, Brighterway’s presence at the show is far more than an annual event: it’s deeply personal. “My drive in all of this is very much a sort of personal belief and passion in what we’re doing,” he shares. “It does make a difference.”

Phil is even camping on-site this year – something he’s never done before – to ensure the team is present, rested (hopefully), and ready to connect.

“I always get excited when there’s an opportunity to meet a lot of people and talk to them about what we do as a charity,” he says. “Over those three days, there will be 90,000 visitors. You never know who you might meet, what you might learn, or what ideas you may go away with.”

You Can Get Involved Too!

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is committed to listening to the communities it serves. Members of the public are warmly encouraged to become members of the Trust and play a role in shaping its future. From voting in governor elections to giving feedback on services, your voice matters.

Learn more about becoming a Trust member here: https://hiowhealthcare.nhs.uk/contact-us-1/membership

If you want to get involved with Brighterway, don’t hesitate! The public can play a vital role in shaping Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare’s future. Fill out our application form here to send us your ideas, thoughts and even apply for support or funding for your projects. Please share the form with friends and colleagues who may be interested in joining our efforts!

Come and Visit Us

Brighterway invites all New Forest Show visitors to stop by their stand on Northern Avenue and see the garden for themselves.

“It won’t cost you anything beyond the price of a show ticket,” Phil says, “and if what you see and hear is inspiring enough and you want to support us, however big or small… as long as it’s affordable, that’s great.”

Want to learn more?

Visit brighterway.org.uk, follow us on social media or contact Phil Pride directly via phil.pride@southernhealth.nhs.uk