Soil Sisters is a programme bringing therapeutic horticulture, and growing spaces, to women’s refuges in East London. The programme helps women recover from trauma and supports health and wellbeing through therapeutic gardening, food growing and cooking together.
Create garden spaces together with women living in refuges
Create a safe space to heal and connect with others
Create growing spaces to cultivate vegetables and flowers
Deliver therapeutic workshops on gardening, food growing, cooking and crafts
For women who have experienced domestic violence, access to safe, nurturing environments is vital. Soil Sisters uses gardening as a tool to support recovery, build community, and inspire hope. Through hands-on activities and peer support, participants gain practical skills, confidence, and a renewed connection to nature.
Through Soil Sisters, women rediscover their strength, form supportive networks, and learn to care for the environment. Participants report improved mental health, a sense of purpose, and greater social connection. These gardens become thriving hubs of positivity, offering fresh food, green spaces, and hope for a better future.
Read our new toolkit with ideas and tips on creating therapeutic gardens.
Find out how ecofeminism works in practice, through the Soil Sister’s project.
Find out how horticultural therapy is helping women in refuges to recover from trauma.