Minstead Trust and Furzey Gardens

The Trust supports more than 320 people with learning disabilities and autism from Portsmouth to Poole.

Its support enables people with learning disabilities to achieve greater independence and make informed choices for happier and healthier lives.

This can be through support to live more independently at home, making friends and learning new skills at day opportunities or receiving work training to move towards employment.

Furzey Gardens is one of these social enterprises, along with Hanger Farm Arts Centre in Totton, Real Jam & Chutney Company, Lily & Lime cafés and Minstead Lodge wedding and events venue.

Minstead Trust’s social enterprises, such as Furzey Gardens, bring much-needed income into the charity but also provide crucial training opportunities for people with learning disabilities. These venues also show how inclusive workplaces can thrive thanks to the diversity and skills of their workforce.

When you visit the gardens you may see people being supported to maintain the gardens and work in the tea rooms. The plant sales area by the entrance is stocked with dozens of plants potted on by people with learning disabilities in our on-site nursery.

We are supporting people to learn new skills for greater independence, make new friends and in some cases lead to paid employment or sustained volunteering.

Every visit you make to the gardens, every coffee you buy and every plant you purchase is helping us provide more support for people with learning disabilities.

Find out more about Minstead Trust.