Wendy Geraghty

“Planting seeds is an act of hope”

Until recently, our entire horticultural programme at Freedom from Torture has been run only by one volunteer – Wendy. Through her dedication and patience, hundreds of people who have survived torture have been able to continue experiencing the long-term benefits of horticultural therapy, including during parts of the Covid lockdown. Whether it be walking someone with post-traumatic stress disorder around the garden, encouraging them to focus on their senses to help ground them, or running larger group sessions that are focused on the particular goals of each person in a more social environment, Wendy’s unerring dedication to each individual is truly remarkable.

Wendy’s work has also recently been recognised at the 2024 Chelsea Flower Show, for which Freedom from Torture’s garden, ‘A Sanctuary for Survivors’, was awarded the Silver medal. In the entire lead up to the show, Wendy played an important role in designing and building the garden, including collating input from survivors and advising the designers how best to incorporate and visualise these valuable recommendations.