A gardening for health charity has celebrated its first group of students to achieve a diploma.

Thrive, based in Beech Hill, has celebrated its students achieving a Diploma in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) at a special ceremony.

The award gives the students the knowledge and ability to practise STH in any setting and help transform people’s physical and mental health through plants and gardening.

Ten students graduated at the ceremony and among them was Katie Andrews from Streatley, who was also the proud recipient of the John Weightman Prize for Excellence.

She said: “I loved studying for the diploma, I wanted a complete career change, but didn’t have any experience in STH.

"This course has taught me so much and I now have a job at a therapeutic garden, it’s been such an exciting year and I love what I do.”

Horticultural researcher and retired professor at Loughborough University, Dr Joe Sempik was an honorary guest and explained that the graduating students were now among the highest qualified people in the UK to practice STH. 

“Thrive has always produced first-class training and is recognised as having a gold standard that everyone looks up to and recognises,"Dr Sempik said.

"Today is a huge achievement, not just for the students graduating but for the horticultural sector.”

Thrive’s new diploma has accreditation provided by the Open College Network and the course runs over two years as a Higher Education level Diploma with a blend of self-guided learning, lectures, workshops, tutorials and assessed coursework.