Help on the road to recovery
The WPH Charitable Trust has awarded £500 to Leamington man Will Britton, to help him in his long-term quest to establish his own business which is focused on sustainable living.
He is an avid nature enthusiast with a lifelong love of insects and the outdoors.
Experimenting with drugs and alcohol in his late teens and battling addiction since his 20s, he uses his passion to help him continue in his abstinence.
Will said: “I spend a lot of time on the allotment and also just enjoying the peace and quiet, watching and listening to the birds.”
More than simply caring for creatures, Will has actively campaigned for their protection and says that ensuring their welfare helps to calm his nerves and anxiety.
Even during his stay at Hazelwood, the local mental health unit, he was able to actively pursue his interest by tending the grounds and making use of a local allotment which had stood empty for some time.
Over time he has planted more than 250 fruit trees at the hospital, in addition to the fruit bushes and trees he grows on his own plot.
He said” the feedback that I received from the patients was very encouraging and inspired me to take this further.”
The grant will enable him to fund this project and to access expertise and information from the Permaculture Association. This shares advice, designs, articles, new advances and ideas from a network of like- minded people all keen to make a difference.
“I am looking to increase my land so that I can continue to cultivate plants and trees in the near future, increasing my reputation as an earth defender committed to protecting ecosystems and educating others on how to do the same.”
