Posted on: Tuesday 9 June 2026
This Great Big Green Week, we're celebrating volunteers and community organisations working with us to nurture nature, tackle climate change and improve wellbeing, in line with the Torfaen Deal.
A disused space at the former Victoria Village School site in Abersychan is set to be transformed into a new therapeutic garden, supporting children, families and the wider community.
The project aligns with the new Torfaen Deal, which focuses on empowering communities to improve their health, wellbeing and opportunities through collaboration.
MyST, a regional mental health programme and part of Torfaen Council’s therapeutic offer to children and young people involved with social care, has long aspired to create a nurturing outdoor environment at its Victoria base.
The newly proposed garden will provide a dedicated space where individuals and families can take part in outdoor activities that support their wellbeing.
Opportunities will also open up for wider community use, with a focus on nature conservation and sustainable practices, and on developing practical outdoor skills.
Before ground was broken, an open afternoon was held for residents in February, allowing them to meet the organisations involved, view the proposed plans, ask questions and share ideas.
The project is supported by Garnsychan Partnership, an organisation specialising in volunteering and environmental projects, and Coedwedd, a non‑profit community hub based in Garndiffaith offering a broad curriculum of activities supporting mental, physical and social wellbeing.
Trevor Harvey, Programme Director at Coedwedd, said: “Having worked for a mental health charity that offered therapeutic garden work, I’ve seen firsthand how this kind of outdoor project can benefit individuals’ wellbeing.
“Through partnering with MyST and Garnsychan, we believe the site can really help the local, and wider, community by tackling issues such as social isolation and low mental wellbeing, while also supporting people who are NEET to gain basic skills and live more fulfilled lives.”
Over £7,000 worth of equipment has been secured through a Keep Wales Tidy's Garden Package Grant, that includes materials for raised beds, a wildlife pond and a polytunnel, as well as plants fruit trees and tools.
Cariad Warrilow, Regional Data and Performance Manager for MyST, said:
“We are so lucky to have this amazing space for our children, young people and families, but it has always been important to us that it also gives something back to the local community.
“We will strive to make the garden, which is on a hill, as accessible as possible, and as the work progresses we’re keen to run projects that actively involve local residents alongside our young people, to improve the health and wellbeing of everyone involved."
The therapeutic garden is expected to take a couple of years to develop, with ongoing opportunities for residents, volunteers and community organisations to engage with the project as it progresses.
Anyone interested in getting involved can email info@garnsychan.org.uk or call 01495 775543.