Our projects are guided by an unwavering commitment to the safety and dignity of those who the work is designed to benefit. We take a collaborative approach and continually reflect on what we are doing, how we are doing it and who else needs to be brought to the table. Social good drives our mission.

Therapeutic Horticulture - Dr.Kate Neale / Digability

Project locations

Brisbane

Gold Coast

Byron Bay

Ballina

Lismore

Coffs Harbour

Taree

Sydney

Dubbo

Broken Hill

Melbourne

Singapore, SG

Montana, USA

Our work takes a sociological approach by considering not just the individual benefits of therapeutic horticulture, but also the role therapeutic horticulture has in fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion at a social or community level. It does this with a view to better understanding the potential impact therapeutic horticulture can have on the social status of its participants, their wellbeing and the ways they meaningfully engage within it and why it is important.

ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE

Brief: Ongoing consultation and research of their GROW Program.

Learnings: Children continue to feel empowered through the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to their social circles, schools and community more broadly through growing food. In doing so, they have increased access to and engagement with intervention and support services to help with other aspects of their lives.

MISSION AUSTRALIA AND UNITING (+ PREVIOUSLY CATHOLIC CARE)

Brief: A nature-based and therapeutic horticulture program for parents and carers to help build parenting skills, increase access to additional support, and help children to transition to formalised care or schooling.

Learnings: Regular semi structured access to greenspaces enable families to feel recharged, connected and supported by peers and services. The relaxed nature of the program and the context of the garden help parents and carers feel in control of their levels of participation and engagement depending on what is occurring in their lives more broadly. Children enjoy the natural rhythms that come from planned activities whilst maintaining autonomy and control through unstructured nature-based play.

CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE, SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY (AND UNICEF OFFICE OF INNOCENTI) ETHICAL RESEARCH INVOLVING CHILDREN PROJECT

Brief: A website to bring an international community together to advance knowledge and practice regarding ethical methodologies for research that includes and privileges the lives of children.

Learnings: Importantly, the emphasis of ethical research involving children is moving beyond safe data collection practices to consider broader ethical issues such as how children can lead research design and implementation, how they can maintain sovereignty over new knowledge and how we protect their digital identities in an increasingly online world. Questions of how research is conducted across the globe in a way that challenges dominant power imbalances is also top of mind.