Cultivating Calm: Veterans Finding Community at Linburn Walled Garden

Cyrenians welcomes veterans to the beautiful Linburn Walled Garden every Thursday morning. This oasis of calm has become a vital space for veterans seeking peace, grounding, and connection with others who understand their experiences. We spoke to several veterans who have benefitted from the Hope Never Leaves sessions—here are their stories.

V’s Story: Finding a Safe Place

V has been attending the veteran days at Linburn Walled Garden regularly. After years of struggling with PTSD and self‑medication following his service, he describes the garden as life-changing.

“I was in a bad place before I found out about Linburn. I was a lost soul… The doctors were telling me it’s a military problem; nobody was willing to help. But when you come through that gate, everybody helps you out, guides you in the right direction.”

V and his partner first joined the garden’s Veteran and Community Volunteer messaging group, where he began forming friendships online and later met fellow volunteers at an in‑person gathering.

The improvements in V’s confidence and wellbeing have been clear. His growing self‑esteem has helped him build new friendships with veterans across the region, join community skills‑share workshops, and spend more time in the wider community.

“I feel it has given me my life back… It works better than tablets and doctors. So I’m going to keep coming. It’s nice to be in a good place.”

M’s Story: A Place to Breathe Again

M comes from a military family and is the partner of a veteran who previously attended a course at Linburn Walled Garden. Seeing the positive impact it had on her husband, she hoped the garden might offer her the emotional support and space she needed.

At the time, M was struggling with the pressures of home life—her partner’s depression and caring for two autistic sons left her feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and isolated.

Her first visit made an immediate impression:

“It was like walking into the Secret Garden—an absolute paradise awash with colour. It feels safe and detached from the world.”

M initially visited monthly as a way to decompress, but over time she began opening up to the garden team, who gently signposted her to additional support services.

When Hope Never Leaves Thursdays began, M became a regular attendee—especially on the women‑only day held on the last Thursday of the month. Within this supportive group, she started taking part in practical gardening activities such as seed sowing, ground preparation, maintenance, and harvesting.

Through these sessions, M gained new skills, friendships, and a sense of belonging.

She now feels more able to manage life at home and has begun reconnecting with old friends, expanding her social network, and joining additional community gardening groups.

M and her family have also attended seasonal fun days at the garden, where partner organisations like Reading Force and Standeasy offered additional support.

Inspired by her journey, M is now studying horticulture:

“I can see the connection between horticulture and mental health—both in my life and in others.”

Join Hope Never Leaves

Linburn Walled Garden hosts Hope Never Leaves every Thursday from 10am, with the last Thursday of the month dedicated to Women’s Day.

You can find out more about Cyrenians veteran activities on their website or by visiting the What’s On? page.