Jason Stevens, Founder
Jason Stevens is a veteran of 16 years in the Army. He undertook tours in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone and spent time in Germany. He was medically discharged from the MOD in 2016, after he suffered a bilateral stroke caused by a hole in his heart. The stroke has left Jason with disabilities, both physical and cognitive. Jason was also diagnosed with PTSD and has been undergoing treatment. Jason spent some time at Headley Court undergoing rehabilitation following his stroke. He found the only thing that seemed to have any impact on his mental wellness was gardening.
Sarah Wilson, CEO
Sarah Wilson graduated from the London College of Garden Design in 2014 and has been designing gardens since. She also has a popular wildlife gardening podcast ‘Roots and All’ and has recently launched the online gardening school gardencourses.com. Specialising in sustainable gardens that work with the existing landscape instead of erasing what naturally occurs there, Sarah applies these principles to the Veterans’ Growth site to ensure sustainable practices are employed throughout.
Nicky Shaw, Social and Therapeutic Horticulture Practitioner
Nicky has spent 30 years working in Occupational Therapy and has first-hand experience of many types of rehabilitation and the therapeutic benefits of horticulture. She is also a very passionate gardener and first volunteered for Veterans’ Growth before taking up her current position. Nicky manages our Seed Share project which has been set up so veterans can request free seeds from us and become involved in gardening activities at home or wherever they can. We have collected seeds from last year’s crops of vegetables and flowers, and Nicky has packed them into pre-set amounts ready to be sent out – email seedshare@veteransgrowth.org for our latest availability list.
Louise Bell, Trustee
Louise Bell began her career in publishing and worked in communications for many years, before establishing her own small creative agency, Sunny Creative, in 2012. A keen gardener, Louise also has an allotment and is an active volunteer on her allotment committee: currently, she is responsible for keeping an eye on finances. For the past nine years she has spent one day each week volunteering in the garden at Great Dixter, as well as supporting regular fund-raising events. Louise has a strong personal belief in the power of horticulture to benefit both physical and mental health. As director of a successful small business, she brings strong organisational skills to Veterans’ Growth, as well as her expertise in written communications.
Andrew Chipchase
Andrew grew up in Tenterden and moved to London to pursue a career in finance in the City. He has always been a keen gardener and, after retirement in 2018, studied at Capel Manor College in Ealing to gain a Level 3 Diploma in Horticulture. Since then he has been volunteering at Marble Hill in London and at Great Dixter in East Sussex. He also works with Abundance London, a guerilla gardening group whose aim is to brighten up pockets of neglected land. He is a firm believer in the restorative power of working with plants.
Heather Daniell
Heather Daniell worked in London in IT sales and recruitment before travelling and teaching English for 20 years. She now lives in Hastings where her public sector work has bought her in direct contact with a number of veterans in the Hastings area that struggle with PTSD. She joined Veterans' Trust to make a positive impact through supporting veterans and helping them to benefit from the great outdoors and horticulture. She is a keen gardener and a newbie allotment owner.
Rex Thornborough, Trustee
Rex Thornborough has had careers in financial services in the City of London and as an Officer in the Royal Naval Reserve. He has worked with the Invictus Games Foundation, been Master of the The Worshipful Company of Gardeners, the City Livery Company and is also Chair of Future Gardeners and the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association charities. A passionate gardener, he is currently rebuilding a house and garden in Suffolk.
Pete Welsh, Trustee
Pete Welsh has to date served 22 years in the RAF. Currently employed as a Chinook rearcrew instructor on 28 Sqn at RAF Benson, with three previous tours on Op Herrick. Roles included MedEvac, re-supply and support to front line troops.
Chairman of ‘Tadpole Garden Village In Bloom,’ my passion for horticulture allows me to connect with the local community, whilst promoting positive mental health with lived experiences of PTSD and Eating disorders.
Veterans Growth enables me to combine Service, Horticultural and Mental Health knowledge and experiences, thus offering numerous skillsets to an incredible charity that is dedicated to supporting those who have served.
