Caritas St Joseph’s is delighted to welcome a new Gardening Assistant, thanks to the generous support of the Westhill Endowment Fund.
A grant of £6,150 has enabled the service to appoint a part-time Gardening Assistant for one year, strengthening the much-valued horticulture programme that helps adults with intellectual disabilities build skills, confidence and independence through practical learning.
The new Gardening Assistant, Daniel Lloyd Morgan, joined the team in March and will support the Horticulture Tutor with tasks such as planting, watering, weeding and maintaining the garden spaces, while working alongside students as they learn new skills.
Daniel said:
“This role appeals to me because it combines two things I value deeply: working with people and working with nature. I am particularly drawn to the opportunity to support adults with intellectual disabilities in a hands-on environment where they can build confidence, independence, and meaningful life skills.
Gardening offers a unique sense of shared progress. Seeing plants develop alongside the people caring for them is both motivating and rewarding.
The gardening sessions at Caritas St Joseph’s are designed not only to teach practical skills, but also to ensure students can make choices, grow in confidence and take pride in their achievements. This reflects the service’s commitment to upholding the dignity of every person and supporting adults with intellectual disabilities to take their rightful place in society.”
Head of Caritas St Joseph’s, Gail Williams said:
“We are thrilled that Daniel has joined our team and that his focus, like ours, is on the people that we serve. We look forward to working together to help people with intellectual disabilities develop skills that empower them to take their rightful place in society.
Students’ enthusiasm for the gardening classes is already clear. Staff regularly gather feedback from both verbal and non-verbal students, who express their enjoyment in a variety of ways — from pointing proudly to completed tasks, to asking what activities are planned for the next session. One recent moment captured the joy the classes can bring: a non-verbal student proudly led the tutor to a workstation to show the plant he had potted, smiling broadly at what he had achieved.
Daniel will work closely with tutors, students and volunteers, helping even more people enjoy gardening, develop new abilities and experience the satisfaction of growing something themselves.
We are deeply grateful to the Westhill Endowment Fund for making this possible. Their support is helping people flourish – in the garden and beyond.”
Caritas St Joseph’s helps people with intellectual disabilities to share their gifts and participate in their communities and the life of the Church. The lifelong learning centre in Hendon offers a variety of courses to over 170 students, ranging from accredited creative arts programmes to practical skills for living independently, with an additional 40+ students in attendance across their four satellite Connect@ sites. The team also run extensive outreach activities across the Diocese of Westminster.
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