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COMMISSIONED PROGRAMME | AGES 16–24
ROOT & RISE™
A place to grow.
Space to discover.
Possibilities to explore.
A horticulture-led wellbeing and personal development programme for young people aged 16–24.
Through gardening, mindfulness, creativity and connection, Root & Rise™ offers a welcoming environment in which young people can develop practical skills, recognise their capabilities and explore what comes next.
Designed for delivery in partnership with organisations, the programme brings together the restorative qualities of gardening with practical learning, shared experiences and opportunities for personal development.
A Place to Grow
Every young person arrives with their own experiences, interests, strengths and ways of seeing the world.
Root & Rise™ begins with the belief that we all benefit from environments where we feel welcome, where curiosity is encouraged and where there is room to try something new.
Gardening offers a particularly valuable setting for this. It invites participation, patience and attention. There are practical tasks to undertake, decisions to make, challenges to navigate and small achievements to recognise along the way.
No previous gardening experience is necessary, and there are no expectations about what participants should want to become or achieve.
Some may be navigating a period of change.
Others may simply enjoy the opportunity to learn, spend time outdoors or be part of something shared.
What matters is that each person is welcomed as they are, with space to participate in ways that are meaningful to them.
Growing Through
Experience
At the heart of Root & Rise™ is the experience of working with living things and seeing how consistent care can lead to visible change.
Practical horticulture provides the foundation for developing real, usable skills, while mindfulness, personal development, creative reflection and shared experiences help participants understand themselves, work with others and recognise what they are capable of.
By the end of the programme, participants can take away new horticultural knowledge, greater confidence in practical tasks, stronger communication skills and a clearer sense of possible next steps.
1.
The Root & Rise™ Notebook
Each participant receives a simple notebook with plain,
unlined pages at the beginning of the programme.
It becomes a personal space for sketches, observations, photographs, reflections, ideas and anything else they wish to include.
Participants can use it to record plant growth, track tasks, capture questions, notice changes in their wellbeing and document achievements.
Creative activities and occasional prompts offer inspiration without prescribing how the notebook should be used.
Over time, it can become a record of learning, progress and personal interests, helping participants see how their thinking and confidence develop.
It belongs to the participant from the outset and can continue to evolve at home between sessions.
It may also provide a useful starting point for reflecting on skills, interests
and possible future opportunities.
2.
Moments of Mindfulness
Gentle mindfulness and wellbeing activities offer opportunities to pause, notice and reflect.
These may include sensory exercises, grounding techniques, mindful movement and creative activities.
Participants are introduced to practical ways of paying attention, managing moments of stress and creating space to think before responding.
Different approaches are introduced with care, allowing participants to explore what feels comfortable and useful to them.
They can identify techniques they may wish to use beyond the programme, whether during a busy day, a difficult moment or a period of change.
3.
The Shared Table
Sharing a meal is an important part of the Root & Rise™ experience.
Each programme day includes lunch and refreshments provided by BLISS & Bloom,
creating a welcoming opportunity to gather, rest and enjoy time together.
This regular pause helps participants build familiarity, practise informal conversation and experience the value of belonging to a group.
Where suitable facilities are available, preparing food may also become part of the day’s activities. This can provide further opportunities to plan, cooperate, follow instructions and contribute to something shared.
Whether freshly prepared on site, brought in or catered, lunch is thoughtfully arranged, with dietary needs and individual choice respected.
The shared table is a simple but valued part of the programme, offering time for conversation, connection and community. It gives participants a chance to strengthen relationships, celebrate progress and experience their contribution as part of a wider group.
4.
Skills for Life
Four transferable skills are explored throughout the programme:
Self-awareness and emotional regulation — recognising emotions, understanding personal responses and exploring ways to support wellbeing.
Participants practise noticing how they feel, identifying what helps them stay settled and choosing constructive ways to respond.
Communication and connection —
listening, expressing ourselves, respecting boundaries and working with others.
Participants develop confidence in sharing ideas, asking for help, contributing to group tasks and building positive working relationships.
Adaptability and problem-solving —
responding to challenges, considering alternatives and learning through experience. Gardening provides regular opportunities to adjust plans, respond to unexpected outcomes and try a different approach.
Decision-making and personal agency — recognising choices, taking initiative and developing confidence in our capabilities. Participants are encouraged to make decisions about their work, take responsibility for agreed tasks and recognise the impact of their choices.
Rather than being taught in isolation, these skills are practised through horticulture, group activities and everyday interactions.
Participants can begin to recognise how the same skills may support them in education, employment, volunteering, relationships and daily life.
5.
Hands in soil
Participants take part in genuine horticultural activities, developing skills in sowing, propagation, planting, plant care and seasonal maintenance, alongside an understanding of soil, growing conditions and how gardeners make decisions about plants and spaces.
Depending on the site, season and available plant material, this might include multiple propagation techniques, overwintering plant material, identifying plants and becoming familiar with common and botanical names.
Participants may also establish growing beds, create container gardens, ornamental planting, plan a new growing area, or contribute to an existing outdoor space redesign.
Projects are carefully chosen to provide purposeful work and realistic opportunities to observe progress. Participants learn how to follow instructions, use tools responsibly, plan tasks, care for living things and adapt when conditions change.
A satisfying result might be a thriving collection of propagated plants, an established planting area, a transformed space or something created for others to enjoy long after the programme has ended.
These visible outcomes give participants the opportunity to see the value of their contribution and understand how small, consistent actions can create meaningful results.
The Journey
Root & Rise™ unfolds through three interconnected phases,
allowing participants to build on their experiences as the programme progresses.
root
Finding Your Ground
The journey begins with familiarity, curiosity and connection.
Participants explore their growing environment, begin practical gardening activities and develop the foundations of their horticultural knowledge.
Through shared experiences and opportunities for personal choice, they begin finding their place within the group and establishing a relationship with the garden.
grow
Discovering Your Capabilities
As the weeks progress, participants become increasingly involved in caring for and developing their horticultural projects.
They practise new techniques, take on responsibilities, work collaboratively and respond to the changing needs of plants and growing spaces.
The emphasis is on learning through experience, recognising progress and developing confidence in what they can do.
rise
Exploring Your Possibilities
In the final phase, attention gradually extends beyond the garden.
Alongside their continuing horticultural work, participants explore their interests, recognise skills developed throughout the programme and consider opportunities they may wish to pursue.
Practical activities support them in investigating possibilities, making connections and identifying achievable next steps.
The journey concludes with time to acknowledge what has been created, recognise individual contributions and celebrate the experience together.
Beyond the Garden
What grows here can travel further.
The knowledge and experiences gained through gardening can have value in many other areas of life.
Planning a project, learning a new skill, working alongside others and responding to unexpected challenges are experiences that can help young people recognise their interests and abilities.
Root & Rise™ makes space to explore where those interests might lead.
During the later stages of the programme, participants are supported to investigate opportunities relevant to them. These might include education, apprenticeships, employment, volunteering, further horticultural learning, creative interests or involvement in their communities.
Where appropriate, visiting practitioners, useful resources and introductions to relevant organisations may help bring those possibilities into clearer view.
Participants are encouraged to identify practical steps they may wish to take, whether researching a course, contacting an organisation, trying a new activity or developing an existing interest.
There is no expectation that everyone will leave with a defined plan. Sometimes, recognising an interest or becoming aware of a new opportunity is a valuable beginning in itself.
Bringing Root & Rise™
to Your Organisation
Root & Rise™ is available exclusively through organisational commissioning.
Designed for young people aged 16–24 the programme may be suitable for schools, colleges, youth organisations, charities, community initiatives and other settings seeking to offer substantial horticultural, wellbeing and personal development experiences.
Programme Structure
The full Root & Rise™ curriculum comprises 16 interconnected modules, designed for delivery over 16 weeks.
Standard programme days run from 10am to 4pm, providing enough time for practical horticulture, personal development, mindfulness and wellbeing activities, notebook work and a shared lunch.
A 12-week compressed programme is also available where required. It retains the core curriculum and learning journey while adapting the depth and pacing of some activities to the shorter delivery period.
Alternative session lengths may be considered, but the overall programme must retain sufficient delivery time to preserve the horticultural, wellbeing and developmental experience at the heart of Root & Rise™.
Programmes are designed for small groups, typically 6-8 participants, allowing meaningful practical involvement, group connection and appropriate individual support. Larger groups may be considered where the site, staffing and needs of the group make this appropriate.
Working with Your Setting
Every growing environment offers different possibilities.
Depending on the facilities, participants may work towards a collective project, individual growing activities or a combination of both.
All horticultural plans take account of seasonal conditions, available plant material and realistic growing timescales.
A successful programme does not depend on producing a harvest.
Establishing healthy plants, developing a garden, propagating new material or transforming a space can provide equally meaningful and visible outcomes.
Before We Begin
Every proposed commission begins with a site assessment undertaken by Kaye before the programme is accepted.
The assessment considers the growing environment, accessibility, tools, water, storage, welfare facilities, seasonal conditions, staffing and safeguarding arrangements, facilities for food and shared meals, and responsibility for plant care between sessions.
Where necessary, BLISS & Bloom may recommend changes or additional provision before confirming that a site is suitable.
What BLISS & Bloom Provides
A Root & Rise™ commission includes:
Programme planning and adaptation
Delivery of the Root & Rise™ curriculum
Horticultural and wellbeing facilitation
Participant Root & Rise™ Notebooks
Core programme materials and consumables
Shared lunches and refreshments on every programme day
Programme evaluation
Horticultural project handover
An end-of-programme summary for the commissioning organisation
Where a project requires significant additional equipment, major quantities of planting materials, permanent garden infrastructure, specialist practitioners or other exceptional resources, these are agreed and costed separately.
Working in Partnership
Root & Rise™ is delivered in partnership with the commissioning organisation.
Commissioners are expected to provide an appropriate site, a named programme contact and safeguarding contact, suitable staffing or participant support, relevant accessibility and dietary information, and agreed arrangements for participant attendance and safeguarding.
Where plants require attention between programme days, responsibility for watering and essential care is agreed before delivery begins.
At the end of the programme, responsibility for the continued care of any garden or planting project is formally returned to the commissioning organisation.
Commissioning Investment
The standard 16-week Root & Rise™ programme is commissioned from £16,500.
The 12-week compressed programme is commissioned from £13,000.
Final fees reflect the location, group size, site requirements, materials, travel and any additional resources required.
A full commissioning proposal is prepared following the initial conversation and site assessment.
Let’s Grow Something Meaningful Together
Every setting is different, and so are the young people who spend time within it.
I’d welcome the opportunity to hear about your organisation, what you hope to offer the young people you work with and the facilitation space available.
Together, we can explore whether Root & Rise™ is the right fit for your setting and what a thoughtfully designed commission could look like.
Root & Rise™ is available exclusively through organisational commissioning.
