This campaign showcases Alnwick Garden's great work for the community

The Alnwick Garden has a strong community spirit, with multiple schemes that support and bring local people together.

It welcomes 360,000 visitors every year, but it’s the garden’s social side that features in a new video for Discover our Land, a campaign led by Northumberland County Council to raise the profile of the county as a place to live, work, visit and invest.

The Alnwick Garden is the latest business in Northumberland to sign up to the Discover our Land campaign.

Within the new video, to be shared across the campaign’s social media channels and on the www.discoverourland.co.uk website, a number of community projects at the garden are highlighted.

The Elderberries programme uses the space to bring people together, through the Gentlemen’s Garden, run specifically for men who enjoy woodwork and gardening, to help with isolation or loneliness, and the Blooming Well project that aims to improve the quality of life for those suffering from dementia, and their carers.

Every year, 200 youngsters from 10 different schools also benefit from the Garden’s Roots and Shoots programme, which helps educate children on how plants grow, plus healthy eating, cooking and exercise.

Coun Cath Homer, cabinet member for Culture, Arts, Leisure and Tourism said: “The Discover our Land campaign is about sharing inspirational stories about things people may not already know about Northumberland.

“The Alnwick Garden is a wonderful asset in the county and brings in a huge number of visitors, but it was the other side of the garden’s story we wanted to share through the campaign, the stories of those people who are supported with issues such as isolation, dementia or education and healthy living.

“We hope their story will help to inspire others to join the campaign and spread the message of what is great about Northumberland.”

Mark Brassell, director of The Alnwick Garden said; “The Duchess and the team have created a breath-taking and evolving garden that will continue to be for all.

“Behind the scenes of the picturesque water features, Poison Garden, Bamboo Labyrinth, and many other wonderful experiences, there is a hard-working charity that seeks to support those in our community who need it most.

“Using the proceeds from the garden to maintain the site, and more fundamentally to deliver on our charitable objectives, The Alnwick Garden strive to reduce social isolation, improve well-being and support our most vulnerable community members.

“Through comprehensive work with countywide partners, we have identified challenges in our local communities which includes increasing young people’s employment chances, drugs education and making positive choices for children and young people and supporting other organisations to create beautiful, mindful and sensory outdoor spaces for their beneficiaries.

“It’s fantastic to be part of the Discover our Land campaign as we want to play our part in sharing Northumberland’s story.”

To watch The Alnwick Garden video go to www.discoverourland.co.uk/alnwick-garden