Green Hub first connected with Kate Winslet last December, after watching her powerful ‘I Am Ruth’ drama about a mother coping with her teenage daughter’s mental health breakdown. She and the programme went on to win two BAFTA awards.
Critically, it was filmed on location in Godalming and the synergy with the work that Green Hub is doing with teenagers and parents was potent. The team just knew they needed to connect with her and so asked everyone on their contact list if they could help them to make contact … less than three days after it was broadcast, Kate got in touch.
Kate’s filming commitments made a visit earlier in the year impossible but, on Thursday 7th September, she drove up to see the Milford garden to meet with co-founders Tone Tellefsen Hughes and Vanessa Lanham-Day.
Commenting on how the meet up went, Vanessa said, “Kate is very connected with nature and loves to grow things at home; she especially enjoyed walking around the garden and spotting our various tomato, squash and courgette species! Kate is a delightful and authentic woman and is very engaged in the discussion about the teenage mental health crisis – we were definitely pushing against an open door.”
The three discussed a number of future projects, as well as her being happy to share many of her key connections with the Green Hub.
Kate Winslet commented: “By supporting Green Hub, I sincerely hope I can help to elevate their profile and raise further awareness of this deeply important issue.”
As Tone explained; “What we learned in our time together is that Kate understands that she has the power to make people pay attention. Her programme – I Am Ruth – focussed on telephone and social media addiction; however, the journey for teens and parents alike is little different whichever anxiety is in play. Like us, she is committed to helping people understand the options available to help teens in crisis, via both traditional and alternative approaches.”
The Green Hub
The Green Hub Project for Teens is a local community project serving Surrey & Hampshire and surrounding areas. It supports young people (11-18) facing social, emotional and mental health) challenges, along with their families and carers.
In addition, Green Hub works to promote awareness and understanding of mental health and emotional wellbeing for young people in the broader community.
Green Hub’s purpose is to achieve positive, measurable outcomes for teen mental health, including self-love, active lifestyles, social interaction and inclusion, as well as the development and application of a range of learned skills.
The Green Hub achieves this using; ‘green social prescribing’ via our Teen Garden Programme; talks and support groups within the local community; along with sharing useful information via the website.
Our activities:
- Social and therapeutic horticulture in the teen garden for stressed & anxious teens
- A Parent Hub monthly support group
- Wellbeing focused talks and workshops to empower teens and to support parents.
Information and research provided via www.greenhub.org.uk
Image: Vanessa Lanham Day, Kate Winslet and Tome Tellefsen Hughes
