We share a vision, we want to work with you to achieve optimal wellbeing naturally...Our aim is to harness the healing power of Nature and the far-reaching therapeutic benefits of gardening, providing a peaceful haven to nurture and nourish the mind, body and soul. Through our leadership team, horticulture therapists and volunteer gardeners, Nature’s Haven creates, builds, maintains and continues to develop a healing garden to enrich the health and wellbeing of our community in an organic and sustainable way. For many, the demands on time and lifestyle are increasingly leading to a rise in both physical and mental health challenges and loneliness. We want to be at the heart of our community and by working with trusted experts and ambassadors in horticulture, nutrition, health and wellbeing, we aim to inspire our community by providing relevant services, events, information and the opportunity to get their hands dirty and enjoy gardening and the fruits of their labours.
We wish for you the opportunity to create and thrive.
Claire Charalambous
Co- Founder & Horticultural Therapist
I'm lucky enough to have always had my own garden. My favourite childhood memories are of picking the veg and digging up the potatoes for Sunday lunch. I have an allotment, garden design experience, and recently worked in a formal garden setting at the Odeny Club in Cookham. My life-long love of nature, gardening and learning has been formalised by gaining my RHS Diploma and I have also recently studied STH with Thrive.
Like many, I have struggled with mental health over the past couple of years and my one true solace in those very dark days was being out in nature and going for a walk in the woods. Just seeing the sun poking through the trees, smelling the air and listening to the birds was enough to let the light back in. That, plus the support of my family and friends, has allowed me to heal in so many ways and given me the strength to help those in our community who may also need support.
Favourite Things...
Hero...Sir David Attenborough
Gardener...Gertrude Jekyll
Flower...Foxglove
Scent...Jasmine
Destination...Any Greek Island
Vegetable...Anything home grown
Fruit...Kiwi
Book...The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Quote...“Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale…the whole world is a series of miracles, but we’re so used to them we call them ordinary things…just living is not enough, one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower”. Hans Christian Andersen.
Aleksandra Brown
Co-Founder & Naturopath / Nutrition Therapist
I'm a naturally curious person, in fact most of my life I've been searching for answers not always knowing what the questions are! My Practice employs a range of eclectic natural therapies to promote and encourage the body's innate ability to self heal. My aim has always been to restore, maintain and increase the Vital Force /vitality of the individual and the collective community. Vital Force and Nature is one and the same thing really, it's all about the power of natural healing and Nature's Haven offers a wealth of opportunity, initiatives and tools to
cultivate health and wellbeing...nourish from within...foster new habits...embrace abundant vitality...calm mind as well as body.
Favourite Things
Gardener...The Don, thank you Monty!
Scent...Philadelphus in full bloom
Flower...Sun Flower
Book...Anastasia / The Ringing Cedars by Vladimir Megre
Destination..By the sea with mountain views
Fruit...Fig
Vegetable...All roots & shoots
Advice...Walk barefoot in the grass
Quote...'You can't go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending' CS Lewis
Stacey Bright
Horticulturist & Garden Designer
I am a horticulturist by trade but also by passion; I was lucky enough to be brought up immersed in South Africa’s abundance of nature, plucking fresh vegetables from the garden and tucking flowers in my hair. It was instinctive to build my adult life around my excitement for plants and the natural world, and thus I formalised my love of plants by going on to study horticulture. I channelled my passion for curating green spaces into designing my first show garden for the RHS in 2019, and soon after moved permanently to the UK. Finding my allotment at the beginning of 2020 provided me with refuge over the past few years, offering space to breathe with the wind and reconnect with the natural world. I strongly believe in the healing that can be found from engaging in nature, and the beautiful reset that digging your hands in the soil can bring.
Favourite quote:
“When you have more than you need, build a longer table not a higher fence” - Unknown
Christian Andreas
Lead Outdoor Education Instructor, Therapeutic Practitioner & Deputy Safeguarding Officer
Christian finds it invigorating being in the great outdoors and loves enabling people of all ages and abilities to fulfil their potential. He believes in Challenge by Choice, to help participants to set their own goals and encourage them to push their limits, without pushing them too far.
Christian has put a programme of activities together: Bush craft; Pond Dipping; Bug House Building; Compost Making and recycling activities to name a few.
Christian is currently Learning Support Assistant at the Berkshire College of Agriculture, where he assists the students in outdoor education, horticulture and equine studies. Prior to this he was an outdoor instructor at Longridge Outdoor Activity centre and also worked with Shortenills and Green Park Activity Centres.
In addition to his BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Outdoor Education, Christian is a certified coach in Archery, European Ropes, Powerboating and Paddlesports. He is also certified in safeguarding and first aid.
Christine Bridgett
Safeguarding Officer, CQSW, BA Hons., MA Socio Legal Studies
Christine has 30 years’ experience working in Children and Families Departments in Child Protection, the last 9 years in senior management positions. She has developed and delivered child protection training both in house and to outside service providers including multi agency forums, Childline and the Child Minding Association. Christine has also been Business Manager for 2 Area Child Protection Boards in Luton and Bradford.
Uel Magowan
Horticulture Ambassador and Therapeutic Practitioner.
A softly spoken Irishman, fingers don’t come much greener than Uel’s and it’s in the blood…his affinity for all things horticulture was inherited from his father, a head gardener/nursery manager and grandfather and great grandfather who were both gardeners on private estates.
Uel started his working life at his father’s nursery for 6 years and then went on to work in a private estate in South Yorkshire where he says he developed his real gardening skills. Unfortunately, the estate was sold so he went to work for Dobbie’s, when it was a large wholesale nursery, in Edinburgh, as nursery foreman, managing nursery stock production. From there, Uel joined the Odney Club, Cookham, a beautiful 120 acre estate, where he has remained working for nearly 40 years.
Uel has an innate ability to bring out the best in people with his sense of humour and kind and caring manner. He enjoys leading groups to help them learn new skills and seeing them flourish. Uel is also an accomplished musician and has an RHS Gold Medal for his hanging basket designs.
Bailey
Chief Happiness Officer
Bailey has such a kind personality, loves people and being out in the garden exploring so we thought we would formally train him as a therapy dog to provide affection, comfort and support to people.
Bailey is a Cavapoochon so we are reliably informed he's hypoallergenic.
Favourite pastimes: meeting new people and dogs, digging and tearing up cardboard boxes ready to be composted.