Skip to main content

The Latest Bulletin

The history of gardening charity, Thrive

The history of gardening charity, Thrive

Thrive began as the Society for Horticultural Therapy and Rural Training in Frome in 1979, set up by Chris Underhill, a young horticulturist inspired by his work with people with disabilities and his voluntary service in Africa. Chris was supported by, amongst others, Dr Geoffrey Udall a paediatrician. Initially the organisation concentrated on supporting the people who were setting up and running specific outdoor projects and wanted to use the concept of horticultural therapy. It aimed to be a bridge between the world of horticulture and the world of health. In the mid-1980s the organisation widened its scope by offering services to individual disabled gardeners. Before his death, the Reverend Dr Geoffrey Udall made provision for Thrive in his will…
Dr Neil Thompson
June 8, 2021
The power of inclusive workplaces

The power of inclusive workplaces

At Stonewall, we imagine a world where all LGBTQ+ people are free to be themselves and can live their lives to the full. Inclusive workplaces have a huge part to play in this making this world a reality. But inclusion is not a given. The best employers understand why all their employees should feel welcome, respected and represented at work. They know that inclusion drives better individual, business and organisational outcomes. And they believe that staff must be able to bring their whole selves to work. Because when LGBTQ+ employees feel free to be themselves, everybody benefits. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
June 8, 2021
Seth Godin’s blog – When it doesn’t work out

Seth Godin’s blog – When it doesn’t work out

Possibility has a flipside. We need possibility to do our best work. To believe that it might work. To understand that if we do our best work and bring our full selves to the project, we have a shot at achieving our goal. Hope is fuel. Perhaps we’ll make the sale, be admitted, create a hit, change someone’s mind, invent a breakthrough, play the notes beautifully, open doors and create magic… But we might not. And if we don’t, what then? ... Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
June 8, 2021
Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Fail to plan and you plan to fail

Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Fail to plan and you plan to fail

This is one of those tips that sounds so obvious and straightforward and yet is one that is so badly needed, given how often people seem to manage to get themselves into difficulties by either not planning at all or not planning fully enough. In working with people there are so many unpredictable variables but there is also much that can be anticipated if we take the trouble to think ahead and draw on our professional knowledge in the process. There is a great irony that people often say they are too busy to plan, whereas in reality it is more likely to be the case that a lack of planning could well be part of the reason why they…
Dr Neil Thompson
May 18, 2021
Adapting our work: How we will weather the financial toll of coronavirus and still keep delivering for autistic people and families

Adapting our work: How we will weather the financial toll of coronavirus and still keep delivering for autistic people and families

National Autistic Society, Chief Executive, Caroline Stevens sets out how our charity is adapting to the heavy financial toll of coronavirus. We have had to take some difficult decisions about how and where to spend the funding available, including reshaping and scaling back some of our work. This has affected many parts of our charity over the past 12 months and meant losing dedicated and talented colleagues across some of our national programmes, such as in our fundraising and events teams. But by far our most difficult decision has been to close one of our helplines, our general Autism Helpline. This is a significant loss and we are deeply sorry we can’t continue it. But, as Caroline explains, this will…
Dr Neil Thompson
May 18, 2021