Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre to start gardening project

A gardening group is to start at an immigration removal centre to boost the wellbeing of women being held there.

The Saturday sessions will take place at Yarl's Wood in Bedfordshire after a successful crowdfunding campaign.

Emma Dagless, from community group Thyme 2 Grow, said she hoped it would "distract them from their worries that they are carrying so heavily".

Serco, which runs the site for adult women and family groups, welcomed the "purposeful activity".

Keen gardener Ms Dagless said it had been a two-year "struggle" to get the idea started as she had to "fight to get the funding and support".

But eventually £5,000 was raised by donors to purchase new tools, plants and pay for insurance policies.

She said: "I did not think it would take this long, but now I am excited."

Yarl's Wood has been dogged by controversy since it opened at the turn of the millennium, with concerns including whether women should be held there.

The latest assessment carried out by HM Inspectorate of Prisons in June found improvements had been made after a 2015 inspection said it was "failing to meet the needs of the most vulnerable women".

Ms Dagless said she hoped the project would "distract" the detainees from any worries they had, adding: "To spend a couple of hours doing something different that requires focus, concentration, it will develop fascination and that is very restorative for mental wellbeing."

The first session will be held on Saturday, 7 April.

Steve Hewer, Serco's contract director at Yarl's Wood, said: "We are really pleased to be starting this new gardening initiative with Thyme 2 Grow.

"Providing purposeful activity for the residents in our care is really important and this will be a great addition to the range of activities we can offer them."