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Each Quiet Garden is unique! Each responds to local needs and circumstances, has its own particular identity, rhythm and charism. Be it through day retreats, "drop-in" times or led quiet mornings, each Quiet Garden provides space for sharing prayer and stillness, learning and laughter. Whatever the chosen format, visitors return to their active lives resourced and nurtured. At the heart of every Quiet Garden is a small group of people who plan prayerfully according to local needs. With the host they are responsible for practical details such as designing the format, and planning a programme. We recommend enlisting the support of local clergy. The Quiet Garden can act as a resource for themselves and/or their congregations. Many Quiet Gardens are in private homes and gardens, but this is not the only model. Increasingly churches are considering how they can make best use of the space around their building. The grounds may be quite extensive and underused. With vision and imagination, the area might become an attractive space available to the local community or available for Quiet days or periods of individual reflection. Affiliated Retreat Centres, who welcome guests for residential stays, may focus their Quiet Garden ministry on days for local people. Some schools are also coming to realise the value of offering a designated quiet space in their grounds, where students and staff can withdraw for a short while to recharge batteries, to be still and observe the natural world. Quiet Gardens are now being developed in some prisons. Each Quiet Garden or Quiet Space is affiliated to or associated with The Quiet Garden Trust and receives a certificate on joining. For more information on setting up a Quiet Garden and affiliating, please e-mail Mollie Robinson, Quiet Garden Coordinator at quiet.garden@ukonline.co.uk.
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