“Faith plants the seed. Love makes it grow.” 20 years on, Sunflower Garden is thriving!

Anna Rahimian - Clinical Manager, who has worked at Sunflower Garden for 15 years, looks back on the journey the service has taken to its 20th anniversary. 

20 years ago we gathered 8 children together to begin a project that has grown into a much valued service in Edinburgh, now supporting over 60 children and young people every week. Sunflower Garden works with children and young people impacted by drug or alcohol use in their families by offering Counselling, Art Therapy, Groupwork and Therapeutic Support from our base on Queen Street and out in local communities and schools.  

“Having somewhere like the Sunflower Garden - it gave me a safe place to go. Somewhere away from home. Home for me didn't feel safe. It was pressure. And running a household as a child because my parent was an addict. Being able to go to somewhere like the Sunflower Garden gave me a chance to be a child. It enabled me to breathe. To do normal things. To make friends. And to do things for me. It enabled a space for creativity and play.” Dana  

Sunflower Garden began as a pilot project with Edinburgh Young Carers in 2003, in response to the rising recognition that children needed support of their own when a parent was using substances. Sunflowers are remarkably resilient flowers that seek light and can adapt and blossom despite environmental challenges. Sunflower Garden got its name from our desire to provide a place where children can be supported to grow and thrive despite the difficulties they face.  

Over the years the service has been made possible through several funding sources including The Church of Scotland Guild - who adopted Sunflower Garden as one of their projects in its infancy. The service is currently funded by The City of Edinburgh Council, The Edinburgh Drug and Alcohol Partnership and the Scottish Government through the CORRA Foundation Drugs Mission Fund.  

As we reflect on 20 years of supporting children, we’ve been delighted to hear from a couple of our young clients who are now adults. Moy was in primary school when she first came to us for support, returning again as a teenager:   

“When I was younger I went to Sunflower, and only now I have realised how much it helped me. Going each week, talking to Anna and people my own age through music and art therapy I found an understanding that I wasn’t alone. Sunflower allowed me to grow as a person, feel confident and gave me an understanding on how to navigate my experiences, even 10 years on!” Moy  

Living with a parent’s addiction can cause difficulties in many ways, impacting on children’s emotional and physical wellbeing and relationships. Sunflower Garden ensures that children impacted by their parent’s drug or alcohol use are both seen and heard. We offer them a safe place to process their experiences, tell their story, find support and know that they’re not alone.  

“I think Sunflower over the years has worked its magic and taken care of me. I will always look back on Sunflower with great fondness and as I navigate life in my 20s as a graduate I still find myself using the tools I was given then.” - Moy 

“I hope a place like this stays around for a long time to come. Sometimes a lot of focus goes onto the parents rather than the children. And the children take the brunt of it and can fall through the cracks. Allowing somewhere like this allows that safe space for children to be themselves” Dana  

As we look forward to the next 20 years, we will keep listening to the families we work with and grow a service that continues to meet the needs of the children and young people who are at the heart of all that we do; children who deserve the chance to grow with hope, confidence and resilience despite the adversity they face - just like Sunflowers do.  

Dana got in touch with us last year to kindly donate Christmas presents for families of the service. If this is something that you would like to contribute to this Christmas, or in the future, we’d love to hear from you.  

Please contact Anna (Clinical Manager) at: anna.rahimian@crossreach.org.uk  
To support the ongoing work of the Sunflower Garden with a donation, please visit: