I just discovered one of the most amazing places I have come across in Elmbridge - I am kicking myself it took so long! Green fingers, Paul Studholme, created the Medicine Garden out of the old overgrown kitchen garden at Cobham Park.

It is an incredible mix of things: a zen place to pause, forget about your cares or contemplate the meaning of life; an eco-site with a garden centre and beautiful surroundings, where local groups practise yoga, tai chi and circuit training; a business centre with an intriguing array of small businesses from curtain design to massage therapy; and a café brimming with atmosphere. Paul also set up a not-for-profit foundation to maintain the site as a community hub. You can find out more here.

On top of all that, with the drive of Bernadette Keane, the Medicine Garden is 'crowdfunding' to pay for a path linking the compass points that make up the design of the courtyard - with a tree symbolising a particular value at each point. Crowdfunding is an innovative way to raise money for good causes, setting a target to reach by a deadline, with each donor receiving a gift, and all donations returned if the target is not met. Sound interesting? Check out the website here, and support it if you feel able. Better still, visit the Medicine Garden and check out what's going on for yourselves. I guarantee you will love it.