Julia Bedford from Glastonbury is passionate about harnessing the power of plants to aid wellbeing. Earlier this year she launched the social enterprise Herbal Brue to help people learn how to use plants and herbs to benefit their health. She tells us more:

What exactly is Herbal Brue?

It is a social enterprise with healing at its core. Our tag line is 'love community healing'. We will be offering a range of herbal/ nature activities that folk can attend. This will ultimately fund a no to low-cost herbal clinic through solidarity not charity. Herbal Brue launched in March of this year with the support of The School of Social Entrepreneurs.

What do you offer?

We have already started with the Community Medicine Making Days Once a month we meet and forage what is local to us and then transform it into herbal remedies. This is hands-on learning in an informal setting where folk can connect with plants and each other, We offer this at £20 with sliding scale and fair exchange welcome to those without finances. We will be offering quarterly Masterclasses plus starting a members Herbal Club in the autumn.

Why did you start Herbal Brue?

The plants told me too. They said folk need to reconnect with nature and themselves to heal any physical and mental illness and support the body through any trauma and upset. The world can be a hard place to negotiate yet if you can learn and identify with one or two plants life can become that little bit less of a strain and more of a pleasure. If this can be achieved by seeing what is growing on your own doorstep then we are one step closer to harmony.

Who will be interested in Herbal Brue?

Anyone who wants to put their own health into their own hands, anyone who wants to feel sensitive to the world around them and lift the malaise and disconnect of modern living, anyone who has started looking at the plants growing in their neighbourhood and wants to know more, anyone who wants to reconnect with an ancient practice in a modern world, anyone who wants connect with other like-minded folk in their community.

How can the use of herbs benefit health?

When the body suffers illness or trauma, symptoms will appear, such as sneezing with hay fever. The right herbs for the individual can get to the root of the illness and help balance the body so that is has a chance to start healing itself. Therefore, working on the cause not masking the symptom. Herbs can offer a gentle, nourishing way to find this balance. They often have no harsh side effects, are non-addictive and if you harvest and make your own medicine free. Everyone can benefit from using herbs and plants.

Find out more about Herbal Brue on Facebook, or email [email protected] for more details. The website, herbalbrue.org.uk, will be launching in August.