A group of gardeners came to the rescue of a woman’s unruly garden as part of scheme designed to bring lonely men together.

When Karolyn Taylor moved into her new house in Kirby Road, Stone, five years ago the garden was a mess.

It took Miss Taylor, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, two years to clear the garden.

She said: “When we first moved in, there was no fencing along the side and the back fence was just chicken wire overgrown with brambles.

“The grass lifted up like a carpet, there were toys, shoes and even a decorated Christmas tree underneath it.”

Miss Taylor’s illness has left her unable to work and doing up her garden kept her occupied during the day.

She managed to put up a fence and laid some paving but when she hurt her knee she could no longer continue the work, and started to think she would never have a garden.

But a chance meeting with Emily Bovington put her in touch with Dartford Men’s Shed – a scheme set up to bring together men in order to help address problems such as anger management and mental health issues.

The group has set up a number of ‘sheds’ across the county dedicated to different pastimes and industries, including gardening, interior decorating, woodwork, angling, and even boat restoration.

Volunteer Darren Riley, 40, Dartford Men’s Shed team leader who works for Groundworks South in Gravesend, said: “We’d rather help somebody than sit on our backsides and watch TV. This is much more satisfying.

“We’ve all got mental health issues and seeing the effect our help has on people, helps us to deal with our own problems.”

The team of 12 have been working on rotation in the garden for four weeks and should be finished in another two – they are all volunteers who work during the week so only able to help at the weekend.

Mr Riley added: “This has only been made possible by a Kent County Council members grant from Peter Harman.”

Cllr Harman represents Swanscombe and Greenhithe. The grant of £250 has helped towards costs, tools and equipment.

Dartford mayor, Cllr Ian Armitt, has visited to see the scheme up close.

He said: “It’s fantastic work that they do, supporting those that really need the help.

“Karolyn would never be able to manage the garden without the raised beds.”

Julie Cowdry, Kent Sheds project officer, said: “We have 19 ‘sheds’ in Kent now and we have lots of interesting people coming to share their stories, encouraging others to get involved in sheds, and really its just a celebration of how brilliant it is.

“Proving their success is just listening to the men’s stories.

“We have men who say they haven’t stepped outside of their house and now they have got something to do.

“They feel they have got a sense of worth – I’m privileged to be able to hear all their stories. We want to try and bring men together. Men are very reluctant to go to GPs, sort out their own health and wellbeing.

“But by bringing them together with a common interest, they end up providing support work for one another. They address their own issues without even realising their doing so.

“Men are never going to just sit around a table and express their feelings, but working alongside one another seems to work.”