Many things have happened in the last three months but a return to business as usual hasn’t been one of them and nor does it look likely anytime soon.
Yet there have been welcome steps, often tentative, to restart projects and to directly reconnect with those who benefit from our work.
Thrive’s three centres have all reopened although getting to the position of welcoming people back into our gardens hasn’t been straightforward.
Risk assessments have been the watchword, resulting in new ways of operating being put in place and taken on board by client gardeners and staff alike.
Thankfully one thing hasn’t changed – the delight of clients to be back in the gardens, getting their hands in the soil and nurturing plants. Much has already been achieved on their return, assisted by some favourable weather.
Although most of our client gardeners have returned, not everyone has either due to a continuing need to shield or a change in personal circumstances.
Preventing a sense of isolation and keeping them connected with the health benefits that gardening offers is the aim of a new Thrive project.
With National Lottery funding, two horticultural therapists will be devising a therapeutic programme for those who must stay at home, combining virtual meetings with how-to guides and videos. For those without access to a garden, activities will focus on connecting with nature. Clients will work at their own pace, with regular catch-ups to monitor progress.
The project will have wider benefits too as Covid-19 continues to have an adverse impact on many people.
New content will be created for Thrive’s digital Gardening Club which was launched in lockdown and has garnered a sizeable following among those with disabilities, poor health or experiencing isolation.
Working with charities helping people with specific needs, we also aim to introduce them to the wellbeing benefits of gardening at home and connecting with nature.
We hope to report on the project and learnings from it in a future edition of Growth Point.
Meanwhile, eight months into coronavirus and studies into its effects, with relevance to our sector, are emerging and some of that research is featured in this edition.
Don’t forget if you have a project or have done a piece of work that you feel could interest the Growth Point audience, do please get in touch and it might get featured in the January edition.
Until then, enjoy the autumn.
Mark Lang
Editor
Garden access aids mental health in lockdown
People with access to a garden or nature had lower symptoms of anxiety and depression during lockdown, research has revealed.
The aim of the study was to examine whether people who maintained direct or indirect contact with outdoor spaces coped better with lockdown measures and felt fewer symptoms of poor mental health.
To do this a team from Norway, Spain and Exeter questioned 6,000 people, mainly from Spain – which had some of the strictest measures – as well as the UK and Germany.
Worries about catching or spreading coronavirus have stopped a large proportion of children from spending more time outdoors.
Nearly half of the 1,500 eight to 15-year-olds questioned in the People and Nature Survey said the virus had resulted in an impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
The importance of green spaces for people’s wellbeing during Covid-19 has been underlined by the latest data from Natural England.
July saw the highest number of adults enjoying natural environments in England since the pandemic began, following sustained month-on-month increases from April to June.
Evidence review examines health benefits of gardening
It’s one of the most common questions people working in social and therapeutic horticulture face – what is the evidence that gardening is good for health?
A new study has set out to provide a comprehensive answer, looking at the depth and breadth of available evidence for the impact of gardens and gardening on physical and mental health.
Chance to see new gardening and cooking resources aimed at learning disability
New resources developed by Thrive as part of an international project to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities will be unveiled later this month.
Educators from FE colleges and support workers are being invited to an online workshop on 25th November to have preview and feedback on what has been developed.
Improving health through nature is new 5-year priority
Fostering closer connections with nature to help improve health is a key part of a new five-year strategy unveiled by Natural England.
At the cornerstone of ambitions until 2025 is the belief that spending time in nature is essential for physical and mental health and should be accessible to everyone, regardless of abilities.
Among the commitments made is a partnership between Natural England and the National Academy for Social Prescribing to test how well nature-based programmes can help people with mild to moderate mental and physical health conditions.
Nearly 3 million people took up gardening during lockdown, according to the Horticultural Trades Association.
Getting into the garden was particularly attractive to those aged under 45, who made up 49 per cent of the newbies.
The HTA’s Garden Retail Monitor showed that sales of gardening products in June were up by a third compared to the year before.
People spending more time in the garden was reflected in August’s sales, with a 59 per cent increase in seed sales, a 51 per cent rise in gardening equipment and 29 per cent rise in bedding plants.
Mark's hospital garden to aid patient recovery
Garden designer, TV presenter and Thrive Ambassador Mark Lane is designing a therapy garden to help the recovery of intensive care patients.
Voluntary sector voices social prescribing worries
Concerns about the role and implementation of social prescribing have been uncovered in a new study gauging the views of voluntary and community organisations.
Not surprisingly, funding for organisations providing services was the major worry expressed in research by National Voices for NHS England, which heard from more than 300 people.
Training from Thrive is evolving as coronavirus continues to thwart the resumption of face-to-face learning.
We have been greatly encouraged by the response to the launch of our Social and Therapeutic Horticulture Practice blended course, offering flexible and interactive over two weeks.
‘There was great depth of content and a superb balance of learning opportunities,’ one student told us. ‘The blended style suited really well. I have learned a lot and feel confident in moving forwards. All in all, excellent value for money.’
As a result of the positive reception to this style of learning, we are developing new online courses to help you expand are your STH knowledge and skills. Look out for details in January’s Growth Point and also on our training page.
Meanwhile don’t forget existing training offerings that are still readily available.
For courses ideally suited for beginners to STH and Green Care, we have free opportunities on Thrive Learn, while Cultivating Wellbeing in Gardens and Nature explores how you can use nature as a tool for better mental and physical health.
MPs have identified that improving the mental health of prisoners is an essential step to reduce re-offending.
Bonnie Welch has been working on a Greener Prisons project at HMP Bristol and looks at the role gardening and horticulture can play to benefit inmates and wider society.
Green Care organisations in Norfolk are looking to come together to better promote their services in anticipation of rising health issues as a result of Covid-19.
Growing lettuce will be part of a new study examining the benefits of home grown food.
Academics from Liverpool, Lancaster and Cranfield universities want to find out if home growing makes people feel more secure in times of crisis, like Covid-19, and whether it improves diet and wellbeing.
A call for the improvement of outdoor facilities to help people exercise and maintain good mental health during coronavirus has been made as part of a study into the effects of the pandemic.
Councils should get more money to improve the physical environment in neighbourhoods to create safe spaces for outdoor activities, according to the Mental Health Foundation.
*Thrive is registered in the UK as The Society of Horticultural Therapy. Thrive is a registered charity number 277570 and a limited company, number 1415700.
