Garden project blossoming

Mental Health Nursing,  Jul 1999  

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

'Ferile Imaginations': an inner city allotment group.

Seller J, Fieldhouse J, Phelan M. Psychiatric Bulletin 1999; 23: 291-293.

An inner-city horticultural group for people with mental health problems is proving popular with clients and is helping to boost their confidence and communication skills.

`Fertile Imaginations', based in Hammersmith, began with an application to the local council for an allotment. The local community mental health team, which supports the project, offered an assurance that the group would always be supervised by at least one qualified mental health worker.

The plot cost L10 a year and after an outlay of less than 3oo for tools and storage, the project has received more than 40 referrals in less than two years.

The authors acknowledge that engaging people with mental illness in horticultural activities is nothing new. But, they say, 'occupational' therapy works best when it embodies purposefulness, challenge, accomplishment and satisfaction. The allotment project has these 'in abundance'.

Among the aims of the project were to diversify support into non-mental health areas, helping attenders avoid the `ghetto-isation' of mental health day care. The group also offers a `rich diversity of activities', including physical work, abstract thought, and social contact.

Early evaluation suggests the group is popular with members, allowing them a chance to meet others and make friends. Selforganised rotas for watering the plot indicates the commitment some service users are prepared to make to the project, the authors conclude.

Copyright Community Psychiatric Nurses Association Jul 1999
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved