New Dorothy House and Grow for Life partnership announced
Dorothy House and local horticultural therapy charity, Grow for Life have formed an exciting partnership with the intention of increasing awareness of, and access to, therapeutic horticultural programmes and general nature connectedness in B&NES, Somerset, and Wiltshire.
The Dorothy House and Grow for Life partnership
The partnership will specifically seek to support people through grief, using social and therapeutic horticulture, and ensure cross referrals between the relevant support services offered by the two organisations.
A flourishing partnership
Grow for Life provides social and therapeutic gardening sessions for people affected by low confidence, anxiety, depression or isolation. The Walled Garden in Newton St Loe is the charity’s primary growing space, but they also host therapeutic sessions in a variety of locations across Bath. The partnership with Dorothy House now opens up a new therapeutic growing space on the Hospice grounds with two main aims:
- Encouraging people to access therapeutic horticultural programmes to support their grieving process, wellbeing and mental health
- Facilitating routes to additional information and support where appropriate
This space will be open to any patients or family members, volunteers, staff and the wider community to grow together. In turn, the allotment produce will provide nutritionally-rich foods for patients staying on the Inpatient Unit and staff working at the Winsley site.
The new Dorothy House and Grow for Life partnership is the first step in an ambition to develop further dedicated horticultural therapy projects in the future, including the Fox Hill Community Garden, in Combe Down, Bath.
James Byron, Director of Engagement & Marketing for Dorothy House said:
“We are delighted to bring together the strengths of both our organisations to better support people living in grief in our communities. The potential for people to feel less isolated, more supported whilst also boosting the wellbeing of others by growing delicious and nutritious food together is hugely exciting.”
A sustainable solution
The project will enable groups of people unified by grief to come together for a 12 week programme of therapeutic horticultural activities led by Grow for Life staff and volunteers aimed at improving their mental wellbeing. These staff and volunteers will be trained by Dorothy House to prepare them to effectively support this group.
At the end of the 12 week programme, attendees will be offered avenues to continue their volunteering with the Dorothy House Gardening Team, Firefly Volunteers and volunteer gardening opportunities known to Grow for Life, with the possibility of these individuals becoming an asset to support the gardens of people in their own communities.
Alex Eldridge, Director of Grow for Life, said:
“Grow for Life are excited to be working with Dorothy House in offering support to those on their grief journey. We have some of our existing Gardeners who have experienced bereavement, and have seen the benefits of the gentle therapy of being in a garden with community and know how beneficial this can be in helping people to make connections, build confidence and find renewed hope.”
Making death a part of life
Our vision is of a society where death is part of life; the opening up of the Winsley grounds, Firefly Woods, the Interactive Nature Trail, Bereavement Help Points and Coffee Connections alongside their Allotment, Walking and Writing Through Grief support groups are all ways in which the Hospice charity is seeking to articulate that vision.
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