About the Project
We are based at St Fagan’s National Museum of History on a Monday and Wednesday, and one day on a Tuesday at Llandough Hospital. St Fagan’s is a beautiful venue surrounded by wildlife and greenery. As well as our own garden we also support the care of specific areas in the public gardens. At Llandough Hospital we have a number of planting beds which are in a public space that can be used by patients, families and staff. Our service aims to provide a holistic approach to mental health recovery through participation in horticultural activities. We work with clients to empower and promote their active involvement in their own recovery. The service is important because it supports individuals to feel connected to a community, showing that they are valued, and it gives hope that positive change is possible.
Who do we support?
We support individuals that are impacted by mental illness. We support their emotional wellbeing by offering opportunities to engage in meaningful activities, building a sense of achievement and positive experiences. We also support additional discussions and creative activities to provide information on skills and coping strategies that might be helpful.
How do we do it?
The project involves sowing, planting, growing, weeding and general gardening activities along with arts and crafts to support our members to build peer support. As well as preparing them for volunteering opportunities or potential training or employment it provides our member with the skills to support their recovery. We recognise each person’s unique circumstances and recovery needs therefore each person’s journey will be different. We also grow a range of food items which creates a huge sense of achievement, satisfaction and community especially when items come into harvest. We have a commitment to look after a section of garden in the public spaces of St Fagan’s which has a positive community impact.
Referrals
Anyone aged 18 or over, that are residents of Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan who are impacted by poor mental health are eligible for our service. Referral sources can include: UoW Llandough, CMHTs, job centres, New Pathways, the Salvation Army, and more. If you would like to request more information or to discuss the referral process with us, please get in contact using the details above.