Innovation Fund recipient Horticultural Therapy Trust updates us on their recent work
We recently received a lovely message from Deb Hoskin, Project Manager at the Horticultural Therapy Trust (HTT), updating us on their recent work at the Penlee Valley Allotment in Plymouth. HTT is a small charity which offers nature-based therapy sessions to help facilitate improved mental health and holistic wellbeing in participants, many of whom experience severe mental ill health. We awarded the organisation a small grant from our Innovation Fund earlier this year to support its work.
Deb’s message reads as follows:
“Horticultural Therapy Trust HTT would like to say a big thank you to the Devon Mental Health Alliance Innovation Fund, for enabling us to be able to run a Friday session weekly for 6 months. Across all the sessions, the aim was to improve our soil health for now and the future good, and learn together as we did so.
“Here are a few quotes from some of our recent participants:”
“Soil really is the centre of life, and we have made such a difference. Look at the foods we have grown, but look at the soil — our soil!”
“I find it really interesting to learn about the microorganisms ... Science now shows how when we take these microorganisms into our bodies when we eat the fresh, organic, microorganism-rich foods we grow here, in the soil we have cared for, we become healthier too. These can also affect our mental health — literally, the brain. I look forward to learning more.”
“My mental health is better being in nature.”
“I feel more at home after being at HTT ... my mental health is better when I am there. It helps me keep going. I love cooking with the produce and making up new recipes. It’s delicious.”
“These photos show, we think, the health of our soil. Look at the size of the sunflowers, the bean plants, the radish, and look at our soil! We don’t stand on it or compact it, and where the potatoes were dug for instance we pre-sowed green manures. The potatoes were really good! Our purple potatoes were fantastic — purple mash!
“We look forward to learning more together. It has been fun and also really supported improved in mental health for at least 30 participants, with recognisable changes. We were so glad to have grown so much food that we were regularly able to share excess with Provide Plymouth and Keyham Green Place.”
Find out more about HTT in our original post about their grant »