Businesses and local people have been helping young people create a colourful patio garden at a mental health ward.
The garden is outside the Poplar Therapeutic Education Department, which provides education for teenagers receiving care at Poplar Child and Adolescent Mental Health ward at Rochford Hospital. The service is run by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) and provides care for teenagers aged 13 to 18.
Over the last few months, the young people have been growing plants and vegetables, including tomato plants which they use in their cooking sessions.
Perrywood, a family garden centre business, recently donated £500 to the gardening project as part of a £10,000 charitable initiative to celebrate its 70th year of trading.
Poplar staff also held a plant sale at the hospital for staff and visitors, raising more than £60 to buy more gardening equipment and plants.
The patio garden is the latest development in the ward’s gardening club project.
Custom Group Ltd, a Derbyshire-based company that supplies curtains and blinds for EPUT’s inpatient wards, donated money last year to the project. The money was used to buy items for the main garden, including plants, beanbags, outdoor games and equipment.
Acting Headteacher Charlotte Baulch said: “Gardening is a lovely way for our young people to learn something new and boost their wellbeing.
“It is known to help improve people’s mental health and the gardens are becoming a lovely area for our young people and everyone visiting the school and ward to enjoy.”
Gardening is just one of the therapeutic and educational activities provided. The young patients also enjoy arts and crafts and music, and many find themselves nurturing new hobbies.