Community Mental Health staff and service users grow their own '5 a day'
Our Community Mental Health IPU (Integrated Practice Unit) 11-17 team and their service users have been busy nurturing their allotment plot in Stratford recently.
The project, which is coordinated by Support Workers Tracey Pitcher, Julie McGhee and Richard Cantrill, is funded by Coffee and Chatz, a coffee shop run by volunteers within St Michael’s Hospital in Warwick.
The project has also received donations of plants, tools and garden furniture from clients, staff and other allotment holders.
The team took over the allotment three years ago and has brought it to life by renovating the shed already on site, laying turf to provide easy access to the patches and repairing the surrounding fences.
They meet once a week for a few hours to nurture the fruit and vegetablesthey have planted and have a cup tea, along with a few biscuits, sometimes even cake!
Support Worker, Richard said: “The allotment has given service users and staff the opportunity to experience the well proven health benefits of having an allotment. It’s also just as important to experience the camaraderie of working as a team.”