AN ALLOTMENT in Stratford is providing welcome therapy for people with mental health issues.
Support workers and service users at the Community Mental Health IPU (Integrated Practice Unit) team at the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust have been busy tending their allotment plot for the past three years.
The project is coordinated by support workers Tracey Pitcher, Julie McGhee and Richard Cantrill, and funded by Coffee and Chatz, the coffee shop run by volunteers at St Michael’s Hospital in Warwick.
Fellow allotment holders have also helped out with donations of plants, tools and garden furniture,
The team have breathed new life into the allotment by renovating the on site shed, 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 vegetables and have a cup tea and a few biscuits.
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.”
Community Mental Health at www.covwarkpt.nhs.uk for further details.
