Space to Grow Project
Donation protected
This is a bit long but please bare with me and see it through to the end...
Those of you closest to me know a fair bit of this already but I hope for those of you who don't it will explain why this is so close to my heart.
I was diagnosed with complex trauma PTSD a few years ago. For years I hid this from everyone and tried to appear "normal". I struggled internally to find someone to trust enough to tell my story to. To find a way to trust. To open up. To believe I could heal. In my darkest moments I wanted to die. I tried to take my own life on multiple occasions. I couldn't see a future in which I would ever be able to reconcile the pain I was carrying around with me.
Becoming involved with The Space to Grow project at Huntlyburn was a pivotal moment in my life. People had just begun to see the possibilities of therapeutic horticulture as a vessel for positive mental health change and growth when I was admitted to the ward. The nurses saw my love for the outdoors and nature and were able to use this as a bridge to gain my trust. And bit by bit I began to open up. As the shoots of the plants grew in the greenhouse that we had fundraised for, so too did I grow. I learnt to trust again. To open up. To feel safe within this nurturing environment. I began to heal. 5 years on from my first admission to the ward I am thriving for the first time in my life. I am now a qualified nurse myself. I stood and spoke about the positive benefits of therapeutic horticulture at the Trellis Foundation this year and had the pleasure of meeting Jim McColl who was very supportive of the project, as was Carol Klein who came to visit the site last year whilst she was at the local book festival. This project gave me the strength I needed to change my life. And for many others it has also been a catalyst for positive change and engagement with services. And for that I will be forever grateful.
The Space to Grow project received lottery funding to landscape what is essentially a field on a slope with a greenhouse and a couple of sheds, into a horticultural space that people can spend time in, and whilst extremely generous it is unlikely to be enough to complete the project. The "garden" is envisaged as being a communal space with sweeping paths that are wheelchair accessible, quiet places to sit and contemplate the sounds of the garden, areas to grow flowers, vegetables and fruits, a polytunnel in which fresh fruit and vegetables could be grown for the hospital to use in the kitchen, and sheds for storing the tools and garden equipment in. I can see a future where this garden could be used in the holistic treatment of many conditions, not just mental health. Gentle gardening as exercise for cardiac rehabilitation after a heart attack. Macmillan cancer support groups for post cancer patients building up their stamina post surgery or chemotherapy. Healthy living classes for patients trying to lose weight where they can come and help in the gardens in exchange for fresh fruit and vegetables. Mindfulness classes for patients with depression and anxiety to reconnect with nature. Physiotherapy classes outside in the fresh air on the grass lawns. Dementia walks in the wildflower meadows. The possibilities are endless once the space is complete. We anticipate there being a shortfall in funding, so whilst the hard landscaping will be completed, the planting and soft finishings that will 'make' this project will not be able to be completed as things stand.
So I'm looking for some help to get this project completed. I am a true believer in holistic care for patients and I feel that this project has the potential to offer something special to patients from all sorts of backgrounds and undergoing all kinds of treatments. We have the opportunity to be trailblazers. Thank you.
Those of you closest to me know a fair bit of this already but I hope for those of you who don't it will explain why this is so close to my heart.
I was diagnosed with complex trauma PTSD a few years ago. For years I hid this from everyone and tried to appear "normal". I struggled internally to find someone to trust enough to tell my story to. To find a way to trust. To open up. To believe I could heal. In my darkest moments I wanted to die. I tried to take my own life on multiple occasions. I couldn't see a future in which I would ever be able to reconcile the pain I was carrying around with me.
Becoming involved with The Space to Grow project at Huntlyburn was a pivotal moment in my life. People had just begun to see the possibilities of therapeutic horticulture as a vessel for positive mental health change and growth when I was admitted to the ward. The nurses saw my love for the outdoors and nature and were able to use this as a bridge to gain my trust. And bit by bit I began to open up. As the shoots of the plants grew in the greenhouse that we had fundraised for, so too did I grow. I learnt to trust again. To open up. To feel safe within this nurturing environment. I began to heal. 5 years on from my first admission to the ward I am thriving for the first time in my life. I am now a qualified nurse myself. I stood and spoke about the positive benefits of therapeutic horticulture at the Trellis Foundation this year and had the pleasure of meeting Jim McColl who was very supportive of the project, as was Carol Klein who came to visit the site last year whilst she was at the local book festival. This project gave me the strength I needed to change my life. And for many others it has also been a catalyst for positive change and engagement with services. And for that I will be forever grateful.
The Space to Grow project received lottery funding to landscape what is essentially a field on a slope with a greenhouse and a couple of sheds, into a horticultural space that people can spend time in, and whilst extremely generous it is unlikely to be enough to complete the project. The "garden" is envisaged as being a communal space with sweeping paths that are wheelchair accessible, quiet places to sit and contemplate the sounds of the garden, areas to grow flowers, vegetables and fruits, a polytunnel in which fresh fruit and vegetables could be grown for the hospital to use in the kitchen, and sheds for storing the tools and garden equipment in. I can see a future where this garden could be used in the holistic treatment of many conditions, not just mental health. Gentle gardening as exercise for cardiac rehabilitation after a heart attack. Macmillan cancer support groups for post cancer patients building up their stamina post surgery or chemotherapy. Healthy living classes for patients trying to lose weight where they can come and help in the gardens in exchange for fresh fruit and vegetables. Mindfulness classes for patients with depression and anxiety to reconnect with nature. Physiotherapy classes outside in the fresh air on the grass lawns. Dementia walks in the wildflower meadows. The possibilities are endless once the space is complete. We anticipate there being a shortfall in funding, so whilst the hard landscaping will be completed, the planting and soft finishings that will 'make' this project will not be able to be completed as things stand.
So I'm looking for some help to get this project completed. I am a true believer in holistic care for patients and I feel that this project has the potential to offer something special to patients from all sorts of backgrounds and undergoing all kinds of treatments. We have the opportunity to be trailblazers. Thank you.
Organizer
Francesca Rychel
Organizer
