Shining A Light On Andy - GreenHouse Participant From Our Waltham Forest Allotment
At GreenHouse - we believe that everyone can benefit from being in nature. We use nature as a tool to improve mental health and overall quality of life.
We co-develop with participants a diverse range of activities reflective of the different interests and capacities people have; from walking in nature, to garden maintenance, to food growing, camping and outdoor cooking on open fires.
Recently we had the opportunity to shine a light on Andy, a GreenHouse Project participant at one of our North London Allotments.
The GreenHouse Project was asked to present to Bupa, one of our main funders. Andy was joined by Lorena, our GreenHouse Project North & East London Coordinator and Agata, our Head of Fundraising, to chat with Bupa about the positive impact the GreenHouse session has had on his mental health and wellbeing.
Andy has been an active participant at the Waltham Forest Allotment, attending weekly sessions since its inception in May 2021.
In a story written earlier this year by Julia, Waltham Forest Allotment Session Lead, Andy shared:
“Since I first began coming to the allotment it’s been very therapeutic, relaxing, calm and very useful as I learned a new skill every time I showed up on Wednesday. I find it breaks my week to keep me busy and I enjoy the fresh air and the tasks we are free to choose what we would like to do on the day. It is not down to the one individual, it is a group effort and we all get stuck into the tasks, as it is a team effort. If anyone else is interested in coming along you will find we are a very friendly group and there is no pressure to perform miracles just do your best on the day. I would just like to say a big thank you to Julia, all the group who are involved in the allotment and not forgetting all the staff at Harmony Hall and also everyone who attends Harmony Hall as I have found everybody to be very helpful and kind.”
Andy, Julia & Ayesha at Waltham Forest Allotment
GreenHouse Project offers weekly sessions across both Young People and Adult Service Users, within SHP Greenspaces as well as community & public gardens, parks and nature.
We work to ensure barriers to connecting with nature are removed for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
We create safe spaces in nature; providing opportunities for people to be a part of group activities and to meet new people, reducing social isolation.
Engaging in green activity is therapeutic and supports the processing of trauma; assisting people to be present, self-soothe, nurture life and grow, learn and move forward.
We caught up with Maria, one of our Recovery Opportunity Coordinators who supports Andy through our East London Mental Health Service. She shared:
Thank you for sending the gifts from the BUPA foundation and the thoughtful card, Andy was really chuffed when he received the parcel. He was also very surprised at the gift as he went to the panel without any expectations and he just wanted to “help out of the goodness of his heart" as he said, so he was really touched by this. He has made amazing progress and it's been beautiful to see how he blossomed through his involvement at the allotment and general ELMS Day Programme.
Since attending regular sessions at the Waltham Forest Allotment, Andy is now doing a Level 1 in Horticulture at OrganicLea and participated in an Ecopsychology Day, with seven SHP Residents earlier this Summer.
We look forward to catching up with Andy again, and to hear about how his Horticulture Course is coming along and how his participation in the GreenHouse sessions has enriched the Allotment. Upon hearing about this story - Lorena shared:
We were so grateful that Andy wanted to come to a fundraising meeting with BUPA. I want to say a huge thank you to Andy for taking time out of his day to come and help us present what we do and talk about his personal experiences –Andy we wish you all the best in the horticulture course and whatever you might decide to do next.
Blog by Lorena, Maria & Erin of the GreenHouse + Opportunities Team
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