The Healing by Nature project is one of several initiatives set up by the Trust to encourage more nature-based approaches in mental health.
Mental health clinicians attended a training pilot earlier this year to learn more about nature-based approaches. The idea also ties in with the Trust’s clinical strategy. One of the key objectives is to deliver half of its clinical care outdoors, or in non-traditional spaces.
To showcase the work it is doing, the project held a garden party at Trevillis House in Liskeard recently.
Organisations from across the south west attended the event. They included Natural England, the Eden Project, Newquay Orchards, and Cornwall Council.
The garden party included a number of activities, including an ice bath demonstration, apple pressing and a barbecue.
Peta Temple is an advanced lived experience lead for the Trust. She runs the peer support team.
She says:
“We find things that people are skilled at and passionate about and we really try and capitalize on all of that.
“We first started our service we did an evaluation. What we learned for our particular patient group was they were either too unwell, so too high risk and engaged in too high-risk behaviours to receive a help helping program or we're not unwell enough
“You do not need a diagnosis, you do not need to be under secondary care, you do not need a referral. We exist in these spaces, and we want people to come along and join us. We do it outside, so it does not look like a medicalised solution.”
She adds:
“We did a community consultation where we had 30 different groups and members of the VCSE (Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise) come along. We spoke to the end users, then we spoke to the people who are delivering services in the community and in the NHS. And from that we've developed this plan which is the Healing by Nature site.”
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