As a GP, a keen gardener and a trainee in Garden Design, I have long been aware of the benefits that come from gardening and horticulture for both myself and my own well-being, but more importantly for that of my patients.
There has been a rapid growth in the wider use of gardening to maintain mental and physical well-being for many people over the last few years. Moreover, there has also been a steady growth in recent years of organisations across the UK that provide social and therapeutic horticulture for service users.
People living with mental health problems, physical health problems, sensory impairments, learning disabilities, and a range of other problems including loneliness and isolation are all increasingly able to access help, support and camaraderie through these organisations. They also provide huge benefits for those that work for them – often giving their time and expertise on a voluntary basis.
The problem that I encountered as a GP was that I was unaware of what was available in my area. Often, I’d come across these organisations in a rather haphazard way – perhaps visiting a garden in the National Garden Scheme or as an affiliate of the Royal Horticultural Society, and only then understanding the role they could offer my patients – either to be service users, or to work as volunteers. I’d often find an amazing charity and blog about it – but was both sad that local GPs were unaware of its existence, and frustrated that the benefits were available to such a small localised population.
So, with social prescribing booming – and actively encouraged by the UK Government – there seemed to me to be a lack of coordination and publication of these activities to social prescribers, health and social care workers and the public.
Scotland has a brilliant map-based publicly visible directory on the Trellis website, but there was nothing to cover the remainder of the home nations.
This website is my attempt to address this need and I hope that people can use it primarily to find out what services are available in any given locality within the UK. I also hope that the organisations themselves may be able to use it as a means of networking and liaising with like-minded horticulturalists.
The Directory is dynamic and I am always looking for contributors to help ensure details of services are up to date. To help me with the project, please visit the site and use the form on the contact page.
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Richard Claxton is the Founder of Gardening4Health.
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