Gardening is a popular activity for many of the people we support.
Not only does gardening increase physical exercise, but it can also help to improve wellbeing. People learn new skills and foster a sense of accomplishment.
We’re shining a spotlight on our green-fingered horticulturalists, celebrating their achievements, and asking them what it is they love about gardening. The benefits go beyond just growing plants and flowers.
SR is a person we support at our Endurance Care Deal & Hythe supported living services. He is a very keen gardener and worked with his dad for many years, running their own gardening business.
SR volunteers for Macmillan Cancer Support once a week as a gardener for people in the local area.
He has also won awards from the local area association for doing a brilliant job of maintaining the garden where he lives.
We asked SR what it is he loves about gardening:
“I love helping others and gardening gives me good memories of working with my Dad.”
RW is a star chef and horticulturist at our Highlea Care supported living services in North East England.
He has an infectious passion for both gardening and cooking, which he rolls into one by growing his produce in the garden to cook and bake with.
He even adapts his recipes for those with special dietary requirements, including gluten intolerance.
RW has created an impressive space ‘for all senses’ as he believes a good garden should include things we can all see, smell, touch, hear, and taste.
Gardening club at 8 Acres residential service empowers the people we support to work together as a team and learn new skills, improves nutrition with easy access to homegrown fruits and vegetables, and above all, have fun:
"I love growing the potatoes, they are very yummy. Mum likes to hear that I have been planting and growing things."
"I really enjoy seeing my friends when going to gardening club and working together. Julie always makes us smile and laugh when gardening club happens."
"Gardening is my favourite thing to do. I love keeping all the plants and vegetables watered. I really look forward to this every month. Julie, our activity coordinator, really helps with this."
National Care Group is one of the UK’s leading adult social care providers. We support adults with learning disabilities, mental health diagnoses, acquired brain injuries, and autistic people, with services across England and Wales.
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