Gardening for Wellbeing
Chaplain, Laura Gilmour, at Strathcarron Hospice on Nature based Staff Wellbeing Initiatives…
This summer Laura Gilmour, Chaplain at Strathcarron Hospice in Denny has been encouraging staff to engage with the beautiful surroundings of the Hospice as part of a new staff well being initiative. The ‘Wellbeing Wall’ was previously an unused part of the grounds which was overgrown and unloved. Over the summer staff at the Hospice were issued with an open invitation of join a weekly gardening session aimed at fostering connections between groups of staff and offering opportunities to engage with chaplaincy support, as well as encouraging them to get outside in the fresh air during breaktimes.
Laura says:
“Getting outside in the fresh air, among trees and nature has long been known to have positive effects on wellbeing. In a Hospice, where staff are primarily focussed on the needs of the dying, planting seeds and nurturing seedings offered a great opportunity to focus on life and on hope for the future.”
The Wellbeing Wall, saw staff bring in seedlings which they had nurtured in their own gardens to plant in the wall to brighten up the previously unused space. Plants ranges from vegetables, herbs as well as flowers and bulbs. It is hoped that the Wellbeing Wall becomes an ongoing project, driven by the staff community of the Hospice, which will flourish year on year.
The initiative sparked a sister project, the Community Garden, in which an unused patio space, accessible to patient families and staff was planted up with beautiful flowers, new wheelchair accessible raised beds and picnic benches. The spruced-up space has been enjoyed by staff and patients alike the whole summer. Plans are already afoot for 2025 with a new working group to consider staff proposals for further green fingered projects.
