A GREEN-FINGERED charity has created Solihull’s first ‘outdoor surgery’ for young people suffering mental illness.
Community interest company Gro-Organic has transformed what was a redundant and overgrown allotment into what its calling a ‘Good Mood Garden’.
The garden – created in partnership with the NHS – is intended to help treat young adults with a first diagnosis of mental ill-health.
They can work with a number of community support groups, do mindfulness sessions, light exercise and horticultural therapy – as well as improving their chances to make friends and meet new people.
The garden’s summer house has been kitted out as a consultation room for one-to-ones where doctors and specialist support services can work with patients in a relaxed and comfortable setting.
The official opening of the Good Mood Garden on July 4 saw over 60 people attend.
Community groups, doctors, mental health practitioners, and even the local community centre joined in the celebrations with other allotment holders.
Also on show at the opening was an electric van for Gro-Organic, provided by project partners National Grid.
Gro-Organic project manager Anna Allen: “The Good Mood Garden is an excellent space which could not have been developed without National Grid Metering’s generosity and passion for their community.
“The development of the Good Mood Garden will support hundreds of vulnerable young adults every year who are suffering with a mental health condition, giving them the best opportunity to relax and recover.”
National Grid head of electric vehicles Martin Cook said: “As part of our partnership with Gro-Organic, the Electric Vehicle Development team has provided the charity with an electric van.
“This will be used by the landscaping team in their community projects, and also used to distribute fresh vegetables to Solihull’s most vulnerable residents.
“Not only will Gro-Organic be providing all the great community service that they do today – now they will also be contributing to lowering the UK’s carbon footprint.”
