New gardening therapy project 1/8/11
A new community gardening therapy project in the Western Isles has been awarded a £37,383 grant to get established.
The Social and Horticultural Project (SHP), run under the auspices of island care group Tagsa Uibhist, aims to use the therapeutic value of growing plants to help people with mental health issues.
Island volunteers are also being sought to help develop the initial stages of the initiative.
Participants are taught practical skills and the group also offers consuelling. An
outreach worker will work in partnership with two horticultural co-
A Tagsa Uibhist spokesperson welcomed the funding from the community-
She said it provides an opportunity for “people wanting to grow fruit, vegetables, shrubs and flowers from seed, without necessarily taking on a plot of their own.”
People could be taught gardening skills or “just come along and do a bit of digging or pottering in a social environment.
She added: “Our vision is to create a place to either garden independently or work
alongside others on horticultural projects to inspire and develop individual feelings
of well-
Project co-