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In touch with the earth
- Authors:
- SEMPIK Joe, ALDRIDGE Jo, BECKER Saul
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Today, September 2005, pp.23-26.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
This article reports on a study funded by the Big Lottery Fund and conducted by a team from Loughborough University in partnership with the charity Thrive, which aimed to explore the benefits for vulnerable people of organised gardening activities operating under the umbrella of social and therapeutic horticulture (STH). A total of 24 of the 911 STH projects on Thrive's database were contacted for evaluation. Of the 24 projects, 13 included people with mental health problems in their client group. A total of 137 clients participated in the study, of these 49 had mental health problems. Twenty-four project leaders and managers also participated in the research, and 36 other paid staff. This article discusses the findings from the interviews in the areas of: nature, freedom and space; social networks; social inclusion; employment; physical activity and well-being; self-confidence and self esteem.