Here are the details of our training day...

‘Digging for Health’ Training Day

Monday 28^th March 2011 9.30am – 3.30pm

The Community Room,

Sandringham Court (Magna Housing),

Dorchester, DT1 2BL

PROGRAMME OUTLINE

Coffee will be available from 9.30am, with the training starting at 10am.  There will be a very flexible approach to the day, which will include the following:

·         Introductions and aims of the day

·         Thrive and Social and Therapeutic Horticulture

·         The benefits of gardening                      

·         The role of the activity provider

·         Safety consideration and adaptations

·         Making tasks inclusive and achievable

·         Support and information

·         Self-assessment tools

·         Conclusions and questions

We've lost our wheelbarrow...

...well, not quite lost it. But the guy in the next allotment came along and claimed it as his. Hmmm.

Apart from that, the sun was almost shining today, which is why we were at the allotment and the three of us put in about 6 man hours, MJ (still co-ordinated and in his Yak Hat), did a good job levelling the ground around the shed, so that it is ready to receive the grass mats when they arrive (early next week I think); James and I spent our time digging ground a couple of rows wide, removing about a bag of couch grass roots. Bob will be along next Tuesday to plant up the rows with pototoes.

Here's a couple of pics - James collecting couch roots, MJ contemplating a hummock.

Well, Bob did say he wasn't Steven Speilberg....

Here is a short video, shot by Bob 'Well, I'm not Speilberg!' Christian, showing the plot, one frosty morning (well today actually), just before the shed went up.

And here is another one, the shed in construction:

It was a big day down on the allotment...

Well, it was a bit late, but it turned up eventually. Now we have somewhere to store the tools, drink tea and shelter from the rain. Looks good, doesnt it!

New ideas...

I had a useful and constructive chat today with Gwynne James, an occupational therapist (OT) and lecturer at Bournemouth University, who has agreed to become our informal 'Consultant' to the project. She brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge with working on horticultural therapy projects. We talked about many things, including the possibility of 'Digging for Health' being the focus of undergraduate OT placement and the subject of research studies. We also talked about an existing horticultural therapy project (clicky link), and noticed that it had been awarded a Green Gym licence (another clicky link) and had obtained funding from EcoMinds (yet another clicky link) who have produced a report on the values of ecotherapy (that's the last clicky link for now). I've contacted the BTCV (who run the Green Gym licence scheme) to see if there might be any scope in us pursuing the idea of a licence.

Why can't we be on the radio?

Today's Gardener's Question Time (Friday) answered the usual gardener's questions, but also went on to describe the Prudhow Community Allotment, a therapeutic garden. If you want to see a few pics, or listen to the program, go here (although I don't know how long this link will be live). For a more detailed look at the Prudhoe Community Allotment, have a look here. Phenomenally successful project! This picture has been borrowed from this website (hope thats OK?).

What has Japanese poetry got to do with allotments?

At a recent short creative writing course, we were doing exercises in writing haiku, short Japanese poems that follow a three-line, 5-7-5 syllable format. One of the students, Hattie, who is also linked to this allotment project and will be writing a Masters degree thesis on the values of horticultural therapy, wrote the following haiku (thanks Hattie!), that describes the project and what we are trying to achieve. I think its rather good, what do you think:

Your eyes remain black.
Spring sun shines onto your wheels,
the seeds are growing.