When the North Mersey Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) decided to transform their outdoor space, they never dreamt of the impact it would have – or that the journey would be supported, documented and broadcast to millions by BBC Two’s Your Garden Made Perfect expert team.

The mental health benefits of green, fresh outdoor spaces have long been known, with the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrating the benefits of having a garden more than ever.

GMMH’s North Mersey CMHT knew their overgrown outdoor space at Kingslea House had untapped potential, and with the COVID-19 pandemic bringing new challenges – including limited capacity in their indoor seating areas, increased isolation for vulnerable service users, and fewer chances to safely bring people together to take part in fun activities – they decided they could wait no longer.

During the pandemic, Captain Sir Tom Moore amazed the nation by raising a huge £38.9 million (including gift aid) for NHS Charities. GMMH was given a proportion of this funding, and opened up the opportunity for staff across the Trust to bid for chunks of the funding to implement creative initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of service users, staff and/or volunteers.

North Mersey CMHT successfully bid for a small portion of the Sir Captain Tom funding to transform their garden into a greener, more welcoming space, that could be used and enjoyed by service users, staff and the wider community.

Jenny Massie, Consultant Psychiatrist at GMMH’s North Mersey CMHT said:

“People who visit our team often have difficulties with anxiety and distress, and there’s good evidence that contact with nature can help people move from states of high distress to more positive emotional ones. We wanted to make sure that people who come to Kingslea House feel as relaxed as possible, so they can feel comfortable talking about the sorts of things they want help with.

“It was also important to us to stay connected with our local community, and provide a pleasant, green haven for neighbours in our mostly urban area. We wanted the garden to bring people together safely, and thought a regular gardening group would be a great way to do so, at a time when lots of therapeutic activities in the local area had been paused.”

The team knew they wanted a beautiful, interactive garden, but didn’t quite know where to start, so they decided they needed to enlist the help of an expert, and applied to be a part of season two of BBC Two’s Your Garden Made Perfect – and, quite unexpectedly, they were successful.

Your Garden Made Perfect’s expert community garden designer, Tayshan Hayden-Smith, was tasked with working with the mental health team to design and create a green outdoor space which was visually appealing, therapeutic and social.

The garden transformation was a real cross-team effort, and also brought individuals and services from across the Trust together. Elizabeth Scantlebury, Wellbeing Therapist at GMMH’s Recovery Pathways service, joined the project to design a feature mural which the whole team could contribute to.

Elizabeth Scantlebury, Wellbeing Tutor at Studio One, part of GMMH’s Recovery Pathways service said:

“I wanted to design something that represented hope, community, and tranquillity. To show people they could feel safe as soon as they stepped foot in the garden.

“Art has an amazing ability to help people channel their emotions, and improve overall health and wellbeing. For me, it’s as much about the process of creating as it is enjoying the final piece. Getting messy, bouncing ideas off each other, changing the plan when it started to rain(!) was all part of it – a fantastic way to unwind, and enjoy the present moment.”

Over just five days – the team worked in rain and shine to make the design a reality – closely documented by the BBC camera crew.

The result was an amazing garden, which included seating areas – for people to wait for appointments, get together and chat, or just take in the greenery – alongside a water feature, wild ‘stepping stones’, raised beds, ‘succulent frames’ and of course, the community mural, complete with a thank you message for Sir Captain Tom.

Both the process and the end result have seen amazing benefits for staff, service users and the wider community.

Rachel Clarke, Advanced Clinical Practitioner at GMMH’s North Mersey CMHT said:

“Our garden has gone from a place you’d walk straight past, to a place you want to sit and enjoy the quiet. It’s a diverse space for people to relax, spend some time in nature, or catch up over a cup of tea. Our service users have really benefitted from having the option to wait for their appointments there, and sometimes they even stay for just that bit longer once they’ve finished!

“It has brought everyone together. Now we have a lovely place to eat lunch, and we have started a regular gardening group which has been so much fun. We get so many compliments from our neighbours too, and it’s definitely been a great way to attract local wildlife and support conservation efforts.

“After all the challenges the pandemic has brought, it’s not just a garden, it’s been a real tonic during difficult times.”

One service user at GMMH’s North Mersey CMHT, who would like to remain anonymous said:

“Waiting for an appointment is much improved now. It’s made a lovely difference to be able to sit outside in the garden on the benches instead of inside in a waiting room. Especially when it’s nice weather! It makes me smile when I go to Kingslea House now.”

Another service user, who would like to remain anonymous said:

“It is so bright and colourful! If I am early for an appointment I can sit outside and enjoy the garden now. It lifts my mood, and I imagine that it cheers others up to. Thank you to all the contributors – it is much appreciated!”

The North Mersey CMHT’s episode of Your Garden Made Perfect was broadcast on 18 February 2022, and can be watched on demand, for a limited time, on BBC iPlayer via the following link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00144j3/your-garden-made-perfect-series-2-3-debi-and-des.

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