Patients make planters at Ludlow surgery
Patients have been taking up their trowels in a new GP surgery gardening scheme to brighten up a doctor's practice.
New planters have been installed at Ludlow's Station Drive surgery – and they have been put together by the patients themselves, made by people being treated for depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.
The craftsmen and women were all referred by their GP, of mental health charity MIND, to a community carpentry workshop run by The Furniture Scheme in Lower Galdeford, and funded by Bupa.
Dr Caron Morton, partner at the Station Drive practice said the project had been a huge success.
She said: “We wanted to do something different, we wanted to see if it could be made by local people, preferably by our patients. People can drive or walk past and say ‘I helped to make that’.
“It is about community and GP practices supporting local people, it has been great to work with The Furniture Scheme and I hope it starts other businesses thinking about what they can do to get involved in the community.”
Planted in the planters are herbs such as lavender, hot and spicy oregano, thyme, marjoram, strawberry mint, french tarragon, sage and rosemary. Dr Morton said this was to help people learn more about what goes into their food and encourage young people to lead a healthy lifestyle.
The doctors will be providing scissors for young people to take a cutting and use at home and plan to install a bench, working towards a sensory garden.
Jean Jarvis, chief executive of The Furniture Scheme, said working with people with mental health challenges forms a large part of the charity's work.
She said: “People get referred to us through doctors and agencies but can self refer too. You could just walk in to one of our centres and we will do what we can to help.
“Our members are taught skills and through this they gain confidence and self esteem and can lead fuller lives.
“This is just one of a number of community projects we have done, in the past we have created planters for Ludlow in Bloom, provided new furniture for local pubs as well as restore their furniture already there and we have done work with Ludlow College for five years, upcycling furniture with design students.”
The Furniture Scheme was launched over 20 years ago as a way to ensure some of the most excluded members of the community could benefit from recycled household items.
It now runs Rockspring Community Centre in Sandford Road, Ludlow, and the Craven Arms Community Centre in Newington Way, Craven Arms.
Activities include computer courses, carpentry workshops, volunteering in the garden, a holiday scheme for young people, weekly community lunches and a choir.
