Keith based charity REAP moves therapeutic garden to The Oaks Unit after receiving £63,000 in National Lottery funding
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A KEITH charity has moved to a new venue following a huge funding boost.
REAP (Rural Environmental Action Project) had been operating their therapeutic gardening project from Elgin's Maryhill Medical Practice but have now moved to a new home at The Oaks Palliative Care Unit on Morrison Road, after receiving £63,000 of funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.
Sarah Collins, Therapeutic Gardener at REAP said: "Our previous garden site was at Maryhill Medical Practice in Elgin and due to its expansion, there was no longer space for us to continue our therapeutic garden there. So our participants, volunteers and previous staff worked very hard to move a whole garden over to our new site at The Oaks.
"The Oaks is a wonderful palliative day centre with a large outdoor space and they were kind enough to offer a space there for us to home the therapeutic garden. This way, people visiting The Oaks can also enjoy the beauty and therapeutic benefits that community-created gardens offer.
"With the new funding we are currently focussing on the top plot of garden we have re-homed a lot of plants from Maryhill there and are establishing a food forest, herbs, fruit trees and ornamental plants. Later, we also plan to establish a sensory garden, in the lower plot, very near the day room of the OAKS, to provide a welcoming space to enjoy the beauty of the garden through all senses."
The aim of therapeutic gardening is to improve mental, physical and emotional wellbeing through gardening and socialising in a peaceful outdoor environment.
Participants of REAP's Therapeutic Garden Project are referred through Health and Social Care and meet on a weekly basis to take part in gardening projects, indoor cooking and craft activities.
Sarah added: "It has been amazing to work with everyone here and to create a thriving garden and see how uplifted we all are at the end of a gardening session.
"We hope to continue to secure funding in the future so that this therapeutic garden can continue to be a resource and space for people to come and connect with nature through gardening, work together as a community and feel better through support and purpose as well as contributing to making the OAKS facility even more beautiful."
More information about the therapeutic garden and how to get involved can be found on REAP Scotland’s website.
Professionals who would like to refer patients to the service can also contact Sarah directly at sarah@reapscotland.org.uk.
