Promoting Community Health and Wellbeing
The Red and Green Practice in Hythe and Blackfield are prescribing a different type of treatment for their patients – the Healthy Haven Garden.
After receiving a kind donation to their charity, the Friends of Red and Green, the practice decided that it should be used for the benefit of the patients and the idea of the Healthy Haven Garden began.
A garden designed to be accessible by patients both young and old. With hardstanding suitable for mobility aids and raised beds that can be reached from a wheelchair, the garden also includes sensory areas and fruit trees creating a calming environment.
The area behind the GP practice in Hythe was just a lawn and not utilised so the practice thought it would be a great place to increase social activity.
There is good evidence that ‘green care’ in the form of social and therapeutic horticulture can enhance mental wellbeing by reducing anxiety and stress through increased contact with nature; there are social benefits of group activity by helping people contribute something positive in their community.
The Healthy Haven Garden was established in 2019 to provide a facility that could be used by the Practice and the local community to encourage physical and mental wellbeing, through learning gardening skills and promoting gardening as a means of exercise.
Building the garden
The garden was established in 2019. The practice chose Fairweather’s Landscapes in Beaulieu, a local company to carry out the design and build of the garden.
It took many weeks for the groundwork to be completed and the borders to be created, but it was amazing to see the changes as the weeks went by.
It was now time to hand the garden over to the volunteers to transform the landscape even further with creative planting ideas and many hours of hard work and dedication to make the garden how it is today. One of the key volunteers during this phase was Christine Bennett, who was a long standing garden volunteer that also raised funds to purchase plants, garden furniture and the summerhouse.
Once the plans for the garden were agreed, the contractors moved on to the site to undertake the construction work and planting before it was handed over to the garden volunteers.
The Health Haven Garden was officially opened in May 2019 by Red and Green's longest serving staff member, of 40 years, Brenda.
The garden is looking so lovely this year, thanks to our team of volunteers.
Please call by and visit the garden during the week, it is open for visitors every day.
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If you would like to become a volunteer for the garden please contact the
Health and Wellbeing team and they will pass your details onto the Volunteer Lead.
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The Healthy Haven Garden wouldn't survive without the time and effort
that all the volunteers kindly devote to maintain the garden.
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The Red and Green practice very much appreciate all the volunteers
that give their time to make the garden such a beautiful place for
our patients and staff members.
Some of the volunteers that give their time to the garden.
On Monday 12th August 2024 the Red and Green practice held a special lunch in the Healthy Haven Garden as a way of saying thank you to all the volunteers who dedicate their time and efforts into keeping our garden looking so amazing!
With thanks to Hythe and Dibden Youth Football Club, we are very pleased to announce that the Healthy Haven Garden won the category for Best Dressed Scarecrow in the recent Hythe Scarecrow Festival. The Healthy Haven volunteers had a lot of fun making ‘Gerald’ and he is looking very proud of himself!
Other things that go on in the garden ...
Living After Loss
Beyond Bereavement
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The Living After Loss support group meet in the garden every Thursday, for a relaxing afternoon with tea and snacks, from 2pm to 4pm, throughout June, July and August.
The Living After Loss support group helps people through what can be for some the hardest time of their lives.
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For those people who would value a safe space to talk, they provide counselling support or therapeutic chat.
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For further information: www.LivingAfterLoss.co.uk or telephone: 02380196643 or 07578 838393