The ‘Feel Good, De Stress, Grow Veggies’ project promoted mental health and wellbeing by assisting the community to develop skills to grow food both together and at home, receive training in mental health skills and improve safe access to their garden.
COVID-19 restrictions throughout the project resulted in fewer participants than planned, however the project was still able to conduct weekly working bees, Mental Health First Aid Training workshops, various workshops on topics such as Worm Farming, Tool Maintenance and a two-part Therapeutic Horticulture course, open days and the completion of works that improved access to the garden.
The weekly working bees and assorted workshops provided a place for community members to come together, reducing the impacts of social isolation particularly throughout COVID-19 restrictions.
Some of the workshops experienced number restrictions however Project Lead, Kerrin Pollock, said that participants commented that they still appreciated the chance to come together and the opportunity to learn something new.
Feedback from various workshops and events included:
- "I've learned so much today and now I know what we'll be doing when we get home - we need to make some changes to the worm farms!" - Participant of the Worm Farming Workshop
- "Being able to learn these skills on my own tools has made it all seem so easy. I'm going to go home and clean the rest of my tools." - Participant from the Tool Maintenance Workshop
- "I feel like some of the things we've discussed here will help me get my friends involved more in gardening." - Participant from the Therapeutic Horticulture Course
- "This event helped us to stay connected with other Lawson Public School families over the summer." - Attendee at the Lawson Public School Picnic Open Day
- "This was so helpful as we didn't know many school families. Thank you for organising!" - Attendee at the Lawson Public School Picnic Open Day
Responses to a survey distributed after the events reported that 75% of people reported an improvement in their wellbeing as a result of engaging in the activity.
