The gardening project at the Chantry Unit at Fieldhead, Wakefield, used its funding to purchase equipment, seeds, plants, storage etc as part of CHAMP: the Chantry Activity and Media Project. The project aimed to develop a range of meaningful gardening, cooking and media activities on the ward to enable people to engage in something that is meaningful to them.
The small garden area has now been planted and is well maintained; staff on Chantry now also have a plot at the nearby Caring Garden and use both areas for this work.
Specialist practitioner Paula Rylatt said of the project, “The Chantry Unit has developed a range of meaningful activities for people who use services ranging from film appreciation to music, gardening, ‘cook and eat’, arts and crafts and Tai Chi. Staff have worked really hard to develop a diverse range of activity in order to meet the needs of different people and the Creative Minds funding assisted staff to buy essential items. Chantry also has a Caring Garden plot and people on the ward are regularly invited to use the Caring Garden also. People have benefited greatly from the social element of activity with others, along with the wellbeing associated with meaningful occupation. Having activity coordinators on the unit have been a great success in terms of leadership and continuity. Everyone has worked really hard and this has been a great success!”
