Substance misuse service showcasing recovery garden at Harrogate Flower Show
Staff and service users from the Halifax based Calderdale Substance Misuse Service are busy preparing for this year’s Harrogate Autumn Flower Show, where they will be competing in the Garden Borders competition.
The Garden Border Competition is new to this year’s show and is offering garden designers, landscapers, colleges and other organisations the opportunity to inspire with ideas for borders.
From traditional shrubs and herbaceous perennials to tropical varieties or bog plants, the theme for the border is entirely optional. Each entry will be considered for one of four awards – Premier, Gold, Silver-Gilt or Silver
This is the first time a service from South West Yorkshire Partnership HNS Foundation Trust has entered a flower show and the substance misuse service has planned a border reflecting somebody’s pathway from substance misuse to recovery. It is hoped the exhibition will help break the stigma associated with substance misuse.
The work is being led by Contour, which is a service user led mentoring group. Members of the group have all received help from the Calderdale Substance Misuse Service and have gone on to offer their own support to recovering service users.
Contour have been preparing for sometime and are being supported by a number of local companies that are donating materials for the exhibition.
Staff and services users will be attending the show to help reinforce the anti-stigma message and be a visible sign of what people can achieve through help and support to overcome substance misuse.
The 2011 Harrogate Autumn Flower Show takes place on the 16-18 September at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate. Once the show is over Contour will be transferring the display to Manor Heath Gardens in Halifax, where the local community will be able to enjoy their work.
Speaking about the forthcoming flower show Haydn Cavanagh, Calderdale Substance Misuse Service manager, said, "We are all thrilled to be taking part in this year’s flower show. It’s a great opportunity to show off the talents of the Contour group, but also to help break down the stigma that surrounds substance misuse. Through the easily translatable display we hope to show the public that with the right help and support people can overcome substance misuse. We look forward to then being able to share the work with residents in Halifax and give something back to the local community."