GREEN-FINGERED patients, staff and volunteers at a Stratton mental health unit have won an award for commitment shown in creating and maintaining their own garden.

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership launched AWP in Bloom in the spring and tasked 10 teams with transforming space at their sites into a garden.

Windswept, a rehabilitation unit based at Sandalwood Court, was judged the best team in promoting recovery through service user involvement.

The level of pride, ownership and purpose put into the garden by Windswept patients kept them coming back to tend to the garden even after they had been discharged from the service.

A vegetable patch and flower beds formed the centrepiece of a project which proved a huge benefit for those struggling with mental health issues, according to unit manager Judith King.

“All of those people have done the work,” she said.

“Volunteers have all got involved and we have been doing everything from digging out a new vegetable patch, creating flower beds and collecting seeds from people to plant them.

“One of the benefits of gardening on people’s mental health is a sense of purpose and motivation.

“There were so many who turned up. They had a sense of ownership and pride.

“They wanted to see what looked different each week.”

The invitation for AWP units to get involved with the competition went out in May, and once the final 10 had been decided, donations of tools, seeds and compost went out and the work began.

Windswept was met with thickets of brambles and endless weeds, with no sign of a recognised flower bed.

With one award in the bag for its high level of engagement with users, Windswept is now gunning for the most transformed garden next year.

Judith said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this award. Our service users have worked so hard to achieve these marvellous results.

“Several have never done any gardening, but have enjoyed the experience immensely.

“AWP In Bloom was not just about the plants and produce –it was about service users having something constructive and rewarding to do and building relationships with staff and volunteers.

“We are grateful to the many local people and volunteers in Swindon who donated pots, plants and seeds and look forward to tending our garden again next year.”

Andrew Allsop, chief volunteer gardener at Dyrham Park and AWP In Bloom judge, said: “Everyone involved in the AWP in Bloom at Windswept worked extremely hard, with a clear improvement on what was in the space before.

“The garden is well designed with a good variety of plants.

“It is very encouraging to see plans for next year underway with next year’s bulbs already planted.