A THERAPEUTIC allotment to help people undergoing treatment for mental illness was launched yesterday.

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) were donated £1,500 by software company Decent Group to support the pioneering project near the town centre.

Service users and staff spent the day tending to the allotment and constructing a workshop. The workshop will be for service users to do activities in and will be waterproof, meaning the space can be used all year round.

They were then treated to a barbecue lunch and tour of the premises, which includes two scarecrows.

Decent Group, based in Kembrey Park, had an important reason for showing support to the Trust. One of their employees experienced psychosis and needed the help of Swindon Early Intervention in Psychosis (EI) team which is one of the services provided by AWP.

Psychosis causes people to perceive or interpret things differently from those around them and may involve experiencing hallucinations or delusions.

The EI team supports people experiencing psychosis for the first time

Helen Mills, community mental health nurse at AWP said activities in the allotment would build service users confidence.

“It’s about removing the stigma around mental illness, and shedding light. Working in this allotment where they have had an integral part designing and planning really improves their confidence and interaction skills, it allows service users to focus.

Decent employee Mark Eddy was supported by the EI team when he experienced psychosis. He said AWP had helped him manage his illness and return to work

“Mostly they helped by just being there. I think the allotment will be quite successful. I will come down and visit every once in a while when work allows me to.”

The allotment is designed to provide service users with an area where they build their motivation and concentration.

This will also promote their recovery, helping them to regain their confidence and return to their daily lives. AWP say the low-cost of the project means it will be sustainable and able to help service users for many years to come.

The space was cleared, mowed and rotovated by Swindon Borough Council.

James, the owner of Decent Group, said the support shown to his colleague by the EI team made the business determined to help people recover from mental illness.

“I have seen first-hand the support they gave to Mark and when the idea was suggested to me by Helen, we were so determined to help. We are so pleased to have donated the workshop which will help so many other people in similar situations like Mark.”