Green Fingers at Kerwin Court

“I enjoy all the groups here, but this is special” – the thriving gardening group at Kerwin Court

At Brainkind, we are always looking for ways we can help enhance people’s physical rehabilitation, as well as offering opportunities to improve social and mental wellbeing. Regular activity groups can bring enormous benefits and make a real difference for people with brain injuries and neurological conditions.

Recognising how important this is prompted Occupational Therapy Assistant, Jenny, to revive the gardening group at Kerwin Court, our neurological centre in Horsham, West Sussex.

The group is thriving. It provides opportunities for physical therapy and the chance to be outside in nature, enjoying social interaction. And, of course, the immense reward that comes from growing your own produce and including it in your menus.

Jenny and her colleagues set up the group in March 2024, when they felt inspired to turn the concrete area at the back of the service into a garden. “I was prompted by Michael Mosley’s podcast ‘Deep Calm’, where he describes how even just having a view of a garden can have therapeutic benefits.”

With help from the group – which includes the people we support, colleagues at Kerwin Court, and volunteers – the garden became a beautiful, calm, and vibrant space that everyone can work in and enjoy.

Jenny Woodgate, Clinical Lead Physiotherapist at Brainkind, describes the many benefits of working in the garden – harvesting tomatoes and berries, digging in the soil: “First there are the physical benefits of mobilising outdoors, bending and reaching, and using our fine and gross motor skills to weed, trim, and water. Then there are the cognitive benefits of paying attention to a task: initiating, planning, and sequencing that task with the opportunity to problem-solve as the task progresses.

“Additionally, being outdoors in a quiet and peaceful environment, engaging with nature, and being mindful within an activity has huge benefits for the people we support’s sense of wellbeing (and the staff’s). Lastly, there is a social benefit to this activity. The group also provides an opportunity to interact with staff and peers and utilise communication and social skills.”

It can also be easier to have conversations in the garden. Through gardening or weeding side by side, people have been able to open up and talk about things with our psychologists, which have been more challenging in a therapy room.

Stephen, who we support, described what he loves about being part of the group: “It’s outside – there are lots of trees, and other people – it’s a community, there’s lots of chat, and learning about the plants. I enjoy all the groups here, but this is special.”

Stephen’s physical rehabilitation has also benefited: “I had a real knock to my head, and I had to use a staff to keep good for exercise.” Now, Stephen sweeps the leaves away and takes part in garden activities without the need for anything to rest on.

Jenny described how the vegetables and fruit are used: “The main kitchen has been using our homegrown organic vegetables for the people we support’s meals – the garden has provided them with endless blackberries, cucumbers, and courgettes. We are also growing tomatoes and sweetcorn, with chard, spinach, cabbage, sprouts, and broccoli planned for the winter crop.”

Mandy volunteers weekly to support the gardening group. She described how rewarding it is to see the difference it has made for the people we support – with visible improvements in people’s physical skills, as well as how much joy the garden has brought.

Karl, who we support, has made some striking pieces to enhance the space – including this stunning ornament – at the local Men in Sheds group, and a wonderful planter.

Local organisations have given plenty of support.

The group’s garden plans are growing. Andrew and Calum, the service’s Maintenance team, completed all the tiling and have built a planter which will be turned into a Japanese rake garden so that people can feel the tactile benefits. There are also plans to create an exercise garden, with stepping stones – the group has calculated that seven laps of the garden make a mile.

Congratulations to the group at Kerwin Court for creating such a wonderful garden. We can’t wait to hear more about how it is thriving.