Wellbeing for employees – the background

There is ample published evidence demonstrating that working alongside nature and gardening in a social setting promotes wellbeing.

Follow the link below to access resources about the evidence for social and therapeutic horticulture (STH)

Published Studies of Nature and Wellbeing.

Who is it suitable for?

This is suitable for any employee, whether you have previous gardening experience or not. It will provide you with an opportunity to meet and socialise with others, whilst carrying out meaningful tasks, overall, the experience will be fun.

Who will run the sessions?

The sessions are carried out by the Muddy Fork team, where required, other professionals or agencies may also be involved.

What do i bring on the day?

We advise that outdoor clothing (waterproof dependant on weather) and footwear suitable for gardening be worn. If you have some, gardening gloves would be advantageous but we will provide gardening tools and hot drinks. There will be a lunch break, so make sure you bring a packed lunch. 

Please note, we do have a bee garden, and during the warmer periods, they can be very active. If you have an allergy to bees, please make sure you bring your epi-pen.

Bassetlaw initiative for employees

Muddy Fork is a successful charity and are now delivering STH to a wide group of people. We have considerable experience in delivering horticulture for people’s wellbeing. This successful programme has been extended to support employee wellbeing. Any employers are welcome to apply and discuss their needs and the costs involved. Payment will help to support the free service Muddy Fork runs for people referred to the service with mental health challenges.  

Location

Muddy Fork are extremely fortunate to have a wonderful space within the Idle Valley Nature Reserve. 

The space is divided into different sections, with a large garden where we grow our fruit and vegetables, an orchard full of lovely fruit trees, a tree nursery where we nurture our seeds and care for them until they are mature enough to be planted out and an outdoor workshop space, where we carry out a lot of our manual labour.

Within this area, we have space for the wide range of activities available.

When are the sessions?

The sessions last for 3 hours on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons every fortnight, from 2-5 pm.
The different days give you flexibility on when you can attend.  It’s not a course, so you don’t need to attend every session, but hope you will continue coming even when you have achieved your personal goals.

What happens when i get there?

Here is a typical session format. The content will vary according to the stage of garden development, season and preferences of participants;

2pm

Welcome, enjoy a hot drink whilst signing in. Health and safety, housekeeping, group rules.

2.15pm

Make introductions.  Discuss the tasks for the day and make sure you are happy.  (heavy, medium or light).

2.30pm

Go outside. Reminder of the safe use of tools and have a detailed discussion of tasks. Start work, taking breaks as required.

4.20pm

Complete work, start to tidy tools and admire the work that has been achieved.

4.30pm

Go inside for a group discussion, complete any evaluation tools and have some time for personal reflection.

5pm

The end of the session.  

What do we need from you?

The sessions are sponsored by your employer, and will help support the free service at Idle Valley for people with mental health challenges. But to gain the most benefit we need you to turn up to as many sessions as you can.
We need feedback from you. We use an anonymous feedback format that has been validated and used nationally. Personal feedback from you is also valuable.

We require that you are up to date with tetanus immunisation.

In summary

This is an exciting and innovative project to support employees’ wellbeing.

Contact us now to arrange your employee wellbeing days!