To help boost confidence and increase communication, concentration and self-belief in the many people affected, a recently founded organisation named Life at No. 27 is hosting its second Growing for Wellbeing Week. Through promoting the benefits of gardening and growing your own produce, they are spreading the message that mental and physical health can be improved by discovering a new skill, connecting with other people and by being outdoors.

Gardening and growing produce is a therapeutic activity that anyone can get involved with, regardless of age or fitness levels. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it does require long-term attention with a rewarding and fulfilling payoff, reflected in the foundation’s message of It’s not what you grow, it’s how YOU grow. In the current climate where care staff and key workers are experiencing intense pressures on mental health wellbeing, it might be worth encouraging your staff or colleagues to get involved as a way to unwind in their downtime. There’s also a one-to-one telephone and text support service dedicated to social care workers called Our Frontline.

Through the Life at No. 27 website, participants can find out how to share photos, stories and thoughts across social media, add favourite gardening songs to a public Spotify playlist, take part in or listen to live daily chats with experts and have a go at different challenges with the chance to win prizes. They have also put together a free downloadable resource pack including activities that anyone can get involved with from schools, businesses and care homes. If you’re looking to improve the mental wellbeing of your care home residents, why not consider introducing it as a regular activity to get them active and social?