Annie seeded her enthusiasm for gardening and nature through study, completing a Diploma in Horticulture and Level 2 in Garden Design, followed by Thrive’s ‘Introduction to STH’ and ‘Setting up a STH programme’ courses, and finally progressing to the Award in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture.
“I was interested in learning more about the theory and science of horticulture, but most of all I enjoyed being out in nature, growing, tending and nurturing. I started thinking seriously about developing a programme of therapeutic horticulture specifically aimed at people recovering from a cancer diagnosis.”
Annie funded her STH studies with an educational grant from Macmillan Cancer Support with the backing of her Manager at the Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, where she worked as a Project Manager and then as a Counsellor. Enrolling on the Award course was a natural progression for Annie and was particularly helpful in supporting her in setting up Blooming Well, a social and therapeutic horticultural programme for individuals with a cancer diagnosis, aimed at enhancing their wellbeing and recovery.
I wanted to find time to focus on research and learn as much as I could about the use of STH in cancer recovery. I was keen to gain a qualification that would demonstrate my commitment and capability to deliver STH.
“The fact that I’d undertaken the earlier courses in STH was really helpful and the Award continued to build on my understanding and knowledge of theories and concepts by revisiting topics at deepening levels of complexity.”
Annie enjoyed discussions and meeting others in the field. She was motivated by her tutorials as well as by others’ projects and the work they were undertaking.
"The tutorials were brilliant and gave me the opportunity to discuss assignments and my project in depth while challenging me in really productive ways. I enjoyed delving deeper into the field and finding out more. Running your own programmes can be isolating, so it was really good to sit down with someone who really understands the field and its opportunities and challenges."
Blooming Well – Supporting your recovery through gardening, became Annie’s ‘Use of STH’ assignment on the Award. Her report outlined its development as a community based, specialist led and volunteer-assisted six-week programme. The focus of the intervention was to incorporate gardening as a healthy lifestyle and develop a greater awareness of the role that gardening and immersion in nature can play in self-care, recovery and restoration. Its aim was to increase / maintain physical activity levels, improve mood /coping; increase gardening knowledge/ skills and increase sense of community involvement. The goal was to create a successful self-sustaining STH programme that benefits those recovering / rehabilitating following a cancer diagnosis / treatment and connects communities.
"After completing the Award, I felt more confident in my ability to deliver STH. I recognised that I have a unique set of skills from fields I have worked in before and that I can pull on many of them to enhance delivery. I now feel more of an expert in my particular area of work – like I have gained my stripes."
Completing the Award was a real sense of achievement for Annie and helped to deliver an effective STH programme in her practice.
