String of Green Pearls
green spaces for human and planetary health!
So we started with one garden in the grounds of one practice in West Cornwall.
And since then it's just .... grown!
How it started ...
We started working with one practice on better using a small garden in the grounds which wasn't used well, not very accessible and definitely underloved. We scrambled together some tiny pockets of funding, borrowed tools, set up a small group of patients who were interested, made a plan and ... then Covid happened... so then we waited... started again - and now Stennack Surgery in St Ives has the most beautiful sensory garden, with aromatic and beautiful plants and herbs, accessible seating, a touch finger maze and hugely dedicated patients who manage the site, raise more funds, and make it available to staff and patients for meeting space, waiting room space, and just a beautiful spot to sit.
Then more people wanted to do the same in other practices and we could see a beautiful String of Green Pearls emerging. You can see lots of inspiring examples here! Then we started to develop relationships with secondary care, creating as Green Spaces Ranger at the main Cornwall hospital site, and offering partnership support to a co-created Lottery bid for a Healing by Nature programme on 4 acres surrounding one of the mental health units further up the county. The String of Green Pearls was born!
