What we do

With the support from a donation from Mears, we launched a campaign to encourage staff and patients to grow their own fruit and vegetables. Gardening and growing food gives our staff and patients a special connection with nature. It is a mindful way of supporting mental health recovery and stress relief. 

One of our staff members said:

“We spent our voucher at Spadework’s garden centre, which is also a charity that helps those with learning disabilities, dementia and mental health so the voucher money went back into a good cause. We managed to get quite a bit including a bag of soil, a tomato grow bag, 3 tomato plants, peas, rosemary, lavender, strawberry plants, salad plants, chives and chillies!

We have planted them and made a border. Staff contributed pots as well so it is looking lovely! We’ve been sitting out there for lunch (when it isn’t raining!) and can’t wait to include some of the crop in our lunches! We are very thankful to Mears and yourselves for the voucher as our garden area really is now something we are proud of!”

We want to make sure that our staff on the frontline get the support they need to continue provide the best care for our patients and families.

To help us achieve this, we helped to fund the creation of staff chill out spaces in Dartford, Maidstone, Canterbury and at the Trevor Gibbens Unit. These spaces gave staff had a quiet and reflective space where they can recharge. They help our staff to be at their best while at work.

We are passionate about improving the experience of those experiencing mental health difficulties and their carers. Here are some ways we've enhanced the experience of people on our wards:

• We funded a Caribbean hairdresser to provide personal hair care at our facilities.
• We funded on-site therapy session for patient groups.
• We funded woodworking session for patients to help improve skills, connection with nature and boost their confidence.