Bradgate Mental Health Unit
July 2020
In this challenging year of Covid-19, we’ve witnessed many of our charities working hard to survive, adapt and thrive in a crisis. All have had to transform every aspect of how they work in order to meet increased demand during the pandemic. Just when mental health couldn’t be more impacted, restrictions have made it near impossible to continue with outside community growing.
‘Using the power of food to inspire hope, growth and opportunity’ Incredible Edible
One project which has adapted quickly in these uncertain times is the collaboration of Incredible Edible and the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust. Initially, it set out to transform an unloved outdoor area at The Bradgate Mental Health Unit into a therapy safe garden to benefit patients and also, to supply fresh ingredients for a mobile community kitchen run by project specialist Malcolm Heaven. The idea was for both inpatients and outpatients to grow produce and help make food in the kitchen as well as baking bread for patients and staff.
However after the pandemic started, the mobile kitchen was no longer viable due to restrictions.
Unable to access patients, Malcolm quickly adapted by setting up a temporary kitchen serving homemade fresh soup and bread (with some ingredients from the therapeutic garden) to worn out frontline NHS staff and key workers serving up to 100 nutritious meals a day.
The kitchen has been so successful that Malcolm continues to serve the hot soup and jacket potatoes.
Meanwhile, the individual wards at The Bradgate Mental Health Unit continued gardening against the odds and were able to transform dull and unkempt areas into award winning havens to support their mental health recovery journeys. The wards took part in Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust virtual gardening competition called Let’s Get Gardening. Please click here for the Let’s Get Gardening Competition Awards 2020 celebration video.
