Big Lottery Local Food Project

 We provide gardening and healthy eating sessions every Friday to a group of senior Latin-American people. Gardening provides not only exercise but enjoyment and fresh food.  The sessions started as referrals from the GP to exercise and get involved in social activity.

After 2 years the group keeps going strong and expanding. We have 26 on our register although in general 12 attend weekly.  The sessions start with one and a half hours gardening, then we cook a lunch that always includes some of the harvested vegetables, the participants also bring special dishes prepared at home to share, then we all sit down and eat together.

 The group not only benefits from the physical exercise but they are also improving their diet. While cooking we talk about the principles of healthy eating and the benefits, we also share cooking tips and recipes. The majority of the people on the group live on their own and they find it difficult to find the motivation to cook.  They all agree that since attending the sessions they try at home some of the recipes or prepare those old recipes that they didn’t cook for ages to bring along to our weekly feast.

 We provide sessions where members get together to engage in social and learning activities which help them to remain physically active and mentally alert.  They form new friendships in an environment in which they feel safe and welcome.

 The age of the group varies between 60 to 80+ years old. Their abilities are also very varied.  We adapt the activities to the abilities of the users. Our aim is to make gardening enjoyable and to enable people to do more of it.

 We are lucky to have a good sized Polytunnel where we can work when the weather is bad, so we pretty much keep busy all year round.

 Self-esteem has increased, for example, by the status associated with being a project participant and therefore a ‘worker’.  The members of the group reported that they feel better, both physically and psychologically as a result of attending the sessions. We have notice working with this group that gardening improves their mental and physical health, reduces isolation and loneliness, brings people together and helps the users to become more active citizens.

Margot, one of the older attendees, is becoming more and more fragile. Her family feared for her when she went out on her own and they had convinced her to abandon most of the courses and activities she used to be involved with. Margot refuses to give up gardening and is begging her family to allow her to carry on coming.“The gardening sessions at Calthorpe Project makes me feel that I belong somewhere, that is why Calthorpe Project is such a wonderful place”

For Margot the enjoyment she gets from coming to the gardening every week and having contact with a varied group of people is very important.“When you do get back indoors, you feel you’ve done something and you feel livelier”

 Seniors can get particular benefits because gardening:

        Is an enjoyable form of exercise.

        Increases levels of physical activity and maintains mobility and flexibility.

        Encourages use of all motor skills – walking, reaching and bending – through activities

        such as planting seeds and taking cuttings.

        Improves stamina and strength.

        The exercise done during gardening sessions are said to prevent diseases like osteoporosis.

        Reduces stress levels and promotes relaxation.

        Provides stimulation and interest in nature and the outdoors.

       Improves wellbeing as a result of social interaction.

        Provides nutritious, home-grown produce.