Defence Gardens Scheme
Nature Based Therapy for the Armed Forces Community
Defence Gardens
A national network of gardens which host the delivery and evaluation of nature-based therapy for Armed Forces Service Leavers and Veterans and their families.
Spring and Autumn Programmes 2024
Spring Programmes 2024
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Spring Programmes 2024 〰️
“It’s therapy without labels and we don’t do labels”
“The work of the Defence Gardens Scheme has completely transformed the efficacy of horticultural therapy in Northern Ireland. While horticultural therapy has been available in Northern Ireland from a small number of discrete charities, never before has the intervention been joined up in such a holistic and standardised way with veterans’ needs at the heart of it”
NI Case Study at Brooke House
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NI Case Study at Brooke House 〰️
The Network
The Defence Gardens Scheme (DGS) works in partnership with veterans’ charities, military units, community mental health service providers and gardening projects to develop, deliver and evaluate nature-based therapy. The network is developing regionally on a ‘Hub and Spoke’ model of community-based mental health care.
In partnership with the Northern Ireland (NI) Veterans’ Support Office, 2 Hub and 6 Spoke Gardens have been established. The DGS regional coordinator is now encouraging smaller community gardens to join the network.
Gardens delivering the DGS bespoke programme are now established developed in England in the SW, with The Eden Project in Cornwall; in partnership with Defence Intelligence Training Group near Bedford in the SE; in the NW in partnership with Tom Harrison House ; in Scotland DGS is based at the Linburn Walled Garden, Kirknewton, nr Edinburgh. Service delivery will start with Woodys’ Lodge in Wales in Spring 2024.
A bespoke holistic ten week programme
DGS is underpinned by research in the US and Denmark gathered during a Churchill Fellowship. The programme has been developed based on many years experience of military service and training, with the knowledge and skills of dedicated horticultural therapists, academics and passionate community leaders. It has then been refined with veteran input.
The outcome is a bespoke nature-based therapy programme for Service Leavers and Veterans - a structured, but flexible client-centred intervention. The 10 week programme delivers a blend of practical horticultural skills combined with support for managing mental health and wellbeing through mindfulness, reflection and journaling. Each session works towards a combination of physical, cognitive, emotional and social outcomes.
Research and evaluation is ongoing and embedded at each garden and for every programme. This approach enables fidelity of delivery across the network.
“Felt it was brilliant as it gave a sense of purpose and a place to go. It’s easy to get caught in a rut and by being in a safe place with people of a similar background (i.e. military), helped immensely as it is a great therapy to be outside and meet up with old comrades. Still keep in contact with most of the course and have continued to develop gardening skills and produce veg for the wider community”
