Forest Close is a mental health inpatient rehabilitation unit for adults living in Sheffield.
Their aim is to provide care to people with severe and enduring mental health needs who require support to aid their recovery. They work alongside people in the unit to encourage them to build on their strengths and improve their quality of life.
Thanks to charitable funds a sensory garden has been created by staff, patients, and members of the community. The space has been designed so that patients benefit from having a relaxed space to sit outside and engage in their own meditation or mindfulness.
People can learn about how to grow plants and herbs, as well as general garden maintenance under the supervision of staff.
Staff will also benefit from the calming nature of the garden. An area to relax before, during, and after busy shifts
Lisa, Operational Support Manager at Forest Close Rehabilitation Service, said:
“Thank you so much to Sheffield Hospitals Charity for their kind support, allowing us to purchase a greenhouse for our Forest Close Gardening Group. The gardening group is a great therapeutic activity, and with the inclusion of a greenhouse for the whole site to utilise, this will also enable social engagement between peers which is imperative for developing skills for life back in the community.
For some of our service users who only have ground leave, this would give them some therapeutic time off the ward. Our service users often stay with us for several months and our average length of stay is 346 days. Therefore, our gardening group participants are with us long enough to reap the benefits of anything they grow in this group.”
Published: Tuesday 1st of April 2025