Residents at one of our sheltered housing schemes for over 55s have been on ITV Wales news talking about how their communal garden helps their mental health.
A group of friends at Aneurin Bevan Court in Duffryn have worked with our colleagues and the Mental Health Foundation’s Standing Together project, to turn a patch of outdoor space into a beautiful garden.
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and ITV Wales wanted to find out more.
Ruth Knight said, “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the garden, saying that it sounds a bit dramatic but for my mental health it’s done an awful lot. I can come out here, I can be very uptight, very ‘oh I can’t cope with this’ and as soon as I get dirt under my nails because I haven’t put my gloves on, I’m at peace.”
Her neighbours said they love chatting and laughing outdoors with each other. They said gardening as a team “lightens the atmosphere” and makes them “feel better”.
One joked, “It’s lovely to see the wildlife, seeing the squirrels - even the pigeons and seagulls sometimes!”
Clare Rogers, the daughter of another resident featured in the piece, enjoyed seeing her “camera shy” mum on the TV.
She told us, “Once again Newport City Homes and ABC has proved how well they have taken care of their residents throughout this whole pandemic. I was absolutely delighted to see my mum on the ITV Wales news this evening talking about how the outdoor space & the standing together group has kept her going for many months.
“Given that mum has always been very camera shy this is a huge achievement for her. The Wednesday telephone group has been a focal point for her whilst shielding as have the letterbox quizzes that the ABC team have kept going now for 15 months.
“I honestly cannot thank Julie and her team enough for keeping mum and the other residents safe for all these months. As part of mental health awareness week is concerned your organisation should be immensely proud of themselves. When I called mum straight after the feature asking for her autograph she couldn't stop laughing. It has really lifted her spirits.”
The full news item is no longer available through ITV Wales catch up, but you can watch Ruth talk about why being outdoors brings her joy in the video from the Mental Health Foundation below.
Living at Aneurin Bevan Court
If you would like to live in this lovely community or another one of our independent living schemes for over 55s, get in touch with us to find out more.
You’ll have to register with Newport City Council’s Home Options, but we can help you do this.
enquiries@newportcityhomes.com
01633 381 111
Mental Health Foundation
The Mental Health Foundation is the leading charity for everyone’s mental health. With prevention at the heart of what we do, we aim to find and address the sources of mental health problems so that people and communities can thrive.
Visit https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week for videos, articles and tips on how to get involved in #mentalhealthawarenessweek and #ConnectWithNature
Standing Together Cymru
Standing Together Cymru is a project which aims to improve mental health, wellbeing and build community connections. More information is available here.