YOUNG people using Cornwall’s first adolescent mental health unit will be helped to reconnect with the outside world thanks to a charitable donation.
A £1000 grant from the Tescos Bags of Help scheme will help Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust create a courtyard garden at Sowenna, in Bodmin. Patients will be able to relax while learning about nature, said Stephanie Pomeroy, fundraising manager for the Sowenna Appeal.
“We’re really grateful to Tesco for this funding. The courtyard garden means the young people at Sowenna can walk through a natural environment to stimulate their senses, help them come out of painful places and connect with the outside world.
“We hope to encourage patients to plant some seeds and educate them about gardening techniques so that they can see how nature works. For a young person with mental health difficulties to have a purpose and to help a plant grow, this can be the highlight of their day.
“In particular, the garden will provide key communal areas, calm patients’ emotions and encourage coping skills. The garden really will make a difference to young people’s recovery, health and wellbeing.”
Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme invites customers to vote in store for their preferred local project from a choice of three, using the blue token given to them at the checkout. Projects are local to each store and change every three months, with grants of up to £2,000 currently available.
Claire De Silva, Head of Community at Tesco, said: “We’re delighted that we can help organisations such as Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Bags of Help invites our customers to vote for local schemes they feel are the most important locally, and it’s good to see the real difference that the funding makes.”
Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme has so far donated £82million to fund more than 27,000 projects across the UK, and is run in partnership with charity Groundwork.