RICHMOND FELLOWSHIP GREENACRES and

WILTSHIRE OUTREACH

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

Richmond Fellowship (RF) is one of the biggest voluntary sector providers of mental health care in England, working with over 6,000 people towards the achievement of the best possible quality of life for each individual. With over 100 Services across the country, we offer a wide range of housing, care, employment and community support Services to enable people to live life to the full.

GREENACRES AND WILTSHIRE OUTREACH Our Greenacres and Wiltshire Outreach services support people who have, or are recovering from, mental health problems and wish to return to paid employment, voluntary work or training in the future. Our services help people build confidence and self-esteem in a supportive environment. Active involvement in projects and volunteering activities provides structure and social contact, helping people on their recovery journey. Not only do they give people the chance to make good use of their time, they also enable service users to make a contribution in their

community through the local projects in which they will be involved. These activities are also

intended to help enhance a persons CV and improve their employment prospects. For more details of the projects and activities available within the Greenacres

and Wiltshire Outreach services please read on……..

A leading national specialist in integrated

mental health care and provider of mental

health services.

Greenacres is a 6 acre garden and workshop site adjoining the local Drew’s Pond Nature Reserve. Greenacres provides supported work

experiences in horticulture, conservation, crafts, IT and light industry for adults aged 18 years and over. Over the next few years we will be creating a Solar Observatory and a range of gardens including a herb nursery, and a small shop and gallery. It is our aim to attract the general public and potential school visits as well as providing new and stimulating activities for clients of the project.

THE OBSERVATORY The principle of the ‘glorified shed’ will be invoked to create a dedicated solar observatory for telescopes to view the sun through filters revealing details of the surface and prominences of our nearest star.

THE SHOP and GALLERY A small Shop and Gallery space will be developed as part of our retail activity providing an outlet for produce from both our Greenacres and Wiltshire Outreach sites - charcoal, nesting boxes, honey, preserves, willow work and herbs (dried and fresh).

GREENACRES OBSERVATORY and GARDENS

Above: View of the sun through hydrogen

alpha filter. Image courtesy NASA

THE GARDENS We have identified a variety of gardens as a priority for us to design and create: Kitchen Garden – Soft fruit and vegetable produce. Herb Garden and Nursery – Stock beds and nursery produce for potted, picked, dried and fresh herbs for sale. Wildlife Garden – Long term development along the bank adjacent to the Drew’s Pond Nature Reserve. Picnic Area – Somewhere visitors might stop and enjoy their lunch or perhaps pick up an ice cream or cold drink from the shop. Willow Playground Area – Using our own willow beds in Bradford on Avon to obtain material for living willow playground.

ADDITIONAL WORKSHOPS Machine Workshop: Regular maintenance and instruction on mowers, strimmers, car engines etc. Contract Garden Work: one day a week to work off site as part of regularly contracted work. Beekeeping Expanding our 3 hives to include observation hives etc. Packing Workshop: Light industrial work.

Digital photography and IT periodic activity developing observational, compositional and recording techniques. Also introductions to computers and IT skills. Woodwork A small woodwork shop provides a space in which to develop a range of timber products - garden furniture, nesting boxes etc - for sale.

Wiltshire Outreach provides supported volunteer experiences in conservation, horticulture and associated crafts at 6 different sites across Wiltshire for adults aged 18 years and over.

NEW SKILLS AND OPPORTUNITIES

These projects enable people to work creatively in a range of public spaces including woodlands and nature reserves, gardens and public parks as well as occasional school grounds. Activities vary from site to site but can include managing coppice woodland and grassland/wildflower management; hedging or willow coppice; greenwood turning, carving or blacksmithing; wildlife monitoring and habitat creation; charcoal making, open pot firing, photography and even astronomy .

SOCIAL INCLUSION AND TEAMWORK Either working together on a large-scale activity such as building a cabin or undertaking a personal craft project, these are great opportunities to meet people with similar experiences but from many different walks of life.

WILTSHIRE OUTREACH CONSERVATION and GREENWOOD

CRAFTS

Above: Hand-carved Green Man figure on

stump of living tree.

BENEFIT FOR YOURSELF AND THE COMMUNITY Opportunities to work on public access or community projects enable clients to develop or recover social and work skills, build confidence and self-esteem and work towards better mental health and improved employment prospects. With plenty of exercise and fresh air you will hopefully also feel the benefits of increased energy and better physical health, which in turn helps support better mental well-being. We frequently work in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty - from the Avon Valley to Savernake Forest and the Marlborough Downs. We have developed strong ongoing partnerships with Natural England and The National Trust, the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and The Forestry Commission; with Wiltshire Council and Marlborough Town Council, as well as with a handful of Primary Schools.

VOLUNTEERING We are also actively encouraging volunteers to contribute their time, their experience, their support and/or simply their enthusiasm to projects that benefit a wide community both of people and of wildlife at both Greenacres and Wiltshire Outreach.

Left: Labyrinth (40

metres in diameter)

constructed and

grown using living

willow.

Below: Cabin build

at project site and

development of

outdoor education

centre for schools.

HOW TO APPLY

All opportunities in either Greenacres or Wiltshire Outreach are offered in conjunction with specialist employment advice provided by Richmond Fellowship Wiltshire . Employment Advisors can work directly with clients at their own pace offering advice and support into independent voluntary work, training and employment.

OUR SERVICE IS FOR PEOPLE WHO:

Are over 18 years of age

Live or work in the Wiltshire area

Have a clearly identified mental health problem

Are committed to developing or recovering social and work skills, and working towards better mental health and improved employment prospects (paid or unpaid).

HOW TO APPLY: Referrals are welcomed from: GPs; Community Mental Health Teams; self-referrals and any other agencies supporting people with or recovering from mental health problems. Referral forms can be downloaded from the website: www.richmondfellowship.org.uk or please contact us directly.

Please send all completed forms via the contact details above clearly marked for the attention of ‘Referral Panel’. Feel free to contact us on the above details if you have any questions concerning the referral process.

Greenacres, Green Lane Marshall Road Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 5ER T: 01380 724833 E: greenacres@richmondfellowship.org.uk

GREENACRES

WILTSHIRE OUTREACH

CONTACT DETAILS

If you wish to know more about Greenacres and Wiltshire Outreach projects, are interested in having a visit, or have any other questions regarding referrals or volunteering then please get in touch via the details below.

Unit E2, Wagon Yard London Road Marlborough Wiltshire. SN8 1LH T: 01672 516393

E: wiltshireoutreach@richmondfellowship.org.uk

Green Lane Marshall Road Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 5ER T: 01380 724833 E: greenacres@richmondfellowship.org.uk

ACTIVITIES AND TRANSPORT

2014

GREENACRES

WILTSHIRE OUTREACH

Revis

ion 0

7 -

Jan 1

4

GREENACRES

MON:

TUE:

THU:

FRI:

WED:

Horticulture and Conservation; Art & Crafts Workshop; Machinery Workshop; Site development/maintenance ongoing; Access to IT Pick Ups: Chippenham / Calne; Marlborough / Avebury

Horticulture and Conversation; Packing (light industrial work); Site development/ ongoing maintenance. Horticulture and Conservation activities on this day will also include coppice work on our Outreach project at Bradford-on-Avon (see following page). Pick Ups: Trowbridge / Melksham; Chippenham / Calne Warminster

NO GREENACRES SERVICE

Horticulture and Conservation; Supervisor led IT Workshops; Machinery Workshop. (Occasional short courses in Photography & Animation) Pick Ups: Trowbridge / Melksham; Marlborough / Avebury

Horticulture and Conservation; Packing (light industrial work). Site development (including building works) ongoing. Pick Ups: Trowbridge / Melksham; Warminster

Greenacres is a 6 acre site running 4 days a week. The site is being

developed for use by the public alongside providing interesting

projects for ourselves to include new gardens, refurbishing the old

building, developing the workshops, promoting our small shop and, in

2014/15, hopefully the beginnings of a fruit pressing operation. See

below for a general guide to what should be available.

WED: South Wilts A varied programme of conservation tasks at National Trust sites including Phillip’s House, Win Green and Parsonage Down. Pick Ups: Salisbury: 1 vehicle

Bradford on Avon Barton Farm—Willow project and wildflower meadow. Pick Ups: Devizes / Melksham: 1 vehicle

THU: Winterbourne Stoke Parsonage Down—Chalk downland, farmland, hedge laying and greenwood crafts project. Includes experimental outdoor pot-firing, small fruit and herb gardens. Pick Ups: Salisbury: 1 vehicle

FRI: Marlborough Area Martinsell, Hat Gate Reserve, Savernake Forest and Plume of Feathers Garden. A variety of conservation, horticulture and greenwood craft projects. Pick Ups: Tidworth / Burbage: 1 vehicle Calne / Avebury: 1 vehicle

MON: Winterbourne Stoke Parsonage Down—Chalk downland, farmland, hedge laying and greenwood crafts project. Includes experimental outdoor pot-firing, small fruit and herb gardens. Pick Ups: Salisbury: 2 vehicles

WILTSHIRE OUTREACH

Transport is available from a number of locations on different days for both Greenacres and Wiltshire Outreach as outlined on these pages.

Own transport and public transport is encouraged and, at the time of writing, we are able to contribute a little towards the cost.

TUES: NO OUTREACH SERVICE

WHERE ARE WE?

The aim of the Greenacres and Wiltshire Outreach services has been

to reach as many people as possible across Wiltshire with a small staff

team. As detailed on the previous pages transport may be available to

either Greenacres or Wiltshire Outreach sites.

MARLBOROUGH

AREA

SOUTH WILTS / SALISBURY

BRADFORD- ON-AVON

GREENACRES and WILTSHIRE OUTREACH

WINTERBOURNE

STOKE

GREENACRES