Case study: Putting Down Roots
Using ecotherapy to support homeless people
with mental health problems
One of 130 projects funded
by Mind through Ecominds; a
£7.5m Big Lottery Fund grants
scheme that used nature and
green activities to improve
physical and mental health.
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Case study: Putting Down Roots
Summary
Putting Down Roots, run by the charity St
Mungo’s Broadway, uses social and therapeutic
horticulture to support the recovery of homeless
people with mental health problems in London.
It offers gardening activities, horticultural
training and one to one support for people who
have experienced homelessness, tending a
number of community gardens, hostel gardens
and growing spaces. Participants’ health and
wellbeing has improved and many have learnt
new skills, particularly those who find it hard
to access learning and training opportunities.
According to an evaluation in 2012, the project
had the potential to impact positively on people’s
recovery 1 and 37 per cent of participants
gained qualifications and/or moved on to
education, employment or volunteering.
(D Dumoulin) (2013) Putting Down Roots Ecominds therapeutic
gardening project. Supporting Change report. St Mungo’s/London.
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What is it about?
Putting Down Roots works with
homeless people to:
• improve their health, wellbeing and skills
• support them to move into
employment or further training
• build links between St Mungo’s
residents and local communities.
A horticultural trainer works with up to eight
participants on each garden site, setting a
programme of work for the day, week and
month tailored to the space available, time of
year and most importantly the needs of the
participants. He gives everyone an induction,
providing informal support during sessions and
feeds back to the participants’ key workers on
their progress, behaviour and achievements.
People drop in as they wish and gradually
increase their involvement; the informality works
well for those people who lack confidence
or find it hard to make a regular commitment.
The project has supported some people to
gain accredited horticulture qualifications.
While some work takes place in the gardens
and patios of St Mungo’s housing projects,
most people are involved in local allotments
and community gardens, providing important
social contact that helps to break down the
stigma associated with homelessness and
mental health problems. A trip to gardens in
Cornwall was a highlight and for some people
it was their first time out of London.
The participants
The project works with people from St
Mungo’s Broadway supported accommodation
who are referred by the charity’s mental
health team and encouraged to take
part by the horticultural trainer:
“He would physically go to the hostels and
start working in the garden so people
could observe and then join in. They
quickly got involved and the project gained
notoriety through word of mouth. In a
short space of time he was inundated.”
Project coordinator
St Mungo’s Broadway works with people
who have a range of complex needs including
a history of sleeping rough, problems with
mental health and substance use, and low
levels of literacy and educational attainment.
Participants will be at varying stages in their
recovery, some living in hostels while others
are preparing to move into independent
living. To date the most common mental
health diagnoses amongst participants is
depression (54 per cent), schizophrenia
(50 per cent) and anxiety (40 per cent).
About the participants
75% male and 25% female
100% were mental health service users
34% were black and minority ethnic
26% used alcohol or drugs problematically
84% were aged 26-55yrs
52% had a significant physical health issue
10% were aged 55yrs+
12% had a significant physical health issue
and used alcohol or drugs problematically
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The difference it makes
Staff commented that people taking part
in regular gardening sessions were more
motivated – before this many were isolated,
spending much of their time indoors, alone
in their rooms. Key workers often join in
the gardening activity because discussions
happen more easily than in more structured
meetings, especially for people who are
withdrawn or finding it harder to engage.
The project evaluation found a small improvement
in wellbeing for people involved in the project
compared with those who were not; and there
was good evidence of increased physical
activity for all who took part. Staff found that
the project provided a way to work with people
with long-term mental health problems who had
previously been hard to engage in any activity.
“One of the things you often see in mental
health projects is nocturnalism; people losing
patterns of structure to the day. It comes down
to motivation and medication, people who spend
years in the mental health system can lose
a sense of purpose. Having something to do
can stop people being stuck in their psychosis.
Delusions, paranoia, hallucinations, hearing
voices; these become more and more intense
if you’ve got nothing else going on in your life.”
Project coordinator
Key project successes
Learning new skills helped many participants
progress onto further education and employment
with St Mungo’s Broadway and other projects.
The Putting Down Roots Open College Network
horticulture course is tailored to participants’
needs; it has no set terms or rigid attendance
requirements, so that people can pick up where
they left off. This is important for people with
mental health problems who may be ill at times
and the course can be taught even though
new people continually join the group. So far:
•32 people gained Open College Network/
Level 1 horticultural qualifications
•11 others completed the course work
•27 people went on to volunteering,
education or employment.
An impressive 37 per cent of people
involved in the project either gained a
qualification and/or went on to volunteering,
education or employment. Annual award
ceremonies with certificates of achievement
or OCN certificates – a first for many
people – have been well received.
Bringing the project to where people live
has been vital for people with long-term or
enduring mental health problems because it
happens at home, is easy to join in, feels safe
and familiar, and offers some structure in
the day. The project coordinator says people
taking a lot of medication and/or having lived in
institutions find it hard and sometimes alarming
to join in something new; Putting Down Roots
is within their comfort zone and a stepping
stone towards taking part in other activities.
Putting Down Roots has produced a short film
which explores how horticulture is helping
former homeless men and women rebuild
their lives: http://bit.ly/puttingdownroots
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Five ways to wellbeing
What participants say happens for them
Connect with others
•Got to know and trust the gardener trainer
• Felt included
•Got to know other residents and made friends
Be more active
• Reason to get up in the morning – breaks old habits
• Do more physical activity and some joined a gym
•Concentration and energy levels improve, and sleep better
Take notice of the world
•Take notice of where you live and actively improve it
•A distraction from negative thoughts and problems
• Rekindles hope
Keep learning
• Learn new skills and some gained their first ever qualifications
•Some moved into work, volunteering or education
Give to others
•Some people worked on local community gardens and
allotments
• Made St Mungo’s accommodation more attractive and homely
Top tip
Having a training course set at the
right level for participants helps to
structure the gardening groups.
I’ve learned loads. I’ve learned
how to categorise plants, I’ve
learned how to tell the difference
between weeds, how to use tools
safely, how to treat different
plants amongst other things.
Project details
Started in 2010 and ongoing depending on funding.
Staffed by project coordinator and a full-time horticultural trainer
web: mungosbroadway.org.uk/pdr
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More information: neweconomics.org/projects/entry/five-ways-to-well-being
Five ways to wellbeing according to participants: