This year has been extremely challenging on everyone. We recognise that for young people the effects on their mental wellbeing have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. Sadly, one in six school-aged children has a mental health problem. This is an alarming rise from one in ten in 2004 and one in nine in 2017.  

We have witnessed the amazing effect the outdoors can have on young people’s wellbeing and mindfulness first-hand as we arrive for training at our exclusive venue at Merrist Wood College that has stunning outdoor space. 

We were incredibly pleased to support the new initiative to get young people back outdoors, The Green Hub Project for Teens.  

The projects focus on providing a garden for young people. Through a range of activities and workshops the garden provides a safe and tranquil outdoor space to learn new skills, develop new relationships and to take much needed time out for mindfulness and to enjoy nature. 

As part of our support to the Project, Brendan our trainer was delighted to spend some time in the garden providing some lifesaving first aid, focusing on injuries and emergencies that gardeners could face when in the outdoors. The content of the training included bites and stings, anaphylaxis, gardening injuries and heat related emergencies. Brendan said, "As a keen gardener myself, the garden is beautiful and a perfect place to relax amongst nature, the idea of bringing our young people into this space and showing them how powerful a garden can be in our own mental journey is inspiring". 

Vanessa Lanham-Day Marketing Manager for the project described the training "essential for working outdoors with young people, the training gave me the confidence to respond in an outdoor setting which may present its own barriers to giving first aid".  

The training was well received by all who attended, and we look forward to further Gardening First Aid Workshops for the volunteers in the future.  

To find out more about The Green Hub Project for Teens https://greenhub.org.uk/