Personality disorder programme No longer a diagnosis of exclusion

Exclusion Link CIC¹ is delighted to announce the launch on June 22 of its ‘greencare’ mental health project called ‘Growing Better Lives‘.

The lottery funded start-up project ² is specifically for people affected by Personality Disorder and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and seeks to use horticulture as a way to support those with complex emotional problems –hence the name ‘greencare’.

Housed in a yurt³ and possibly the only mental health service operating in a tent-like structure, ‘Growing Better Lives’ is based on a piece of land at Wexham Nursery – a council-run garden centre as well as nursery for all the plants for Slough’s public spaces.

Rex Haigh, (a local NHS psychiatrist who wants his patients to have better services) said: “Growing Better Lives provides a much richer environment to work with people with personality disorders, in addition to their NHS therapy, by providing a service which is more than the statutory services can provide.

“We came up with the idea of using a yurt when we realised what limited access to outdoor space we had for the new intensive treatment programme at Wexham Park Hospital.”

‘Greencare’ works by including ‘contact with nature’ as part of therapy programmes – and helps people to connect with the natural world and ultimately with each other. It is run by doctors, nurses and other people interested in using nature as part of therapy programmes.

In autumn 2011 the nursery site is unfortunately being sold for housing, following recent cuts, and as a result, the council is trying to rehouse the project, and the yurt, somewhere else in Slough to continue the work after that.

Plans are also in place, according to Berkshire’s Mental Health Trust, to move services out of Slough, but following objections by Slough Council, they have been put on hold while further consultation is undertaken.

For more information how the yurt came into being follow this link.