See the work of social enterprise that helps mental health

A social enterprise started by an Acton man is opening its gates to the general public on Friday the 12th to celebrate mental health awareness week.

MindFood was setup by local Acton resident Ciaran Biggins after seeing a need in the community to provide an alternative intervention for people experiencing mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

The open morning (11-1pm) will be an opportunity for professionals such as local GP’s and counsellors as well as the general public to get an insight into how MindFood supports mental health recovery whilst also having the opportunity to get your hands dirty with some mindful gardening exercises.

Their sensory market garden is based on an allotment site near Hanger Lane tube station where they run free courses that are designed to be a fun balance of learning how to grow a wide range of fruit and vegetables whilst becoming more mindful of ways to proactively manage our wellbeing. Ciaran says that the ‘evidence base for eco-therapy is growing stronger and we have the personal stories to prove it. Our courses are action orientated so each week we’ll discuss and commit to a specific action that will help improve our wellbeing between each session and ongoing after the course. The sixth week includes a free trip to Kew Gardens for a mindful walk.’

MindFood has shown impressive results over the last 5 years with 100% of people who have been through one of their programmes feeling physically fitter, 82% feeling happier and calmer, 90% of people feeling less socially isolated, and 71% of people eating more healthier foods.

MindFood’s research is backed up by national research carried about by the mental health charity Mind who found that 7 out of 10 people experienced significant increases in mental wellbeing by the time they left an ecotherapy project.

One recent participant on the course said that ‘MindFood has really helped me though a time of year when I tend to get particularly depressed - winter. It was great to establish a routine, to be outdoors and make changes to my diet and get away of some of the negative thought processes. Being part of a group and being able to talk and share our problems and support each other in a an informal way was also very important and provided a good balance to clinical therapy which I am currently undergoing.’

For more information on how to sign up to for the open day or for their ‘Growing Wellbeing’ course MindFood visit  www.mindfood.org.uk  

9th May 2017