RICHMOND FELLOWSHIP GREENACRES and WILTSHIRE OUTREACH EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
A leading national specialist in integrated mental health care and provider of mental health 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..
GREENACRES OBSERVATORY and GARDENS 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. Above: View of the sun through hydrogen alpha filter. Image courtesy NASA 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).
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 CONSERVATION and GREENWOOD CRAFTS 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 Above: Hand-carved Green Man figure on stump of living tree. 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.
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. 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. 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.
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. Greenacres, Green Lane Marshall Road Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 5ER T: 01380 724833 E: greenacres@richmondfellowship.org.uk 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.
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. GREENACRES WILTSHIRE OUTREACH Green Lane Marshall Road Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 5ER T: 01380 724833 E: greenacres@richmondfellowship.org.uk Unit E2, Wagon Yard London Road Marlborough Wiltshire. SN8 1LH T: 01672 516393 E: wiltshireoutreach@richmondfellowship.org.uk
Revision 07 - Jan 14 GREENACRES ACTIVITIES AND TRANSPORT 2014 WILTSHIRE OUTREACH
MON: GREENACRES 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. Horticulture and Conservation; Packing (light industrial work). Site development (including building works) ongoing. Pick Ups: Trowbridge / Melksham; Warminster TUE: Horticulture and Conservation; Art & Crafts Workshop; Machinery Workshop; Site development/maintenance ongoing; Access to IT Pick Ups: Chippenham / Calne; Marlborough / Avebury WED: 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 THU: FRI: NO GREENACRES SERVICE Horticulture and Conservation; Supervisor led IT Workshops; Machinery Workshop. (Occasional short courses in Photography & Animation) Pick Ups: Trowbridge / Melksham; Marlborough / Avebury
MON: 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. 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 TUES: WED: NO OUTREACH SERVICE 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: FRI: 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 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
GREENACRES and WILTSHIRE OUTREACH 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. GREENACRES MARLBOROUGH AREA BRADFORD- ON-AVON WINTERBOURNE STOKE SOUTH WILTS / SALISBURY