A-Z of mental health
Information and advice on a huge range of mental health topics
Region - East Midlands
Scroll down to read about all the Ecominds projects in this region or click on the project you are interested in.
| Name | Area |
| Big Wood | Lincolnshire |
| Bike Club | Nottingham |
| Farm Calm | Nottingham |
| Genesis Allotment Project | Nottingham |
| Grow It | Swanwick |
| Idle Valley's Green Classroom | Retford |
| Network Nature Express | Leicester |
| Trellis | Nottingham |
Big Wood
Run by: Hill Holt Wood
Area: Lincolnshire LN6 9JP
Ecominds award amount: £249,560
Big Wood is an established but neglected woodland, which offers anyone experiencing challenges to their mental health and wellbeing, purposeful activities in a green environment.
The project offers practical skills development and creative activities to help people improve their confidence, self-esteem and social skills.
Volunteers learn new skills whilst consolidating existing or previous skills. Tasks have an element of team working and we work hard to ensure that volunteers’ existing skills are used to benefit the woodland, the project, and of course the individual too.
A typical day could involve tree felling, coppicing, rhododendron clearing, photography or artwork, outdoor cooking or green woodworking and sculpture. The project is open Monday to Friday and transport may be available to volunteers at a small cost.
I like Big Wood because I love doing log shaving and when I am in the wood it takes my mind off things! Gemma, Volunteer
I enjoy being at Big Wood as I am learning new skills, building my confidence, meeting new people, getting myself motivated in the morning and enjoying the outdoor environment.Johnnie, Volunteer
Interested in joining?
Drop us an email, or call to arrange a visit or taster day, on 01636 892836 or 07582 937244.
To find our more visit the Hill Holt Wood website.
Bike Club
Run by: Framework Housing Association
Area: Nottingham, NG6 8HJ
Ecominds award amount: £56,135
Please note: This project has completed its Ecominds-funded work. However, it may still be offering similar opportunitues for volunteers. Please contact the project directly for further information.
Bike Club is a bike recycling scheme that supports clients with mental health problems on a pathway to independence.
Participants come to the project and work on fixing bikes at their own pace, supported by the coordinator and volunteers. Once they have fixed a bike, they can keep it.
The project works closely with other bike initiatives across Nottingham City, including Ridewise - a community enterprise set up to encourage people to cycle safely for health, transport, and environmental reasons.
Our Ecominds grant has allowed us to take the project forward from a pilot to an established service and to also employ a qualified coordinator who supports clients on a one-to-one basis.
Through Ecominds we supported at least 200 participants and stoped 500 bikes from going to landfill.
The guidance and support I receive is outstanding. I have achieved all my objectives in my learning plan and the sessions are very interesting. I receive guidance and support from the trainer who has made accommodations for my mental health problems. Service user
Bike Club has been an invaluable source of reconditioned bicycles for our adult cycle training project based in Nottingham city. We provide free cycle training to people in targeted communities, many of whom don’t have bicycles of their own and without the Bike Club’s support and supply of over 100 cycles over the past two years; we would have found it very difficult to provide free loan bikes to clients during their training. Murat Basaran, Cycling For Health Project Officer.
I have more self-confidence, work better in a team and have more confidence to talk to people. Service user
Interested in joining?
You can find out more by telephoning 0800 111 4262 (free), or visiting Framework’s website. You can also join our project by being referred from your support worker.
Farm Calm
Run by: Stonebridge City Farm
Area: Nottingham
Ecominds award amount: £19,584
Please note: This project has completed its Ecominds-funded work. However, it may still be offering similar opportunitues for volunteers. Please contact the project directly for further information.
Farm Calm used Ecominds funding to provide drop in days on the Stonebridge City Farm site twice a week for 30 people recovering from mental health problems. People were able to self-refer or be referred via their GP, occupational therapists and other partner organisations, including Framework and the Refugee Forum.
Participants attended a weekly activities for a period of 14 weeks, on a rolling programme. They could choose from a range of therapeutic activities including horticulture, animal care, environmental arts and crafts and wildlife conservation. The project culminated in a public photographic exhibition demonstrating its progress and participants’ achievements.
Interested in joining?
Find out more from the Stonebridge City Farm website or call: 0115 950 5113.
Genesis Allotment Project
Run by: Emmanuel House – The Genesis Allotment Project
Area: Organisation based in Nottingham, NG1 1FE
Ecominds award amount: £36,881
The Genesis Allotment Project takes places at St. Anne’s/Hungerhill – the largest and oldest Grade II allotment site in England. Thanks to Ecominds' funding it's now able to open five days a week.
The allotment has developed into a sustainable resource for healthy food, physical exercise, social interaction and skills training. It allows those people most displaced from society to re-connect and feel ownership of a space, working with the wider community to reduce stigma.
Beneficiaries work really hard and take real pride in everything they do, but it’s not all hard work, they also get to relax in a peaceful environment too. Plus the fruits of their efforts, lots of produce; are used in the kitchen at Emmanuel House, so even more people get to benefit from the allotment.
The combination of routine and disciplined physical work and training helps our beneficiaries develop horticultural skills, and also practise those valuable transferable employment and life skills such as time keeping, team work and budgeting.
It relaxes you. It concentrates the mind away from your problems and on to your work. We bring the food we grow back to our Day Centre. Service user
Interested in joining?
Please call Emmanuel House on 0115 9507140 to find out more about volunteering on our project.
Grow It
Run by: Amber Trust
Area: Swanwick DE5 5 1BW
Ecominds award amount: £104,804
The Grow It allotment is a supportive learning environment that enables volunteers to improve their mental and physical wellbeing, and confidence.
Those attending get involved at all levels, from choosing the types of plants to grow right through to the harvesting of crops. Volunteers even get the chance to enjoy the produce from the allotment too. In addition to this, we offer organised visits to other allotments and gardens.
The work you have done on the allotment is fantastic! You have enhanced the whole allotments and we are pleased to have you here. JC, allotment holder
I leave the allotment with a sense of satisfaction and contentment, I have such a relaxing night after being on the allotment. I have made friends that I can talk to, that helps my worries go away and I don’t feel so isolated. Service user
Interested in joining?
Contact Tracy Litchfield on 01773 599599 or tracyl@ambertrust.co.uk
Idle Valley Green Classroom
Run by: Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
Area: Retford DN22 8RQ
Ecominds award amount: £55,552
Supporting Imapct award: £21,200
Idle Valley Nature Reserve, on the outskirts of Retford, is a former gravel extraction site being restored to wetland habitat, mixed grassland, and woodland. It provides a beautiful and inspirational setting in which to learn new skills and develop an understanding of conservation and horticulture.
The project aims to provide opportunities for anyone who may be feeling acutely anxious or depressed, as well as those who have more long-term mental distress.
At the reserve volunteers can take part in a variety of activities: maintaining the nature reserve like planting trees and undertaking wildlife survey work; developing their knowledge of organic and sustainable vegetable growing; getting involved in courses and workshops e.g. woodworking, willow-weaving and arts and crafts.
All members of the group are supported by staff and volunteers who are experienced in working with people with mental distress. They're always on-hand to support individuals and help them to make the most of their time at the project.
Over the last 18 months a group from a local support service have been coming to the reserve twice a week to help with conservation tasks, many of whom have gained confidence and new skills.
Some very good work being done at idle valley – looks better every time I come. Tony, local bird club member
Beautiful – I love the willow tunnel and the view of the lake. A parent from a Sure Start children’s group. (The willow tunnel was built by project volunteers.)
Very therapeutic environment – great place for improving your mood as well as making you feel like you are contributing to the welfare of nature. Chris, project volunteer
I really enjoy coming and find it very relaxing. It gives me something to get out of bed for, and something to do. James, project volunteer
Interested in joining?
If you are interested in getting involved please contact Beccy Lees (Project Officer) on 01777 713947. Referral packs are available.
The Network Nature Express
Run by: Network for Change
Area: Leicester
Ecominds award amount: £19,993
Please note: This project has completed its Ecominds-funded work. However, it may still be offering similar volunteering opportunitues. Please contact the project directly for further information.
The project provided opportunities for people living with mental health problems, to access green spaces and to connect with nature and wildlife. Participants used creative media to express the benefits of these experiences and their work was collated into a public exhibition at the close of the project.
Interested in joining?
Ecominds funded work concluded in July 2011. You can find out more about the organisation's other activities from the Network for Change website or by telephoning 0116 2470335.
Trellis
Run by: Ecoworks
Area: Nottingham NG3 3AG
Ecominds award amount: £59,807
Trellis offers a supportive, accepting and beautiful community space where individuals can learn and participate in activities, both within our allotment gardens and as part of community growing projects with local residents.
The project enables service users and volunteers to get involved in a range of activities which considers their needs, interests and aspirations - including taking on their own garden plots, fruit tree planting in the community, green building and willow weaving.
Opening three days a week and also on some weekends, Trellis provides opportunities for participants to feel part of a community, establish new friendships, learn new skills, gain confidence, improve diet and gain understanding of environmental issues.
Overall we aim improve access to green spaces, support community engagement and regeneration of the local environment.
There is a real sense of community and energy beaming from the community garden. Everybody who passes through leaves with a big smile on their face. My experiences have been great. Chris, Participant
This has been fantastic for my son. It’s really turned his life around. If only you’d seen him a year ago, he was in a bad place, but now, honestly you want to see what he’s done in his own garden. Parent of volunteer at community garden
Interested in joining?
New people can join our Trellis project by contacting Ecoworks on 0115 9622200, or you can email us on info@ecoworks.org.uk or visit www.ecoworks.org.uk Alternatively individuals can be referred from a range of the cities mental health projects and community groups.