This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council has been chosen by the Government as a Lead Authority for the fund and is responsible for monitoring the progress of projects funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
We launched our Orchard Wellbeing sessions as part of the Youth Engagement Project after the Easter Holidays. We have just completed our first half term block of these sessions and have been really heartened by the engagement and feedback we’ve had from the young people involved.
We have had 8 different people join in with these sessions and activities have included mindful walks, grounding exercises, planting and transplanting seeds, foraging and harvesting, making herbal teas, planning and cooking a healthy home-grown lunch, making wildflower seed-bombs, pressing flowers and decorating plant pots.
The group have worked so well together, and we’ve witnessed them all grow in confidence, social skills, develop teamwork, and support each other with any anxieties, questions, and learning. This has been really inspiring and encouraging to be a part of and it’s been amazing to get so many positive comments from the group.
‘There’s nothing I don’t like’
One young person told us that prior to these sessions she was staying in bed all day and rarely going out. However, she is now excited each week to come along to the sessions. She said the sessions have ‘helped her to cope, manage stress, to get outside and be in nature to relax and focus.’ She told us that the sessions have improved her sleep, decision making and mood, and she particularly benefits from the slow pace and extra processing time accounted for.
Another young person said: “It’s a release…there’s nothing I don’t like. I learned to make tea out of herbs, make pesto from plants and plant more stuff than I knew I would.” He commented that the sessions have had a positive impact on his life ‘mentally’, giving him something to do that he really enjoys, which he says is ‘rare.’
One person said they’d particularly enjoyed the cooking session and doing things they’ve not done before, like learning to press flowers.
Another reflected that they like that it was ‘very chilled’. They said: “It helps with mindfulness. I’ve learned that being grounded can be calming as you can use that to sense different things. It has helped to keep a positive mindset anywhere you are at.”
Next up for Orchard Wellbeing
We will be running our next block of Orchard Wellbeing Sessions from 14th June – 19th July followed by summer activities. These sessions are on Friday mornings 10-12.30, followed by a free lunch at Heart and Soul Café.
Our next sessions will include mindful photography, building biodiversity ponds and bee hotels, cooking, seasonal gardening tasks and employability skills. We still have spaces in these sessions for anyone who may like to get involved. We also have opportunities for work experience, volunteering and adult education which people can progress onto.
Read more about the Young Peoples’ Programmes at Newquay Orchard here.
