The Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) operates community-based services including employability programs and gardens in 27 local authorities. Their services at gardens like Sprout Market Garden, Redhall Walled Garden, Chrysalis, and Evergreen provide crisis intervention, skills training, and peer support to help over 5,000 people monthly. Evaluations found participants had improved fitness, happiness, confidence and made new friends through activities like walking, tennis and forestry work. SAMH aims to expand these mental health services providing hope and recovery in more areas.

1. Scottish Association for
Mental Health
Charlie McMillan
Director of Operations
www.samh.org.uk
www.samh.org.uk

2. People Recover Better in
Gardens
WWW.SAMH.ORG.U
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3. SAMH: For Scotland’s
Mental Health
• Scottish Association for Mental Health
– Community based services including
employability and employment
– National Programmes (x5)
– Lobbying and Campaigning
– Fundraising
• Operate in 27 of 32 local authorities
• Other highlights: Resource Centres, ‘see
me’; respectme; training
• Reach over 5000 people every month
through all our activities
WWW.SAMH.ORG.U
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4. “Working
together in
the garden
builds a
sense of
belonging.”
WWW.SAMH.ORG.U
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5. Greenspace Activity in
SAMH
• Sprout Market Garden (first service:
1983)
• Redhall Walled Garden (Edinburgh)
• Chrysalis (Dundee)
• Evergreen (Kirkcaldy)
• Part of Get Active (Forestry Commission)
• Part of Business Development Agenda
WWW.SAMH.ORG.U
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6. “Being
outdoors
has helped
me to live
indoors”
WWW.SAMH.ORG.U
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7. What do the current
services provide?
• Crisis Intervention
• Individual work
– therapeutic interventions and skills based
• Group work
– therapeutic interventions and skills based
– Tools for Living
TM
• Promote self management
• Formal learning opportunities
• Employability
• Employment
WWW.SAMH.ORG.U
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8. What do the current
services provide?
• A safe and nurturing environment
• Peer support
• A sense of belonging
• Recovery
• Hope
• A highly cost effective and impactful
intervention!
WWW.SAMH.ORG.U
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9. Some feedback…
“It’s such a
lovely feeling
“When I first came
to be part of a
to Redhall I felt
team.”
broken. Now I can
actually begin to
see the possibility
of becoming a
whole human
“ Its inspiring to watch
being again.”
the garden grow
through the seasons.”
WWW.SAMH.ORG.U
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10. Get Active Community
Engagement Pilots: Evaluation
• Walking, tennis, cycling, forestry, football!
• Interim report has highlighted significant outcomes for
participants:
– 78% reported improved fitness
– 90% felt happier
– 87% felt more confident
– 95% learned a new skill
– 84% made new friends
• Need to disseminate this learning further and communicate this
with key partners
WWW.SAMH.ORG.U
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11. Other benefits included:
• Improved mood
• Better sleep
• Feeling happier
• Having more energy (the buzz!)
• Improved internal and external confidence (how
they felt about themselves and how they felt
others perceived them)
• Improved relationships with friends and families
(many made new friends as part of the process)
• Reduced isolation
• Increase self-worth and self-belief
• Increased aspirations
WWW.SAMH.ORG.U
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12. Development Activity
• Greenspace Based Recovery TM
– Developing the model
• Partnerships (existing and new)
– Scottish Natural Heritage
– Forestry Commission Scotland
– Edinburgh City Council - Redhall
– NHS Tayside/Dundee City Council/Dundee
College/DAMH – Chrysalis
– Fife Council/Elmwood College - Evergreen
• Service potential….
– Glasgow?
– Borders?
WWW.SAMH.ORG.U
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13. “I was given dungarees and boots and for the first
time since I was ill, I had the sense that I was able to
do something and a little spark of hope ignited.”
WWW.SAMH.ORG.U
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