This article was originally written in French and can be viewed here.
What better time to introduce you to Damien Newman, a major figure in social and therapeutic therapy (STH) in the UK? Damien Newman is Training, Education and Consultancy Manager at Thrive, the British association which has been providing “gardening to bring about positive changes in the lives of people living with disabilities or ill health, or who are isolated, disadvantaged or vulnerable” since 1979.
In addition, together with Rebecca Haller, HTI’s own director and Sin-Ae Park (Chair of the International People Plant Council and Chair of the International Society for Horticultural Science Horticultural Therapy Working Group), he just co-organized the 16th International People Plant Symposium, which took place in Reading, England from July 10 to 12. The theme this year was “Cultivating human health through horticulture: from gardening lifestyle to professional intervention”.
What are the roots of nature’s place in UK healthcare?
The use of nature and gardens for health has never been as important as it is today, stemming from different starting points. Challenges have also been met over the past 10 or 20 years. Since the late 1970s, gardening for health has been embedded in British culture. For even longer, we’ve been a nation of gardeners. There isn’t really any wilderness in the UK that hasn’t been landscaped by humans. We’re not the most adept at outdoor activities – other European countries are more so. However our climate adapts to all plants. The importance of green spaces was recognized as early as the Victorian era. Philanthropists, town planners and public authorities all saw the need for access to nature. Cities tend to be green in the UK. London, for example, has more green space than brown. Other cities have good parks.
What’s more, until the advent of apartment buildings in the 1950s, the housing stock consisted of houses. Many people grew up with a garden. The Royal Horticulture Society is a major gardening organization, and the BBC broadcasts television programs on gardening because people recognize that the garden is an essential part of their lives. We could mention RHS Bridgewater in Manchester or Wisley outside London. Or Capel Manor College, which has been offering STH courses since the 1970s.
How did social prescribing contribute to the rise of social and therapeutic horticulture?
Social prescribing is not new. Municipal authorities offer gardening programs to a variety of people. This is another starting point for STH. But it’s a complex situation, because the two came into being without knowing about each other. There are NHS employees (“social prescribing link workers“) who identify programs that people can access (an art class, a local choir, a theater group or volunteer groups,…). The obvious thing is that it’s a link to people, places and purposes.
How does Thrive fit into this landscape?
Thrive has been around for over 40 years. We’ve always championed the health benefits of gardening. Many of the organizations delivering STH programs today started with Thrive. It’s a bottom-up movement. Until recently, it happened because people became aware of the benefits for themselves, then for a loved one (a nephew who has autism, a brother with a stroke,…).
I can mention HighGround for military personnel leaving active service; they offer horticultural therapy activities. Or Dementia Adventure, a dementia advocacy group whose goal is to bring people closer to the great outdoors, which is more than just STH. Wildlife Trusts, a conservation organization, has a volunteer support program that impacts health and is on the periphery of health issues. These are non-profit associations with varying degrees of support from Thrive. We estimate that there are at least 1,500 places practicing STH in the UK. There could be as many as 3,000.
How did you get into this field?
I was working in a locked down psychiatric hospital, where we had been gardening from the start. Time spent outdoors was considered as effective as traditional treatment. Medication is essential. But when most of the symptoms are under control, there’s nothing better than the garden for the patient. I can remember a patient whose health improved considerably thanks to a view of nature. He was neglecting himself, was difficult to talk to and smoked incessantly. A view of a valley and a beautiful garden adjoining the ward transformed him. From volatile, he became calmer. He was still struggling, but it was the start of working with him. I’ve seen people who acted like enemies in the ward. The garden changed their relationship and they became friends. I saw it with my own eyes. After five or six years, I learned about Thrive and joined them.
What is Thrive’s offer in terms of training?
Many people change careers and gain experience in different fields. Our courses enable them to make sense of something that’s a bit hazy. It allows them to clarify things and think about them. They feel more at ease and are a little better informed. You can feel isolated, even if there are 3,000 gardens our there. You’re a rarity when it comes to practicing STH, so it’s nice to meet other people. I have an affinity and respect for anyone working in health and care. It’s an emotional burden to care for someone.
Some remain in the field after their training. With drive and passion, they are paving the way for STH with new groups such as rehabilitation for cancer patients or stress relief for people suffering from tinnitus. A diploma student works with chronic pain patients. It’s humbling to be part of this success. This discipline attracts altruistic people. There’s never a student who doesn’t want to be here, even if they know they’ll have to live on a difficult salary.
What is the status of practitioners in the UK?
In the UK, there’s nothing like the HTR status (Horticultural Therapist-Registered) in the United States. Thrive and Trellis are working on this, studying what makes a good program, a good code of conduct and good ethics. There is a movement to become a profession registered with the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care. The primary aim is to support people with disabilities or poor health. The secondary aim is to have a professional body that will improve care across the UK. It will bring people together. Because they’re so varied, they need cohesion. The idea is to start with one level of certification, then add others. We don’t want people to have to spend too much money on training to prove their competencies when they’ve been doing this job for 15 years. They should be able to register their skills using a points system, and they could complete the requirements with a skills exchange. It would be unfair to make them wait.
How do you see the future of STH?
I sometimes get frustrated trying to describe STH. The definitions are 95% accurate. The last 5% is a never-ending conversation. The most important thing is to know how to provide good STH. The current definition of AHTA is the longest I’ve ever seen. It’s so contextual.
In STH, working as a group will always bring value. It’s hard to find negative effects. There is at least some restoration, some stress relief. Something good will happen in the garden, not necessarily what you expected. Culture in reference to the garden makes a difference in the way we approach our practice. The French and the British have different experiences of the garden. Our own affinities count.
For more info
- Thrive’s training programs, including its more complete program called the Thrive Diploma in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture.
- A 30-minute interview with Damien Newman on the British gardening site Roots and All.
