WINE
Forty Hall Vineyard By Katie Goodchild
Here is an English vineyard that holds people and community, well-being and mental health in its heart. Forty Hall Vineyard was first established as a social enterprise in 2009. It is run by volunteers from Enfield who are crucial to its survival - or, is it the vineyard that is crucial to volunteers suffering with mental health disorders? “The Borough of Enfield has the 12th highest rate of depression in London and is home to more than 32,000 adults living with a mental health disorder; the NHS spends over £98 million a year treating depression and anxiety in Enfield.” Some 160 volunteers at FHV have included individuals who suffer with anxiety and depression, isolation, learning difficulties and abuse at home. However, these same volunteers have 66
later reported feeling more positive and more socially connected, with improved mental health and well-being. In 2009, mental health was not widely discussed or documented, so it was as volunteers began to speak about their improved well-being that FHV decided to develop an ecotherapy project. A project that allows individuals to work in all areas of the business, from maintaining the vines to selling wine and representing the enterprise. What’s more, volunteers have access to accredited courses, enabling them to develop a variety of skills and to make their first critical steps back into the world of work, learning and social engagement. It’s easy to get absorbed into the brilliant work FHV is doing to improve well-being and mental health in the community. But let’s not forget that Cibare Magazine
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