Environment

Using gardening to improve health and wellbeing

TUCKEDaway in Mells, the Walled Garden is a picturesque garden with a rich history stretching back to the 15th century. As well as an outdoor cafe, the idyllic grounds are home to a community plant nursery that aims to improve the health and mental wellbeing of local people.

This is done through social and therapeutic horticulture, where gardening is used as a tool to reduce isolation and bring people together. The Walled Garden, run by a non-profit CIC, offers a range of activities where visitors can enjoy the beautiful surroundings while learning new gardening techniques.

Evidence suggests that gardening has a range of benefits for the body and mind. A study carried out by the Royal Horticultural Society found that people who garden regularly have higher levels of mental wellbeing and lower levels of stress.

Focusing on a task, while surrounded by nature, can be a pleasant distraction from the worries of daily life. Gardening in a group can also be a great way to connect with others, and reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Alongside the mental health benefits, gardening is also an effective form of exercise, helping people to stay active without too much strain or effort. With all of this evidence, it’s clear that regular contact with nature, and keeping active, are crucial ingredients of a happy, healthy life.

Through a range of programmes, the Walled Garden gives people the opportunity to explore the benefits of gardening in a beautiful, tranquil setting.

Every Monday and Friday morning, we host our Garden and Connect programme. The Monday sessions are open to anyone who wants to improve their mental wellbeing, whereas the Friday workshops are aimed at anyone who may have physical difficulties.

In a relaxed environment, you’ll be tackling a range of seasonal tasks, from pruning roses to potting plants. These sessions are fully flexible and adaptable to your needs and abilities. Both sessions are free, and Emily, our therapeutic horticulturist, will be there to support you so no prior experience is necessary.

We also put on the kettle for a cuppa tea and a chat. Sessions start at 10am and finish at 12.30pm.

On Monday afternoons, we work with Froglife to provide our Wild Memories programme. Open to anyone living with dementia or memory loss, these gentle group sessions allow visitors to get active and meet new people, while helping local nature and wildlife. These sessions are free, and carers and family members are welcome to come along. Call ahead to book a session: 07949572849.

Another upcoming programme this summer are Health Connectors’ Talking Cafes. On the last Thursday of every month (until September), you will be able to drop in, meet new people and find out about activities, support groups and services available to you in our community.

Come and sit down and chat with some of Frome Medical Practice’s friendly health connectors, who can direct you to guidance and support on a range of health and wellbeing issues. The session runs from 11am to 12pm and is open to all, no prebooking necessary.

The Walled Garden cafe and plant nursery is open to the public from 11am5pm, Wednesday to Sunday, so feel free to come and explore the garden. If you’d like to find out more about the work that takes place in the garden, or book a space in one of these workshops, follow the link below or call us at 01373 812597.

Louis O’Geran Communications officer

Monitoring the River Chew

PENSFORD Primary School children and staff have been working with Bristol and Avon Rivers Trust (BART) on projects concerning the health of the River Chew.

Thanks to their chair of governors, Nigel Chambers, the children have use of hand-built steps in the river bank that allow them to take their learning beyond the classroom.

Year 5 and 6 pupils worked with some enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers, Charlie Tricks, Alex Limberg and Mike Brewin, river fly monitors, who play a key role in keeping an eye on the health of the Chew.

Head teacher Warrick Barton said: “They kindly leant the children their expertise and equipment in order to support Kingfisher class with their latest project: caring for mayfly nymphs and releasing the adults.”

An earlier project saw Year 3 and 4 children looking after young eels, elvers, in the classroom before releasing them back into the Chew. The children were quite shocked to learn of the very rapid decline in the number of eels in the river in the last decade or so.

Mr. Barton said: “At Pensford, we believe that educating their pupils about climate change and environmental issues in general is a vital part of their learning. Not only is it important, but so enjoyable for the children to be in the outdoors.”

Amy Wade from BART with children from Reception class

Details: www.pensfordschool.org

Wells goes green –focus on cycling

WELLS City Council is teaming up with the Sustainable Wells Group to deliver the next Wells Goes Green event – Wells on Wheels! – on Saturday, June 18th.

This event will be focussing on sustainable travel in Wells, with an extraspecial focus on cycling, with a mass cycle ride through the city at 12noon.

Wells Goes Green is a project run by Wells City Council over 2022, delivering a series of positive, educational events and workshops focussing on simple ways we can all reduce our carbon footprints.

According to IMPACT community carbon calculator, transport is the third largest contributor to Wells’ carbon footprint. Reducing the number of cars used for short journeys in Wells is a key step to becoming a Carbon Neutral City by 2030.

The event will be held on the Recreation Grounds by the bandstand, 10.30am2.30pm featuring a range of local businesses involved in sustainable travel, including electric bikes for you to try, a bike mechanic to demonstrate simple bike maintenance, and many more.

LifeCycle, a charity which promotes cycling, will be on hand to inform people about its work and the services it offers. They will also have a troubleshooting stand run by local councillors to discuss cycling infrastructure/facilities and highlight areas requiring attention, including a petition for better infrastructure in our region.

Details: www.wells.gov.uk https://www.sustainablewells.org.uk/ or email sustain@wells.gov.uk

Litter patrol for village

ONthe first wet day for weeks, volunteers in Compton Dando turned out for their annual litter pick, with 15 people turning up, despite the weather.

Organiser, Sarah Wilson, said: “We usually litter pick in February but this year our efforts were thwarted by storm Dennis and we had to cancel the event because of extremely high winds and lashing rain.”

Along with the usual assortment of bottles, cans and take-away packaging, they also found car mats, an industrial sized roll of fibre optic cable and a mattress.

Sarah said: “A huge thank you goes to everyone that joined us, to those who litter pick year-round and to Gary Pearce, Simon Kinnersley and Chris Daubney, who all provided the transport to get us and the litter backwards and forwards throughout the morning.

“This was our first litter pick since 2020. Throughout the last two years villagers have made a huge effort to pick up litter while out walking and this has made a huge difference.

“We are currently exploring the idea of individuals/teams adopting a local road for litter picking purposes and Alison ter Haar is discussing the idea with locals - all in an effort to keep our beautiful village as litter free as possible.”

Steep Holm island welcomes volunteers

THEisland of Steep Holm is just a short boat trip from Westonsuper-Mare, a nature reserve and site of historic importance. The island is owned and managed by the Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust (KAMT). During the spring, summer and early autumn, visitors can spend the day exploring the reserve, watching the birds and other wildlife, discovering the remains of a Victorian fort or simply relaxing while enjoying a unique visitor experience.

A site of Special Scientific Interest the island is home to breeding gulls, unusual plants and other rare wildlife. The Victorians fortified the island as a Palmerston Fort. Their six gun emplacements, complete with cannons, remain largely intact.

Massive gun batteries were built in WWII, together with searchlight posts. The KAMT purchased the whole island in 1975 in memory of Kenneth Allsop the author, journalist and keen conservationist.

After arriving on the island visitors make their way from the landing beach up to the top of the island walking past the remains of an old inn, the site of a Augustinian Priory of St Michael, established 1150, gun batteries with massive cannons, eventually arriving at a large Victorian barracks which acts as the visitor centre and cafe.

Here after a much-welcomed cup of coffee or tea, the visitor is free to visit the display cabinets and a small museum where they can learn more about the history, archaeology and natural history of this special place.

Walking around the whole island takes about two hours. From the trig point on the highest point visitors enjoy wonderful views of the Severn estuary on a clear day and much of the Somerset and Welsh coast.

In spring the island is alive with the cries of gulls as they protect their nests by occasionally flying close to the heads of visitors. It is recommended that visitors wear a hat or carry an umbrella, even on a sunny day.

From the footpath on the northern cliffs the nests of cormorants can been seen. A peregrine falcon can often be seen hunting. The island’s vegetation is mostly formed of low scrub with extensive stand of Alexanders, Tree Mallow, Privet and scattered trees.

Occasionally the lucky visitor comes across a Muntjac deer, which were introduced in the 1970s. Slow-worms sun themselves on the path. By July the gulls have finished breeding and the island is much quieter with only the sounds of the buzz of bees and waves lapping on the shore.

At low tide many visitors make their way to the landing beach, where a common sight is a seal as it pops its head above the waves to look at the people on the shore. After lunch one of the island wardens will give a talk on the island outlining the joys and challenges of managing an uninhabited island nature reserve.

Looking to the future of the island, the KAMT are keen to enhance the visitor experience. A project is planned to restore one of the underground ammunition stores, allowing visitors to experience what it would have been like to have been a Victorian soldier living on the island.

There are plans to undertake regular wildlife surveys and build a database of the island’s biodiversity. Like many small reserves the island is managed by a small team of dedicated volunteers that undertake a wide range of activities that help maintain the special nature of the place.

Volunteering activities include working on building maintenance, running the visitor centre by providing refreshments or carrying out vital wildlife conservation work. Members of the public are most welcome to become members of the KAMT and get involved with this work.

The trust needs a wide range of volunteers from archaeologists, accountants, builders, engineers, gardeners, website managers to zoologists. If you would like to become one of the team, please visit our website www.steepholm.online to learn more about the island and the work of the KAMT.

Stephen Parker Chair Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust

Former inn and landing beach Volunteers (l to r) Mark Harris, Maureen Gillet and Sandra Allen outside The Barracks