Dorset Mind are excited to announce their new partnership with Transition Town Dorchester (TTD). The mental health charity has started to deliver their Eco in Mind ecotherapy support and activities for local people that want to improve their wellbeing work on a dedicated space at the Community Farm in Poundbury.
Initial preparations began in March 2024, following a planned design, and the first group activities are already proving popular. Ecotherapy and being in nature is known to benefit wellbeing and the charity has seen particular success working with local schools and students that are at risk of not attending school.
New TTD Farm Community Coordinator and Poundbury resident, Michelle Markham, will be working with Dorset Mind’s Dorchester Session Facilitator, Georgia Woollard, to support the new Partnership as it develops.
Georgia comments, “I’m thrilled to be sharing a space with Transition Town in Dorchester, with a long-term view for plans over the next 5 or 10 years! This will allow us to cultivate the land and learn what grows well. The site is on a bus route which also makes it accessible to people from different towns and villages in the surrounding area.”
Dorset Mind CEO, Linda O’Sullivan adds, “We’re delighted to provide this essential service for adults and young people of Dorchester and welcome the opportunity to partner with Transition Town on the project. Georgia has liaised with local schools to help educate students, especially those young people who find it hard to go to school and are at risk of becoming excluded. They in particular have benefited from working and learning outside.”
Dorset Mind’s Patron and Principal Academic at Bournemouth University, Dr Andy Mayers says, “I am delighted to see this new Eco in Mind partnership with Transition Town Dorchester. At this time of increasing concerns over the environment, it is refreshing to see a project that uses sustainable farming to promote wellbeing through ecotherapy.”
Georgia and the Dorset Mind Team will deliver sessions for adults on Mondays (11.45am to 12.45pm) and Thursdays (10 to 11am) – and work directly with schools, groups and organisations to offer bespoke sessions. The sessions will run all year, and you might expect to take part in activities such as: Sowing seeds and planting fruit and vegetables; Digging, weeding and pruning; seed to plate projects, planning new spaces and upcycling pallets; building raised beds and bird boxes, creating wildlife habitats and nature-based arts and crafts.
Transition Town Dorchester is a non-profit organisation that has had a volunteer managed Community Farm project on Duchy land within Poundbury since 2010, and is particularly looking forward to local community groups making more use of the farm space.
To learn more about Transition Town Dorchester Community Farm and Dorset Mind’s Eco in Mind service – and how to provide support or get involved in their activities, you can find further information at:
http://transitiontowndorchester.org/ and https://dorsetmind.uk/.