A personal story of finding a recipe for wellbeing through the right support, volunteering and community.
A few years ago, Rob visited a GP with concerns about his mental health. He struggled with isolation and intrusive thoughts about harming himself, having been through a number of family challenges and losses. Rob tried several things to get into a better place mentally, but nothing seemed to offer the right kind of support, he explains: “The problem is that as soon as I feel that someone’s reading off a book, I don’t want to listen, because I know it’s not real.”
Rob’s GP suggested to try working with a Lived Experience Practitioner and introduced him to Callum from a local charity Catalyst Support.
Explaining his role and how it works, Callum says “As Lived Experience Practitioners, we share our mental health challenges, our recovery, and how we have built resilience. We are there like walking companions to say, ‘let’s get up’. It gives people motivation, to inspire hope that we’ve been where they are, but we’ve found strategies to help us and so can they.”
Callum remembers meeting Rob for the first time: “When we first met, Rob said he hadn’t slept because he was nervous. I told him that was normal and that I was a bit nervous too. I think having that honest engagement allows us to move forward, and he then opened up about some of his past and he gained some trust in me. He didn’t want me to talk to him like a robot.”
After a few initial sessions, Rob expressed an interest in gardening, and so Callum suggested he try volunteering for a day at Holme Farm.
Holme Farm is community initiative in Addlestone, founded by Ronnie Kendall and his wife Christine, who wanted to offer a space for people to come together, help address loneliness and support wellbeing.
The farm began in 2018 and over the past few years has grown to include workshops, gardens and wildlife across 14 acres, inviting the community to help support and enjoy the benefits of the space. The space has flourished with the dedication of the volunteers and the diversity of their skills, whether that be gardening, DIY or an openness to learn. Some people are referred here by healthcare professionals and charities as an opportunity to improve their wellbeing.
Rob now visits the farm seven days a week, saying “I started off once a week, then twice a week. Now my record is coming in 138 days in a row. I just haven’t left… Before I found Holme Farm, I was just sat in my flat day in day out. I still struggle with my mental health, but It’s much better managed now… Being out here, it’s like it puts a blanket over things.”
Rob says that since joining the volunteering team, he’s got more people to connect with: ‘Holme Farm is a family.” Not only this, but since working with Callum and at Holme Farm, Rob has got married to his partner who also volunteers at the garden.
Reflecting on Rob’s progress together, Callum says: “The space you [Rob] have created, the work you’ve put in, the responsibility that you have here means you’re a very important part of this group. From where you used to be to where you are now, it’s incredible to see you having come this far. You’re the one who’s down here every day of the week putting in the work because it’s helping your wellbeing. I’m very grateful to have witnessed your journey.”
Lived Experience Practitioner support can be accessed at multiple GP surgeries in Surrey and is provided by Catalyst Support and other local charities. For more information on Catalyst Support, visit their website Catalyst Support – Catalyst Support, call 01483590150 or text 07909631623.
To find out more about Holme Farm, visit their website Holme Farm | Community Gardens & Workshops.