Cultivating Mental Health in NHS Primary Care - Emma Martindale & Helen Foulkes

Emma originally qualified with a BSc in Ecology and then went on to work in a variety of community garden projects in Edinburgh including at the Edinburgh Community Backgreens Association, and Gorgie City Farm. She then returned to study, completing a Masters in Social Work and then working in an adult learning disability team in the Scottish Borders while continuing to garden at home, and as a volunteer with Gorebridge Community Gardens. After 8 years in social work the pull of therapeutic gardening was strong, and she is now self-employed running Nature on the Mind, which supports individuals and organisations to improve wellbeing through gardening and time in nature. Emma has an interest the professional development of those working in social and therapeutic gardens, the links between improved wellbeing and time spent in gardens and nature, and in academic research relating to horticultural therapy and nature-based interventions.

After previously working in the NHS and MOD  as a RGN nurse a change in career took me from working in Occupational Health and GP practice nursing to horticulture. Wanting to carry on a caring role and utilising my occupational health skills but in a different field I obtained my RHS qualifications with the Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh and Horticultural Therapy Awards with Thrive. I have had to move frequently and have worked in many different settings as my husband is a serving military officer in the British Army . Before my last move to the Scottish Boarders I worked for 3 years designing and  providing  social therapeutic horticulture sessions  to secondary school students with SEN in a specialist school setting. I have also worked with Military Veterans and private clients in a variety of gardens through out the country and have been fortunate recently to facilitate a Mental Health Awareness CPD day and a 12 week STH course for Trellis .