Trellis and Thrive have committed to working together to create the Professional Body for Social & Therapeutic Horticulture (STH). Practitioners across the sector have been calling for a professional body dedicated to STH and Trellis has been working towards this for many years. Most recently, Training and Standards Officer, and Trellis fieldworker, Emma Martindale, visited the University of Edinburgh in February, to deliver a lecture to 2nd year undergraduate students from the school of social sciences, and students from other subjects including economics, psychology, and also a group of students visiting from the USA. This lecture was part of a course called Creative Social Work and the Arts. Emma provided an overview of Social and Therapeutic Horticulture, the Trellis network and services, and the theory and examples of the many benefits experienced through time outdoors, and in gardens. Emma is now supporting lecturer Autumn Roesch-Marsh to supervise a Masters student who hopes to learn more about the practitioners, and the methods used in STH projects that work with participants experiencing mental health issues. And in a couple of weeks, our CEO Fiona will give a lecture for students from Elmwood and Oatridge colleges at SRUC about therapeutic horticulture and what it’s like to work in this field. By giving students a glimpse of what a career in this line of work might entail, we can help secure a generation of future practitioners to provide therapeutic gardening services. These opportunities further help us realise the importance of creating a Professional Body. Join us for our next meeting on 19 March at 6.30pm. |