By Phoebe Tatham
October 12 2019, 16.45
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Brixton’s Pulross Centre opened the doors to its leafy outdoor garden last month in a bid to boost social prescribing within the community.
The centre is part of a borough-wide project under the moniker Lambeth GP Food Co-op which first launched at Brockwell Park surgery in 2013.
Funded by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, the centre joins 10 other outdoor spaces designed to foster friendships and teach basic gardening skills to local patients.
“Being outdoors ticks all of the boxes in terms of health. It’s social, it’s outside, and it’s creative. The reason it’s called a ‘co-op’ is because it’s about relationships,” said Dr Liz Williams from King’s College Hospital.
The co-operative is comprised of patients, doctors, nurses and Lambeth residents and has been designed to support patients with long-term health conditions.
It is hoped that these new green spaces will become safe havens for those looking to socialise and grow food together, all whilst ensuring the sustainability of the health and social care system.
Retired nurse and founding member, Earline Hilda Castillo-Binger, said that even whilst many lack gardening experience, the gardens provide them with a way to learn something new.
She said: “It empowers them as they are allowed to take ownership of these spaces.
“Some people may need prescribed medicine, but with others, in turns out that what they actually need is a bit of companionship and social interaction.”
Volunteer, Muriel Hudson, 75, from Streatham, said: “The energy of a garden, even if it’s a small one, provides you with such a grounding.
“You’re always doing something for tomorrow and on a psychological level, gardening is incredibly beneficial.”
Whilst no independent clinical analysis has been done, doctors across Lambeth have noticed that they’ve been receiving fewer visits from patients as a result of the project.
Project director, Ed Rosen, has further cemented the co-op’s relationship with King’s College Hospital by allowing patients to sell their produce in the hospital’s restaurant on the last Thursday of every month.
All profits are injected back into the co-op, helping to fund existing centres and provide a springboard for future community-led projects.
