Southampton firefighters are putting the finishing touches on a new wellbeing garden which they can use to sit, reflect and reduce the impact of work on their mental health.
The team at St Mary’s Fire Station have been designing and building their wellbeing garden for the last two years and it is almost ready to welcome Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service staff who need a space to take time away from the challenges they face each day.
With the support of local companies and members of the public who have donated time and materials, St Mary’s have been able to create a wellbeing garden for firefighters and other members of staff to enjoy, following in the footsteps of other HIWFRS stations such as Redbridge and Havant.
St Mary’s has also been the base for firefighters Adam Bundle and Stu Vince who have been preparing and training for their transatlantic rowing challenge in aid of SolentMind and the Fire Fighters Charity.
Adam Bundle, St Mary’s watch manager, said:
“Two years ago we started a self-help project to promote health and well-being at work.
“Through the kindness of our community and the hard work and determination to succeed from the firefighters at St Mary’s Fire Station, we have been able to create an oasis of calm and tranquillity in the heart of Southampton. Our wellbeing garden is nearly complete!
“Thank you to every local company and the members of the public who have generously donated fencing materials, plants, a water feature, statues, trees, as well as providing structural groundwork expertise and plant machinery.
“We have been overwhelmed by the community spirit and kindness of everyone involved.”
Adam and Stu are two of the Service’s Mental Health First Aiders, who provide support and signposting for their colleagues and volunteers who may be experiencing poor mental health.
The organisation has also launched their Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) assessments across Hampshire and Isle of Wight, which gets firefighters talking about the incidents they have attended to avoid them carrying harrowing images with them and suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
These specially trained members of staff are on hand to discuss these incidents, provide help and see what other support is needed.
Mark Rowland Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, which hosts Mental Health Awareness Week said:
“Mental Health Awareness Week has grown to be one of the biggest awareness weeks in the UK. This year the theme is on nature and its central role for our mental health. Since the beginning of the pandemic, millions of us turned to nature to help us get through lockdowns and our research shows that good mental health depends on us being able to connect with nature in some way and its power in both prevention of and recovery from poor mental health.”
For more information about this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week visit mentalhealth.org.uk/mhaw or join the conversation on social media using #ConnectWithNature and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek.
