Chestnut Nursery
| Published: 24th May 2008 11:55 |
What is SWOP?
The Sheltered Work Opportunities Project is a registered charity based in Bournemouth, serving the communities of East Dorset and West Hampshire. It was set up to address the great need for the meaningful occupation, in a supportive and pressure-free environment, for adults with severe and enduring mental illness. SWOP aims to use the therapeutic nature of horticulture to restore mental well-being.
The trustees of the charity, who meet quarterly, come from a wide variety of backgrounds including business, horticultural, accounting, teaching, healthcare and local council. SWOP is overseen by a Management Committee; the majority of members are nursery volunteers.
Why is SWOP Needed?
Research shows that, in any one year, 25% of the population experience a mental health problem. Many of these people want and need to fill their time usefully and productively, but feel unable to cope with the stresses and pressures of open employment. Sheltered work in a realistic but pressure free environment is often a good way to promote recovery by boosting self-esteem and confidence, providing companionship and mutual support, helping to dispel boredom and loneliness, and restore dignity.
Cherry Tree Nursery
SWOP's first project, Cherry Tree Nursery, is now a successful commercial shrub nursery site on land belonging to Bournemouth Council. It has grown from 4 volunteers on 2 acres in 1990 to over 100 volunteers on 4.5 acres today. The nursery produces over 90,000 finished shrubs, 100,000 liners, 125 cuttings and 1,000 specimen-sized shrubs annually.
The nursery aims to provide a supportive family atmosphere and to address the individual needs of each volunteer. There is no time limit to anyone's stay, and the nursery also offers continuing support to those volunteers who have moved on.
Chestnut Nursery
Due to the increasing demand for places at Cherry Tree, SWOP opened a second project in October 2001 at Chestnut Nursery in Poole. It offers 50 work placements to volunteers with severe and enduring mental illness. 
Chestnut Nursery is situated at the former Poole Council nursery site, adjacent to Poole Park. It is open to the public six days a week selling a wide variety of perennials, shrubs, ornamental grasses and seasonal crops.
There are now 55 volunteers who work at the nursery ona regular basis, they have worked vey hard to make Chestnut Nursery look as good as it does and to grow top quality plants. Our volunteers have a wide variety of skills and thanks to this hard work, the project is flourishing. The five greenhouses have been repaired and most of the two acre site cleared, so the nursery is now growing plants almost to its full capacity.
Chestnut aims to give its volunteers the opportunity to learn or relearn basic work skills in a supportive environment. They work in all aspects of the nursery, which includes, seed sowing, potting plants, watering, serving customers in the shop, general plant care, carpentry, construction work, installing irrigation systems, re-glazing greenhouses, as well as office and computer work and producing literature.
By providing a place where people can mix with others who truly empathise, make friends, and feel valued and respected, the project aims to help volunteers to gain confidence, self-esteem and dignity. Chestnut offers a wide range of activities, outings and events which can assist the volunteers in becoming more independent and broaden their outlook.
Part of SWOP's brief is to help reduce stigma and discrimination by promoting public awareness of mental health issues. Staff from Chestnut give talks to local groups, the nursery has an Annual Open Day and invites other organisations to visit the project.
Along with the work being carried out within the grounds of Chestnut Nursery, maintaining areas within the community is also being done to a very high standard to ensure that Poole remains in bloom. These have been sponsored by local companies and can been seen in different locations.
Over the six years, Chestnut Nursery has been reconized for it's work towards the community and helping with adults coping with mental illness, awards for 'Business with Pride', ' Personal Achievement', 'Certificate of Excellence' are just a few example they have received.
Helping this project, volunteers and main staff work with a passion in gardening which produces great results allowing both vistors and residence to purchase these plants knowing that the cost is going to a good cause.
Grace Reynolds - Manager,
Jerermy Norris - Assistant Manager,
Mitch - Horticultural Technician
Due to the high cost of running such a project though, plant sales alone will never cover its expenses and so the nursery will always rely heavily on fundraising for donations in order to continue its valuable work.
Chestnut Nursery also offer: -
- Customer Loyalty Card - For every complete £10 you spend, you will receive a stamp on the card. When you have received ten stamps, a £10 Chestnut Gift voucher is awarded
- Gift Vouchers - Available in denominations of £5, £10, £20
Chestnut Nursery (SWOP) Price List (pdf)
Additional to the many things on offer, Chestnut Nursery are now growing wider variety of plants, shrubs and trees including fruit bushes such as currants and blueberries and also a wonderful selection of roses as well as a huge variety of summer bedding, vegetable seedlings, palms and succulents with many more available.
To compliment the plants on offer, there are also available a lovely classic range of British made terracotta pots with a 50 year frost proof guarantee.
From the sales hut, there are stocks of local honey and hand-made cards as well as recycled garden trugs and other popular organic garden products.
The hanging basket refill service is in operation, orders are being taken. By bringing your old baskets in, for a very reasonable fee, Chestnut Nursery will restock it for you. Alternatively, a ready made option is also available to purchase.
Chestnut Nursery would like to take this opportunity to thank all there customers for there continuous support. Funding is always an issue and rely on income from plant sales and donations heavily to enable them to secure the future of this very special project.
Board of Trustees
- Martin Stewart - Chairman / Secretary
- Ray Bere - NSch
- Sheila Carson
- Cllr Ben Grower FCA
- Keith James FCCA - Treasurer
- Alan Livingstone
- June Wood Bsc - SROT
