Patients of Chesterfield’s Ashgate Hospicecare enjoy virtual gardening sessions

Prior to the pandemic, day services patients enjoyed getting their hands dirty in the hospice gardens, helping to grow fruit and vegetables and more.

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But when the pandemic hit, patients and their families were restricted from accessing services at Old Brampton, with many patients shielding due to the risks posed by Covid-19.

The charity soon introduced virtual services for its patients, which saw the introduction of The Potting Club – an online session which meant patients with life-limiting illnesses could continue getting involved with the horticultural activities from their own homes.

The project has been made possible thanks to funding from the Chesterfield Health and Well-being Small Grants Scheme Panel, along with the help of Derbyshire Voluntary Action.

Ami Brunyee, activities co-ordinator at Ashgate Hospicecare, as well as founder and facilitator of The Potting Club, streams the sessions to patients via Zoom, live from the garden shed in the hospice gardens.

She said: “Our day services patients loved getting their hands dirty in our gardens before the pandemic, so it was such a shame when the pandemic stopped folk from visiting Old Brampton.

“We wanted to continue to offer some horticultural fun to our patients, so I worked to introduce The Potting Club – and it’s been a great success so far!

“The aim was to create a small mini-garden which is easy to grow and has health benefits for each individual; the gardens can be kept indoors for those that cannot get out in the garden too.

“It gives some patients something to look forward to and allows others to make new friends and talk to people who are going through similar experiences as they are.

“The sessions are filled with fun and laughter and nobody takes themselves too seriously.

“It’s just great to see our patients enjoying themselves and getting lost in the moment.”

David Lawton has lived with heart failure after suffering a cardiac arrest in 2013.

He started attending Ashgate’s virtual sessions during the first lockdown and has particularly enjoyed taking part in The Potting Club sessions.

He said: “The sessions have been very interesting and I’ve been learning along the way."

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