As Manager of Haskins Garden Centre in Ferndown, Simon Hallam knows how important it is to nurture plants as they grow from seeds to fully-grown flowers. And he and his team are keen to support local mental health charity, Dorset Mind, as they do just this themselves.
So why did Haskins choose to support Dorset Mind?
Over the last year, Dorset Mind have worked hard to establish themselves within the local community, and have delivered mental health support services that are responsive and above all, safe.
This factor, plus the prominence of mental health issues in the media – concerning issues both at home and in the workplace – convinced Simon and his team to nominate Dorset Mind as their ‘Charity of the Year.’ This Sunday the Brighton Marathon takes place. A keen runner, Simon is running for the charity.
He said, “Over my Career I have run many Marathons in aid of various charities, this year when I decided to run the Brighton Marathon it was an easy decision to make as Dorset Mind is our charity of the Year. We are working hard within the centre to raise not only money for them but also raise awareness of Mental Health issues across Dorset.”
Dorset Mind Patron and psychologist at Bournemouth University, Dr Andy Mayers, comments, “We are very excited that Simon and the team at Ferndown Haskins have made us their ‘Charity of the Year’. One of the biggest challenges for local charities is to secure funding. Simon’s team approached us a few weeks ago, and they have already held a ‘Plant Talk’ by expert Pippa Greenwood and of course this coming weekend Simon is running the Brighton Marathon. This is only the start of a programme of events to be held throughout the year. Haskins’ dedicated support will enable us to continue our work inDorset, helping people with their mental health problems.”
“1 in 4 people will experience a diagnosable mental health problem at some point in their lifetime. It’s well known that as a predominately outdoors pastime, one of the benefits of gardening is that it enhances our mental health and wellbeing… So what better companion to raise awareness of mental health – they perfectly complement each other.”
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