In November 2013 Thrive, the UK charity for horticultural therapy, held a seminar in London entitled ‘Green Care White Care: Gardening and Growing for Health’.
The seminar included seven presentations which can all be viewed and downloaded from the Thrive website where there is also a short video of Sir Richard Thompson’s keynote speech.
http://www.thrive.org.uk/green-care-white-care-presentations.aspx
Thrive, the charity for social and therapeutic horticulture in the UK, offer a free e-newletter. I would recommend signing up for anyone with an interest or wanting to learn more about horticultural therapy.
You can sign up here: http://www.thrive.org.uk/subscribe-to-thrive.aspx
You can also download previous issues here: http://www.thrive.org.uk/thrive-news.aspx
They also offer a specific e-newsletter on ‘Training and Education’ which focusses on sharing research, learning opportunities and practice tools for therapists. This is a relatively new addition and is worth examining further.
To find out more information and to sign up for this newsletter please visit: http://www.thrive.org.uk/training-and-education.aspx On this link you will also find out information about the conferences and seminars that Thrive run each year, such as the Green Care White Care which takes place on Monday the 18th of November in London.
UK horticultural therapy charity Thrive is opening it’s Old English and Herb Garden to the public this weekend as part of London’s Open Squares Weekend.
Entry is free and the garden is open between 11-16:00.
More information can be found here: http://www.thrive.org.uk/battersea-london.aspx
Thrive have announced a partnership with Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres in the UK to recruit skilled horticultural therapists to maintain the therapeutic gardens and run sessions for people living with the impact of cancer.
The following locations are looking to appoint therapists: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fife, Dundee, Inverness, Cheltenham, Nottingham and Swansea.
For more information and how to apply please follow this link:
A piece that I discovered on the Thrive website about recently released research from Brazil and America which promotes the prescribing of gardening as an appropriate treatment for people with high cholesterol levels.
You can read the full article here: http://www.thrive.org.uk/news/news/news-288.aspx
I suppose the most logical place to start this blog and process is with Thrive.
Thrive are the leading horticultural therapy organisation in the UK. Since the charity was formed in 1978 they have been involved in promotion, delivery, education, funding and campaigning for the benefits of therapeutic horticulture across all ages and abilities.
In conjunction with Coventry University, Thrive run the main horticultural therapy qualification in the UK – The Professional Development Diploma in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture. This is a part-time distance learning course and the one I gained.
Their website is full of useful information which can increase your knowledge and practice. They also run a spin-off program and website called ‘carry on gardening’. It’s focus is to help people who have been involved in horticulture continue to do so after life changing events.
The Horticultural Therapist 