Sydenham mental health support volunteers win Queen’s Award

By Melissa Kasule

 

 

A group of volunteers have been honoured by the Queen for their work with mental and physical ill-health sufferers.

 

Sydenham Garden, a group of more than 90 people based in Lewisham, has won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service this year, given to projects which benefit their local communities.

 

The volunteers support those recovering from mental and physical ill-health through social, creative and therapeutic programmes. Funded by the Clinical Commissioning Group and Lewisham council, Sydenham Garden also caters for the rising demand for dementia activity.

 

Councillor Chris Best, Deputy Mayor of Lewisham and Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care and Lifelong member of Sydenham Garden, said: “During these difficult times, it is so welcome that this marvellous group of volunteers who focus on people’s recovery from mental ill-health and other significant illnesses are being recognised in such an acclaimed way.

 

Kate Lake a volunteer at Sydenham Garden said: “I have been volunteering at Sydenham Garden for nearly five years. I help on a programme called Growing Lives which helps co-workers who have mental health issues improve their mental and physical health and therefore their sense of well-being and social inclusion.  We aim to make everyone feel included, supported and valued through everything we do.

 

“Volunteers work alongside the co-workers doing all the tasks involved in gardening: sowing, growing and harvesting food and flowers. Growing plants can provide a great sense of purpose and achievement.

 

Kenton Brown also a volunteer at Sydenham Garden, added: “I volunteer with the BAME group, running short gardening sessions and using gardening as a tool to support peoples mental health.

 

“I feel welcomed at the garden. Feeling welcomed makes me want to help, I have experienced my own mental health difficulties and know where some of the people are coming from. I enjoy doing it because I know the people who come are benefiting like I have.

 

“I feel very happy that Sydenham Garden has won the QAVS award. Sydenham Garden has given me hope and a future.”

 

Julia Brandreth, Chair of the Trustees at Sydenham Garden, said: “I am delighted that our group’s work has been recognised in this way.  It is a huge tribute to the hard work and outstanding commitment of our volunteers who make Sydenham Garden a success in so many different ways. 

 

“I am particularly pleased that this award has been received now as it gives me the opportunity to thank my predecessor as chair, Jim Sikorski, who founded Sydenham Garden along with a small group of local residents in 2002. Their vision and dedication turned a neglected nature reserve into the wonderful therapeutic resource we have today.”

 

Sydenham Garden will receive the award from Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE, Lord Lieutenant of Greater London later this summer and volunteers will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2021 with the other recipients of this year’s award.