New beginnings gardening donation for people in recovery

An NHS service which supports the recovery of people with an alcohol or drug addiction, has received a donation of gardening tools and seeds for its allotment area from two local Doncaster businesses.

New beginnings on Marshall Avenue in Balby, is part of aspire drug and alcohol service, and provides specialist rehabilitation and detox care and treatment for people living with substance problems.

Neil Firbank, Aspire Senior Day Programme Lead was presented with the gardening equipment which included shovels, sunflower and other seeds, and Bee Hotel by representatives from Meadfleet Limited, a company which creates and manages wildlife habitats and open spaces, and Keepmoat Homes Limited, a house building company in Doncaster.

Neil said: “A big thank to everyone at Meadfleet and Keepmoat homes for this kind donation which will be put to good use in our allotment. A key part of the recovery journey is giving people a sense of purpose and achievement. Our structured day programme offers people the opportunity to work in the allotment with all the vegetables grown being used in our cooking sessions.

“Many of the people who use our services benefit from the allotment and take pride in nurturing the plants they grow. We have a greenhouse and vegetable beds plus a wildflower area to encourage bees and other pollinators into our green spaces.”

The new beginnings allotment area supports the RDaSH strategy and promise 18 by providing a model of therapeutic inpatient care and enhance recovery.

New beginnings is part of aspire drug and alcohol service which is run by Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) in partnership with the alcohol and drug service, a registered charity.

If you or someone you know is experiencing drug or alcohol issues and want to talk to someone in confidence, please visit Aspire’s drug and alcohol issue service (opens in new window) or ring 03000 213900.

Published: June 18, 2024