The importance of supporting mental health in horticulture

Jack W:
 “I came across Perennial through YPHA as I’ve been in the industry since I was about 14. Now I work for a nursery in Hereford – Allensmore – who are also long-term supporters of the charity.

Perennial funded me to become a Mental Health First Aider. It’s something I’ve always been interested in as its very badly understood. We’re a hard-working bunch, we love to go outside and get cold, we spend all year in shorts – we have a ‘just get on with it’ attitude. We are one of the worst paid industries and work very hard for not a lot, which has a strong link to mental health.

I have also struggled personally with depression and anxiety and I needed people around me to support me and they weren’t always there.  So when someone comes to me I can relate. People usually say to me ‘but you’re always really happy’ and I say ‘yes but you don’t know what’s going on in my head and I don't know what’s going on in yours until you talk to me’. They realise I get it and I’m not just trying to tell them what's in the book.

Alot of people struggle with stress, bereavement - which can be shocking especially when you lose someone suddenly, money worries, concerns about losing houses, working too hard and making themselves ill and just struggling through it. There is support available, even though it's underfunded in the UK, and I can help to signpost them to get them on the journey. Sometimes you notice small changes in people or I get a nudge to check in with someone from HR or a line manager. It takes it out of being a work thing, I’m just someone who is there to listen and to care.  

Our Growers team are mainly Brits and live in the UK, but our Operations teams are usually seasonal / migrational and can make up to 2/3rds of our workforce, either from Europe or on a visa scheme for 6 months. This creates a huge language barrier.  As of yet I am struggling to get the visa scheme people to talk to me; their shared language is often Russian and I can’t understand. As they get more used to talking, and even me just saying hello everyday, they start to try to talk – I will wait for them to find a word, to try and break down barriers. It takes longer when someone’s translating in their head, but I just need to give them a bit more time – there is absolutely no judgement.

Just before Christmas, someone mentioned that they weren’t going home to their family for Christmas, they were planning on staying in their caravan. I told him that wasn’t going to happen and he could come to my family instead. He nearly did, but it triggered him to talk to his wife and he went home. When he came back in January he gave me a big hug and said thank you and walked off. That was one of the most powerful moments for me – I didn’t expect that.

I’m going to keep asking questions because at some point people need to talk. Just to let it out can be enough sometimes, they may not need any extra support. It’s ridiculously powerful, just asking someone if they are OK – twice! The double ask is so important – you don’t get the same answer. The second question gives them an extra pause and they realise I actually want to know.

I’ve been doing this for 2.5 years now and it’s definitely something I will carry on with.  I currently support about 25 people a year – a lot for one person but nowhere near as many as I would like to be able to support.  Everyone is entitled to it – just like first aid, everyone is entitled to feel better. Without Perennial I wouldn’t have these skills. The team there are fantastic. They’ve set up a Mental Health First Aider Network. It’s a safe zone where we can let go of some of the stuff we’re dealing with, as well as share ideas and work together to grow what we are doing as ambassadors for Mental Health and Perennial.

Perennial is our charity.  I am a horticulturalist and they look after us. They are a lifeline when we need it. Perennial is a light at the end of a sometimes very dark, wet, windy, snowy tunnel. They supported me when I needed help but also allowed me to be trained to help every member of our team. Without Perennial I wouldn't be able to help the people I am helping today.”

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