A Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust service user has shared her recovery journey through an original song inspired by the support she received from two nature-based wellbeing groups.
The Story of the Rabbit and the Spinach was originally a poem created by participants of Nature for Health, a nature-based activity group for older adults which aims to improve people’s mental health. The group, which is based at Trevillis House in Liskeard, is run by Julia Mason, Molly Martin, and Nicky Snape. They are members of the Trust’s dementia and older people’s mental health team.
The poem was then turned into a song and performed by Miriam, one of the young adults who attends the Healing By Nature group, which uses nature to promote health and wellbeing. The group is run by Peta Temple. Mim had previously composed a song which she sang at the planting of the Sycamore Gap sapling at Trevillis House, documenting her journey. She was then asked if she would like to set the Story of the Rabbit and the Spinach to music and perform it.
Miriam said:
“Engaging and immersing myself within the group has been like taking a long reflective walk in nature with the part of me I thought I had lost forever.
“Just Like the seeds I have sown and nurtured, I feel I have grown in confidence and have learnt it’s safe to connect with people again.
“The soil has grounded me and now is firmly beneath my feet and yet the people I have met have taught me how to soar.
“Experiencing something outside the confinements of a clinical setting has helped me explore new ways to support my wellbeing. I hope this song and all my songs and poems help encourage others wherever they may be on their recovery journeys.”
Peta Temple is an advanced lived experience lead. She is one of the organisers of the Healing by Nature group.
She says:
“Miriam’s journey captures exactly what Healing by Nature is about. It is about creating spaces where people feel safe enough to reconnect with themselves, with other people and with their communities, and where recovery can become about building a life rather than simply managing symptoms.
“What has been wonderful to see is Miriam growing in confidence, finding her voice, starting a new degree course at university – and now wanting to use that voice to give hope to other people! She is a wonderful ambassador for the project and recently told me that she sees herself as a lighthouse, shining a light for others in recovery. That says far more about the impact of this work than I ever could.”
Julia Mason is a community psychiatric nurse for the Trust. She is part of the small team that organises the Nature for Health group.
She says:
“Everyone participating in Nature for Health is very grateful to Miriam for setting our poem to music and singing it with such passion and beauty. The song is a powerful reflection on our connection to nature and how this can help us with mental wellbeing.”
Healing by Nature and Nature for Health support people across Cornwall to improve their health and wellbeing through outdoor activities, creative projects, and opportunities to connect with nature.
