some other services
Employee Volunteering at Mitkadem
DWP employees tend the allotment in Redbridge
A team from the Department of Work and Pensions spent the day working with clients with mental health issues. The work on the allotment is part of the Mitkadem Centre for Wellbeing's Healthy Living initiative.
The allotment project allows clients to grow their own vegetables, which are then used in the centre once a week by a cookery group to create healthy, affordable meals. The crops grown are made into jams and chutneys, which the clients then sell in a café they run once a week. This project sustains itself and allows clients to learn valuable life skills in a therapeutic and creative environment.We had some really positive feedback from the team of managers from DWP who shared a day with Mitkadem, taking part in a BBQ and Dig event. They spent the day working on the allotment with service users and cooking lunch together.
And in their words....
"We approached the day not quite knowing what to expect but we were set at ease immediately and staff gave us great insight into the people we would be working with."
"We greatly enjoyed the physical aspects of the work (we spend a lot of time behind desks!) and, more importantly, we enjoyed working with service users, all of whom were engaging. "
"We found the service users are a great advert for people with mental health conditions and they shared with us what we need to think about when we think about the impact of mental illness. A wonderful and uplifting experience!"
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