The Social Circles Team
-
Phil Sharratt
Director
-
Anna Gover
Director
-
Wayne Sharratt
Gardens Manager
-
Georgia Guimarães Piscinato
Community Gardener
-
Richard Crowe
Chairperson
-
Colette Tagg
Finance Manager
About Social Circles CiC
Our Mission
To support elders and those with physical or mental impairment to reclaim their outdoor space, allowing them to access nature in their own gardens or communal areas.
Access to green spaces is recognised as a protective factor to reduce the risk of mental health conditions and improve emotional wellbeing by Public Health England.
Our Journey
Social Circles Launched as a pilot in April 2022 and funded by the Directors. We purchased mid-grade domestic power and hand tools, with the directors and the garden manager volunteering their time.
We covered the Bridgwater area, including housing in Sydenham and Hamp estates which are within the 20% most deprived LSOAs in England.
The programme has been a huge success and demand is such we rapidly need to grow our enterprise.
We are receiving referrals from statutory organisations to support those unable to maintain their outdoor space, such as social services, NHS teams, housing associations and local community groups, and other community projects including Village and Community Agents to support their service users.
We have also recognised we are a Gateway Service to people not currently engaged with other support organisations, and are making referrals back for additional support for our service users.
The gardening team!
We fully understand how those experiencing physical and mental health problems are more likely to experience poverty and the barriers to recovery they face.
We have run an online Listening Campaign to understand the impact of the Cost of Living Crisis locally and how it is creating a Mental Health Crisis with heightened anxiety and dread about the future.
Two of the directors are trained Samaritan volunteers and we have listened to every single service user we have met and supported, and we have heard their needs, their wants and understood that they want a trusted service they can rely on to give them outdoor space to enjoy, to relax and to heal.
We are using that knowledge and feedback from service users to re-design our service offering and to ensure that delivery meets their needs including through collaborative working with others around debt, food, energy, companionship and health and wellbeing.
Qualifications and experience
Social Circles has three directors; two founding directors with lived experience of mental health and long-term medical conditions that limit physical activity who have funded the pilot programme, and a newly appointed non-executive Chairperson who also has lived experience and is running another social enterprise focussed on using performance to explore mental health issues.
Our Gardens Manager is employed and has 10+ years experience in garden maintenance and of working with volunteers with mental health issues in an outdoor environment.
Two directors have Enhanced DBS (Adults) and one Enhanced DBS (children and young people). The Gardens Manager also has an Enhanced DBS (Adults) and has completed a Level 2 Safeguarding Certificate programme as well as completing additional training and top up courses.
All operational staff hold or are working towards the following training:
Safeguarding (Adults) Level 2
First Aid at Work
Mental Health First Aid
Suicide Alertness
Five Ways to Wellbeing Trainer
There are always two people on site and at least one will have an enhanced DBS (Adults) Certificate.
We are fully fully compliant with HSE guidance and PUWER Approved Code of Practice and Guidance relating to training in maintenance and use of powered garden tools, and there is always someone First Aid trained on site.