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Table 5 Application of the Five Ways in Haven Green space intervention

From: A haven of green space: learning from a pilot pre-post evaluation of a school-based social and therapeutic horticulture intervention with children

Five Ways Action

Example application in Haven Green Space

Connect: to those around you and to the natural environment

Tea Ceremony: pupils were asked to explore the garden for herbs that could be brewed as herbal tea. The group came together to share tea and discuss issues they were facing in connecting with one another that had been raised when working in the green spaces.

Be active: engage in enjoyable physical activity

All sessions offered the opportunity for physical engagement in gardening, although in line with STH engagement could be either active or passive. In one garden a large root was removed from the centre of the plot, necessitating considerable physical effort by a number of boys who noted satisfaction when the root was removed, including photographing each other holding it as a trophy.

Take Notice: of the world around you and of feelings

In one primary school trees that had been planted were vandalised. This was identified by pupils involved in Haven Green Space who sought teacher support to re-plant them. The pupils led this activity, and discussed with teachers how this vandalism made them feel and why they thought it had been done.

Keep Learning: to build confidence and have fun

All sessions offered learning opportunities, in particular nurturing plants and the natural environment. “Diggy Diggy”: in a primary school one corner of the garden space was devoted to digging. During this activity pupils engaged in creative play involving story telling.

Give: do something nice for a friend or stranger, linking with the wider community

This action was seen in giving time and energy to care for the green spaces, as well as giving plants or the green space itself as an asset to others including friends and family. In one primary school pupils stated that they wanted to create an orchard for future generations of pupils to enjoy and to improve the school grounds for parents, pupils and teachers alike.