Volunteer with us at
Eco in Mind!
We currently need volunteers across all our sites!
If you’re looking to give something back to the community and like getting outside, being with people and learning something new, joining our ecotherapy plots could be perfect for you.
Adult Groups
Eco in Mind
Spending time in green space or bringing nature in to your everyday life can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing.
The project provides practical support by our trained staff and volunteers to those with mental health problems.
Where to find our sites:
Dorchester, Louds Mill Allotment
Event Details
For Adults – Mondays | 11.30am – 1.00pm
For Adults using Creative Arts – Thursdays | 10.15am – 11.15am
For Paramedics – Thursdays | 11.30am – 12.30pm
Ferndown, Longham Allotments
Event Details
Mondays | 10.30am – 11.30am
For Carers, Friends and Family of people with Dementia
Shaftesbury, Abbey View Medical Surgery,
Event Details
Fridays | 12.45pm – 1.30pm
Adults who are GP patients only
Referrals by Blackmore Vale GPs only
Shillingstone, The Big Yellow Bus Garden Project,
Event Details
Fridays | 10.30am – 11.30am
For Adults
Weymouth, Tumbledown Farm
Event Details
Mondays | 1:00pm – 2:00pm (Adults only)
Wednesday | 09:30am – 1:00pm (Schools only)
For Adults as open referral and young people via schools.
Eco in Mind FAQs
Spending time in green space or bringing nature in to your everyday life can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing.
The project provides practical support by our trained staff and volunteers to those with mental health problems.
Our aim is to improve the quality of life experienced by our participants. We achieve this by supporting them to build confidence, self-esteem and resilience whilst connecting with nature and other people.
Do you love spending time doing things like growing food or flowers? Being outdoors can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing. It can:
- Improve your mood, reduce stress/anger.
- Help you take time-out and feel relaxed.
- Improve your physical health.
- Improve your confidence and self-esteem.
- Help you make new connections.
- Provide peer support.
The aim of the service is to improve mental wellbeing through eco-therapy and to build and strengthen self-esteem, confidence and resilience in a peer-support environment.
Anyone with mild to moderate mental health and wellbeing challenges can access the service.
We can provide bespoke programmes for groups or charities that could benefit from this service. In addition, we offer team-building days and/or projects for companies to work on the allotments.
The sessions run all year and the sort of activities you can expect include:
- Sowing seeds and planting fruit and vegetables
- Digging, weeding and pruning
- Planning new spaces
- Upcycling pallets into furniture
- Creating wildlife habitats
We deliver an ecotherapy based group at several locations across Dorset.
We offer regular sessions throughout the week across all sites. There may be other one-off sessions available too. please check the Events Calendar for the latest services near you.
If you are interested in participating, please complete the referral form here or if you have any questions go to our Contact form and select Eco in Mind.
How did Eco in Mind come about?
Dorset Mind, in partnership with Meyers Estate Agents, have created the project. The project was the idea of founders Mark and Claire Meyers as a result of lived experience in their family. They wanted to create a community project that would inspire people and bring them together to benefit the local area.
We became partners to bring our experience delivering mental health support groups together with their vision to start Eco-in-Mind
