Styal Prison Goes Green
Inmates at Styal Women's prison in Cheshire are taking part in this year's Tatton Flower Show as part of a rehabilitation scheme to cut re-offending.
Styal prison's going green in the hope of reducing re-offending. A group of female prisoners are taking part in this year's Tatton Flower Show after creating their own display from scratch.
It comes as research shows gardening improves mental and physical wellbeing and reduces self-harm.
Our Chief Reporter Michelle Livesey's been finding out more from Eddie Tarry, Business Community Engagement Manager at HMP & YOI Styal:
This is the fourth consecutive year that staff and female prisoners working towards their City & Guilds Practical Horticulture Skills qualifications have created a garden at the show.
The positive effects of gardening on health and wellbeing were highlighted in a *survey commissioned by the RHS about gardening and growing plants where 92% of 2,000 respondents said that being in a garden helped them to relax and de-stress, with 95% revealing that gardening helps lift their mood.
A prisoner working on the Show Garden adds: “I have been inspired by the difference horticulture has made to me personally. I now sleep better and feel more confident. I enjoy getting up for work and gaining further horticulture skills. Each day is different. I helped design and draw this year’s Show Garden for Tatton, which helped other women to visualise what the garden would look like. It has been a great journey to work on the concept and design of the garden from start to finish.”
Entitled ‘Picking up the Pieces’, the Show Garden demonstrates the prisoners’ desire to move forward in their lives and inspire others going through difficult times to reflect and realise that most situations, however difficult, can often be improved and overcome.
For prisoners going through a difficult time while in prison, ‘Picking up the Pieces’ has inspired them to fulfil their potential, and this aspiration is reflected in the design. The garden is enclosed on three sides by a bespoke jigsaw. Each piece of the jigsaw represents different aspects of the community, highlighting how working together can build positive relationships and that much can be achieved through education and support.
For more about or to buy tickets for RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2015, visit: rhs.org.uk/tatton