I came to Hollybush about four years ago in 2015. I came to Hollybush then because I had recently left Daniel Yorath House, part of the Brain Rehabilitation Trust. I was eager and keen to get into some form of work. I heard about Hollybush when I went for my work assessment. I’d worked since leaving school, so I didn’t like sitting around being idle. So I came down and had a visit and I enjoyed what I could see; there were plenty of people around and activities going on. I found out what TCV did and what I could do and they said there was nothing I couldn’t do. So I arranged with Katie, who ran the Gardening Group, to start as a volunteer. Katie noticed I liked the heavy jobs and she thought I was more than capable, so she introduced me to Col and Andy and I joined the Practical Team for about 12 months. But walking through the woods I kept catching the toe of my boots, which caused a nail infection that spread to the bone and they had to operate. When I could get my boots back on I decided to leave the Practical Team. I said ‘I’ll just stick to doing the garden’, and I’ve enjoyed it ever since I came back to it and there’s less wear and tear on me. And I was meeting lots of different people almost daily.
I wasn’t sure about being a volunteer officer. I enquired about it, but wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do it. While I was undergoing all this training and practical classroom work the staff would give me small tasks, like leading a small team, and it went really well. We came to team planning meetings in the morning to plan the session and discuss which volunteers would be suited to the tasks that day. Being a VO gave me a little more pride, because I could advise people and guide them, and if I didn’t know something I could turn to one of the other VOs. I felt very comfortable and it made everything more pleasant.
I’ve seen so many changes, both in people and the Hollybush site. The site is forever changing. When I first started, we didn’t have a roundhouse and the mid-section of the garden was bare and empty. We planted grass seeds there.
About 12 months ago I helped Zoe to lead the team at Lovell Park (Green Gym). It’s ever-expanding, but our regular team of volunteers is a minimum of ten people. It’s not a huge site, but over time you start to see the differences. Any work that gets done has to be approved by the site manager. The work we do is led by the people who use the centre. It’s a friendly environment and we want people to keep coming back to enjoy the social life, the scenery and the environment.
When I was at Hollybush I did tree felling, bushcraft and all the courses we had to do to become a VO, including first aid and a leadership course. I’ve got about ten certificates at home. When we’ve got celebration events and plant sales I’ll come and help set up and help to guide the public around. At celebration nights I’ve usually been the one guiding the public around to different activities; I like it until I get too cold and don’t have my hands around a warm mug!
When I left rehabilitation the doctors told me I would struggle with my mobility and my speech. I do suffer anxiety, which varies. I was more timid and shy than I used to be; it helped meeting new people at Hollybush. Eventually it brought me out of my shell just to say hello to someone on site and start a conversation. It built my confidence and self-belief. At Hollybush if you’re shy, timid, nervous, whatever you may be feeling, there will always be someone to say good morning, and from what I’ve seen of other volunteers, it seems to bring you out eventually. We don’t force anyone to reply or do anything; it’s only if they feel welcomed. It’s about making people feel happy to try things and broaden their horizons, and if they don’t like one thing they can try another. It’s the same as me; when Eric Yaffey used to be here, I did bushcraft. I wasn’t sure what it entailed or what I’d be feeling like. I only knew a couple of people who were signed up to do the course, and even then I was really anxious. We were going into a wood and we’d be there all day, and I was unsure about being unsteady on my feet or whether I would have an anxiety attack, which can happen to me just by thinking about it. But I really enjoyed it, did the second Bushcraft course and then ended up VOing for Donovan on his Bushcraft course, which I never thought I’d be doing; and I could help other people with what I remembered.
Telling people that you believe they can do things gives them a mental boost. There’s always something for you to do. If you don’t like doing one thing, you still won’t be left out. I did the weekend walks. Sometimes I felt really tired at the end of the day, but that’s only a positive because it means I’ve burnt all the energy I’ve got and I’ve kept my mind active and taken in more knowledge.
I’ll be staying at Lovell Park for the foreseeable future. They have trips which you can join, but I haven’t been on any yet. I would come back to Hollybush if I was needed and had the time; I said so when I left because I know how much work it takes to keep this site going and keep everybody happy. I’ll come to the 40th birthday events if I’m able to make it; it would be good to celebrate Hollybush’s birthday with everybody.
Written by Adam Wood