RHS Chelsea Project 2015 – Garden for Veterans’ Mental Health

BRIEFING PAPER

At the September 2013 Committee, Council approved a proposal to promote a show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in order to raise public awareness of the mental health needs of British servicemen and Armed Forces Veterans following the recent engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan and as a response to the College’s decision to become a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant in May of last year.

Progress Report

The College has developed an outline proposal for a Show Garden in association with Balston Agius Landscape Designers, an organisation which has long experience in presenting at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Balston Agius were gold award winners in 2013. They have offered the College initial support on a pro bono basis and without cost.

The Garden proposal has been welcomed and was given provisional support by representatives of the Royal Horticultural Society in November and we understand that a formal application to present a Show Garden at Chelsea in 2015 along the lines suggested is likely to receive RHS approval.

The College has made a formal approach to the Executive Board of COBSEO (The Confederation of Service Charities) requesting an endorsement of the Chelsea Garden Proposal and issuing an invitation to COBSEO to join with the College as Associates if sponsorship is obtained and the project goes ahead. Their next Executive meeting is due to take place January 25th. Note: the College signed a Memorandum of Agreement with COBSEO to work jointly in support of Veterans’ issues autumn 2013

Promotional materials have been prepared to explain the project to potential sponsors and other supporters – a ‘Statement of Intent’ and a ‘Statement of Benefit’ (attached).

Active steps are being taken to identify a sponsor and to form a partnership between the College and a suitable sponsoring organisation and the College Development Officer is helping to take this work forward.

The proposal has received political support from the Minister for Veterans Affairs (Mrs Anna Soubry) in response to a written House of Commons Parliamentary Question (details attached), and a meeting with MoD and DH officials has been offered to discuss the Garden project and other College initiatives to promote improvements in the quality of Veterans’ mental health care.

Legacy Plans

Thought is being given to other initiatives, which could stem from the Chelsea Garden project. These include:-

Development of a CPD e-learning module in Military/Veterans’ Psychiatry

Defining Standards of Excellence in the clinical care and service provision of Armed Forces Veterans

The promotion of a memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum to individuals who have suffered psychological injuries as a result of active service in UK Armed Forces

Summary

The outcome of the project will depend on success in achieving external sponsorship. The proposal is creating useful connections through which to pursue the agendas of raising public awareness of the psychological costs of war and of bringing about improvements in the quality of the mental health care of Armed Forces veterans.

David Ryan

14 January 2014