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A week in the life of… a gardener trainer
Rubyjo Narbey supports people recovering from homelessness at a horticultural therapy and training scheme called ‘Putting Down Roots’ run by the homelessness charity St Mungo’s. She talks us through her week
Monday
Our team provides gardening services across Bristol in public parks and spaces, and for St Mungo’s residential accommodation.
I’m meeting a new client named Pete*. He’s living in a ‘dry house’ for people recovering from substance and alcohol misuse and he’s keen to join Putting Down Roots (PDR).
Pete’s dabbled in gardening, but says he’s not very green-fingered. I reassure him that our scheme is for everyone. We provide lunch and will reimburse travel costs so he can attend regularly. I explain that in PDR he can learn new skills and work alongside the group to create and maintain beautiful gardens. Pete is happy to enrol, so I complete the paperwork.
Later, I update our accounts and expenditure records, then head out to buy equipment and compost.
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Tuesday
Many of our clients have had jobs, but because of homelessness, drug and alcohol misuse or mental health issues, they haven’t worked for a number of years. To support them back into work or volunteering, we offer a City and Guilds Level 1 qualification in horticulture.
Today, I run a session at our allotment. Since March, we’ve only been allowed six clients on site because of COVID-19 restrictions. Now, we can work with up to 30 people. Clients usually attend sessions two days per week, for up to two years. You name a vegetable, we’ve planted it!
A typical Tuesday involves watering the garden, sowing seeds and pricking out seedlings, and clients completing City and Guilds work.
Wednesday
It’s a warm day at Castle Park Physic Garden in the centre of Bristol. This site needs a lot of maintenance, so we always do a full day’s work here.
Today, the clients are helping me with weeding, hoeing the beds and pruning roses and salvias.
Thursday
I’m back at the allotment for a session of teaching and harvesting some of our vegetables and flowers. I recently passed my training to be a City and Guilds assessor, and I’m now working to become an internal moderator. I spend the afternoon finishing off my online training.
Towards the end of the day, I visit one of our smaller women’s hostels, to give staff and residents advice.
Friday
‘Task Force’ day is very exciting. It’s a chance for clients who are coming to the end of their time with PDR to take the lead. Today, we’re supporting Ryan* to manage a task force on a small garden project at a local Unitarian church.
That’s why I love my job so much. I’ve had many highlights in my career (including meeting Nelson Mandela!), but it’s the small things that mean so much. With PDR, it’s seeing someone who felt like they’d lost everything know they’ve achieved something really special.
*Names have been changed
A week in the life series
Our ‘A week in the life’ series features housing professionals talking through what they do in their job on a day-to-day basis.
Find out about the different challenges housing workers in a variety of roles face in a given week.
We aim to feature staff from housing associations, ALMOs, local authorities and more.
Click here to nominate yourself or a colleague for inclusion
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