Stakeford Nurseries

Stakeford Nurseries is Blyth Star’s plant nursery day service which offers a wide range of training opportunities and social experiences for people with mental health needs and learning disabilities.

Download our leaflet Easy Read: Day Services at Stakeford Nurseries
A man in a wheelchair sits smiling in a greenhouse surrounded by flowers
Download our leaflet Easy Read: Day Services at Stakeford Nurseries

What’s Involved

Stakeford Nurseries, with its network of polytunnels, greenhouses and outdoor plots is the perfect place for individuals to learn about horticulture and gain new skills in a relaxed and friendly environment. From the basics of sowing seeds and watering plants, to more complex work such as preparing soil, planting seasonal vegetables and managing crop rotation, there are lots of different activities for service users to get involved with.

The service operates a small retail outlet which stocks the produce grown on site for sale to the general public. Service users are encouraged to develop their social and employability skills by spending time working in this retail-style environment, greeting customers, advising on horticulture and operating the till.

Stakeford Nurseries also runs a garden maintenance team that go out into the community to work on a range of residential and commercial gardening projects. Working as part of a team, service users can gain hands on experience learning how to cut, edge and strim lawns, plant and weed flowerbeds, cut hedges and much more.

The garden maintenance team use a variety of different tools and machinery, so there’s lots of scope to learn something new or develop existing skills in a community-based setting.

Activity List

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Garden maintenance

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Growing flowers and bedding plants

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Growing fruit and vegetables

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Organic plant production

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Plant propagation techniques

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Plant hanging baskets and containers

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Retail and customer service

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Christmas wreath making

My life is better since I came to Blyth Star. I am working, I have friends and am gaining new skills.

Blyth Star Service User

I work hard at The Woodfuel Centre but I enjoy being here, and I’m learning new things all the time.

Blyth Star Service User

I love Blyth Star and the Nurseries. It’s like my family.

Blyth Star Service User

I absolutely love it here, you can just be you, with no one judging you.

Blyth Star Service User

Woman in garden Staff and service users at The Woodfuel Centre sitting on a green log grabbing machine Man in garden A close up photo of a woman smiling wearing pink earrings and a bow in her hair.

Training opportunities

In 2017, Blyth Star Enterprises secured funding to develop the packages of in-house training that we deliver to service users at our Day Services. The result is a range of bespoke vocational training programmes, externally endorsed by the Awarding Organisation, NOCN, which provide service users with the opportunity to gain certificates as they learn new skills.

The horticulture programme at Stakeford Nurseries covers a variety of topics from plant propagation techniques, how to identify different species of plant and the basics of how ecosystems work, providing service users with all of the theoretical and practical knowledge and skills they need in order to succeed in their ‘role’ at the Nurseries.

Service users’ progress is assessed and monitored through a personal learning profile which tracks their development through each module, and also considers how the individual’s social skills, communication skills and confidence improve throughout the course.

To find out more about our full range of training opportunities on offer through our Day Services, click here.

Who can attend stakeford nurseries

Stakeford Nurseries is part of the day service and work training programme operated by Blyth Star Enterprises. We work with adults over the age of 18 with enduring mental health conditions and learning disabilities.

Referrals to stakeford nurseries

Individuals who want to take part in the day service provision at Stakeford Nurseries must have a referral from a Social Worker, Care Manager, the Mental Health Integrated Care Team or another health and social care professional.

If you or a loved one would like to attend Stakeford Nurseries but are unsure about your eligibility, please get in touch to discuss your needs with a member of the day services team.

Contact
Plants on wooden benches in a polytunnel
A man in a wheelchair sits smiling in a greenhouse surrounded by flowers
Woman in garden

Related links

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The Steamboat

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The Woodfuel Centre

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Woodwork Department

Open new window: The Woodfuel Centre website

Training Opportunities and Living Skills

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