Residents encouraged to grow and show they care as part of a new wellbeing project

To brighten up these difficult times, Inspiring healthy lifestyles is encouraging residents to put on their very own flower shows through a new and exciting project called ‘Grow and Show We Care’.

People are being asked to decorate their front gardens, doorsteps and window boxes with colourful plants to show support for the NHS and key workers.

Sunflowers are already being grown as part of the project, and Pretty Wild Seeds have donated seeds to the Chase Coronavirus Support Network (CCSN) to give out to residents.

The Council’s Community Safety Partnership is also supporting this initiative and identifying areas and families who could get involved in the project.

In addition to this, Inspiring healthy lifestyles are also distributing activity packs to households across the District as part of the Chase Up Project. The activity packs are also available on the Grow Up Great website and provide 10 weeks of themed activities to keep families be active, creative and healthy in their own homes and gardens.

Councillor Christine Mitchell, Leader of Culture and Sport, said: “This exciting new project is a lovely idea and it is hoped it will make a real difference to families and lift spirits especially during this difficult time.

“Helping people to improve their own health and wellbeing remains a priority for the Council. By working with the community and providing a range of activities, it is hoped it can have a positive impact on people’s lives as well as the wider community”.

Hettie Pigott, Chase Up Coordinator for Inspiring healthy lifestyles, said “Grow and Show We Care is a great way to demonstrate to NHS staff and key workers that we are thankful for all the work that are doing to keep our county going.

“Having doorsteps and front gardens full of sunflowers and other vibrant plants will brighten up our neighborhoods in this difficult time and hopefully spread smiles throughout our communities.

“There is a wealth of research showing how beneficial gardening and nature is to improving wellbeing. We hope through this project we can encourage residents to utilise gardening as way to improve their wellbeing.”

Let’s spread some hope, colour and positivity throughout the District. You can put a sign in your window thanking NHS and key workers and share your efforts on social media using the #chaseup #jointheflowershow #growandshowwecare and tagging @ihlcannockchase into your posts.

The activity pack and other resources can be found on the Grow Up Great website, visit www.growupgreat.co.uk. For further information email chaseup@ihlmail.org.