Contents

HighGround at Headley Court
Carol’s Column
Horseferry Road
Board matters
Fundraising
PR and Media
Research
IT
Clippings

Anna Baker Cresswell
Founder and Development Director

Earlier in the summer the Secretary of State for Defence announced that DMRC will be moving to Stanford Hall in Leicestershire where the Duke of Westminster is creating the Defence National Rehabilitation Centre.

This will entail a lot of change and upheaval for Headley Court’s staff and patients and by following the changing seasons in the garden, HighGround at Headley Court is committed to business as usual and Carol’s service (including the hens) is providing much-needed continuity for the good ship Headley Court.

As Carol’s workload increased over the summer, we were delighted to welcome Rosie to the HighGround team and she provides vital help in the garden on Tuesdays – Big Thanks Rosie!

We have hosted visits from The Worshipful Company of Farmers and The Worshipful Company of Gardeners to HighGround at Headley Court and we were very grateful that Elizabeth Filkin, Chairman of Annington, and Clive and Sylvia Richards, all generous and hugely appreciated funders of HighGround took the time to come and see our work

Special thanks to Jane Urquhart who is encouraging her clients to support Service Leavers by giving them work experience and Jane herself is providing invaluable interview practice.

The Summer season has been amazing at Headley Court and now Autumn is upon us. It is time for reflection and taking stock of the last months since the Summer newsletter.

Oh what fun we’ve had. The Farm Shop has been a huge success and continues into the Autumn with preserves and lovely eggs. The list of produce has been astonishing: aubergines, white and green cucumbers, tomatoes all shapes and sizes, sweet peppers, hot and very hot and silly hot chillies, potatoes, runner beans, green, yellow and red speckled french beans, yellow and green courgettes, mangetout, chard, onions (including red ones), herbs, carrots, squash, pumpkins, sweet corn, radishes……..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! The Neuro patients have done a sterling job – picking produce, bagging it, labelling and then forming a pressgang to sell it all! They were very successful too. So big thanks and to Miracle Gro who continue to provide all our growing mediums which produce such healthy plants.

We have been scrumping in the orchard at Headley Court and the rule has been only tall patients attend please as I can’t reach the goodies myself! We have sneaked through the hazel hedge discovering many varieties of plum, mirabelles apples, pears and greengages, which of course needed sampling to ensure the quality of flavour……. Delicious. To complete this frenzy of fruit we found two huge fig trees dripping with gorgeous delights..mmm- Location ‘top secret’ my lips are sealed.

We have a wonderful posh propagator kindly donated by Gardening for the Disabled Trust. Currently we are propagating many plants and it will soon be filled. Many thanks for such generosity.

The wonderful folk from Sutton and East Surrey Water came to build us more raised beds – they are magnificent and we thank you all.

The patients and their Therapist Zeno have completed the ‘Chateau’ for the hens and they have now moved in. I filled it with chopped straw thinking how cosy it would be. They had other ideas kicking out straw and preferring to make their own beds. Our original three ladies have been joined by two more point of lay hens (purchased with Farm Shop funds). After a few handbags at dawn they have all settled down well. As for the 11 we hatched! They are known as the Tweets and are a source of constant fun (especially when tomatoes are involved). We call it Tomato Rugby – when a tweet grabs a tomato it will run hell for leather with all the others in hot pursuit. They dodge, weave and jump over each other until the final scrum. Hilarious. The Tweets are also in line for a luxury establishment – Zeno and the patients are constructing a new palace for these pampered creatures. Photos will follow. Many thanks to Terry at Withy Poultry for his help, knowledge and patience when asked silly questions about chickens.

On a serious note, I was privileged in early September to be invited to the Tower of London (not on a handcart, tarred and feathered) to take part in ‘planting’ poppies in the moat to mark 100 years since the start of WW1. I joined patients and staff for this amazing experience. It was incredibly moving and a really fitting tribute to so many. During the day we were introduced to General Lord Dannatt who also read out the Roll Call that evening. A day never to be forgotten.

On a lighter note, the show goes on. DMRC will move, but not for four years. There is work to be done. So I won’t be holding back and I urge you not to either.

What’s next? I hear you cry. Bees. Yes Bees, there is a new type of hive that would be perfect for wheelchair users. Watch this space it’s always going onward and upward. Some may be kicking and screaming but hey scream if you want to go faster!!!!!

Carol

Our awareness raising continues and David and I have made visits to brief other Service charities and people within the Defence Recovery Capability and I attended both the Cobseo and Combat Stress AGMs in London. Coventry University invited me to speak at the celebration of 20 years of Social & Therapeutic Horticulture which was a great experience and many congratulations to Coventry for launching their STH Masters programme – another serious milestone for all of us who care about STH’s future.

Our first pilot Rural Insight Week at Plumpton College in Early September went better than I had dared to hope it would and by the time you read this, we will have delivered the 2nd one, also at Plumpton College .

They have been fantastic hosts and all their staff have given freely of their precious time and knowledge to our students, who have come to learn about the many and varied opportunities in the land-based sector and how their military skills and experience together with HighGround. can help them to plan their next steps towards happy and fulfilling lives in civvy street.