A MUCH-loved horticultural therapy centre near Malvern that has helped hundreds of clients with mental health problems over the years is facing the axe.

Link Nurseries at Powick is under threat because local health commissioners are cutting £250,000 from its budget.

And the Friends of Link Nurseries, which supports the centre, says its closure would result in the loss of a facility which is unique in the county.

At the centre, off Hospital Lane, people with a variety of mental health problems grow fruits, vegetables and plants which are then offered for sale to the public.

Judith Aldridge, secretary of the Friends, said: "Link Nurseries is highly popular with the public. Hundreds of people come to our coffee mornings, open days and plant and produce sales. At our last open day, people were having to turn back because they couldn't find anywhere to park.

"The interaction with the public is part of the therapeutic process, and something that our clients wouldn't get at other vocational centres."

She said that the therapeutic benefits of horticulture and gardening are well proven and are gaining support at all levels.

"Link Nurseries provides care and training to suit individual needs. It has strong links with the local community and a strong friends group."

Mark Dickens of Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust said: “We are as committed as ever to ensuring vocational activities and skills remain a key part of a person’s recovery process.
“The financial context makes this challenging, but we think that by working in partnership with people we can develop a new type of offer which helps and supports a person to improve their confidence, learn new skills and regain that control and independence which we know is key to recovering from severe and enduring mental health problems.”

Mrs Aldridge said Link Nurseries is the cheapest of the county's three vocational centres to run - the others are in Redditch and Shrub hill, Worcester - and its semi-rural situation is another plus.

She said: "It occupies a 1.6 acre freehold site easily accessible by frequent public transport and with good free parking. It is in open countryside, surrounded by fields, providing opportunities for exercise and fresh air, both essential requirements for good health.

"It would be impossible to recreate it at either of the other two centres. Closing it would be a catastrophe."

And she called on everyone who support Link Nurseries to let the NHS Trust know how they feel.

They should write to chief executive Sarah Dugan at Isaac Maddox House, Shrub HillRoad, Worcester WR4 9RW or email Sarah.Dugab@hawc.nhs.uk.