Cygnet Hospital Kewstoke is celebrating national recognition after its Kewstoke Farm Project won the prestigious Outside Spaces Award at the Design in Mental Health Awards. The award celebrates the transformation of an overgrown, disused plot into a thriving therapeutic farm oasis that supports mental health recovery.
A Transformative Project
The project, located at the 71-bed hospital on Beach Road in Kewstoke, Somerset, involved close collaboration with patients, staff, and Experts by Experience. Service users actively participated in clearing land, restoring growing areas, planting crops, and shaping the space's function. The first harvest included onions, lettuce, and cauliflower, marking a significant milestone.
Therapeutic Benefits
The farm now provides structured occupational therapy sessions and informal wellbeing opportunities. Patients engage in gardening, food growing, and cooking with produce cultivated on site. Hospital manager Josh Tapp said: "The farm has become an important space for social connection, confidence building and meaningful activity, helping patients develop practical skills and rediscover a sense of purpose beyond their mental health difficulties."
Community Links
The project also strengthens ties with the wider community. Plans include partnerships with local organisations and education providers, as well as donating produce to food banks. A purpose-built yurt has been added for wellbeing activities and group sessions.
Tapp added: "We are absolutely delighted to have won this award. The Kewstoke Farm Project represents everything we believe recovery-focused care should be, collaborative, meaningful and shaped alongside the people who use our services. Seeing the transformation, both of the land and of the individuals involved, has been incredible."
The Design in Mental Health Awards celebrate innovation and excellence in mental health environments across the UK. The winners were announced at a ceremony on June 2.
