Carecrows

Carecrows is an exhibition of scarecrows which have been designed and made by service users and staff at Bethlem Royal Hospital. These will be on display in the OT Walled Garden to staff and patients only for the duration of Chelsea Fringe festival. The creation of the Carecrows is a collaboration with the OT Art Studio, providing art installations, and the Bethlem Community Men’s shed & OT Woodwork Workshop, who build and maintain the wooden structures in the walled garden including the Carecrow frames for this event. We would like to thank the Maudsley Charity for their continued sponsorship of the Bethlem Community Men’s Shed project.

The public will be able to view our online gallery of the Carecrows. Staff and service users will have access to the Walled Garden exhibition during lunchtimes.

Bethlem Royal Hospital is set in 200 acres of green space, including a walled garden.

Here Bethlem's Head Occupational Therapist Peter O’Hare explains how patients and staff benefit from these:

"The Walled Garden has become a thriving aspect of hospital life which is greatly appreciated and well used by patients and staff alike. The project provides much needed outdoor healthy physical activities for service users while producing fresh produce from the walled garden for the benefit of patients and staff.

It’s over a decade since the Walled Garden was built and the benefits that have accrued to all those who have visited it have clearly demonstrated that outdoor activities in association with nature are an extremely therapeutic tool. As well as traditional horticulture, the range of activities offered over the years include nature appreciation, apple pressing and forest therapy.”