Blackthorn Trust is a UK charity in Maidstone, Kent which offers specialist therapies and rehabilitation through work placements in the Blackthorn Garden. They offer help to people with mental health difficulties, chronic pain and type 2 diabetes. The charity's work is based on the work of Rudolf Steiner, and the charity aims to assist individuals to progress towards their full potential.
History
In 1983, Dr David McGavin was in general practice in Maidstone. Through his work in the local community, he found out that conventional medicine was not able to help patients with chronic illness and were becoming increasingly passive and inactive, which was not helpful for their illness. He then met Hazel Adams working on anthroposophical principles of Rudolf Steiner. As they worked on few of the Dr McGavin's most severe patients, several noted improvements were made. More therapists were brought into the small practise but this became impractical. So he decided to set up a new trust and a new medical centre.
Blackthorn Medical Centre
This is owned by the Blackthorn Trust and part of it rented to the Practice. It was built in 1991, designed by Camphill Architects and opened in December. As a result of the fundraising and hard work of patients, their families and friends, local and national industry, grant making trusts and the National Health Service. They may be prescribed anthroposophic medication and one of a number of anthroposophic therapies which are available on a one-to-one or group basis. These include biographical counselling, eurythmy therapy, rhythmical massage or art therapy. Therapies are offered at the discretion of the doctor. It provides the usual family doctor services for around 7,200 people and is a GP training practice. Blackthorn Trust rents its premises via the NHS to the primary care team and the complementary practitioners. The centre and trust is partially funded by the NHS, but needs to raise an additional £100,000 per year to cover its running costs. This is achieved by grants, donations, bequests and fund raising activities.
Blackthorn Garden
On the site of the grounds of the former psychiatric hospital of Oakwood Hospital, it occupies 22 acres and is under the direction of the Trust Management Team. Founded in 1991 and funded by the Trust. It has a flower garden, greenhouse and lath house. The lath house is a relic from the mental asylum. There is also a very large vegetable garden, a craft room for art therapy, a Cafe and kitchen serving organic lunches. The garden has up to 60 people working in the garden per week. In 1995, the garden and its therapies were evaluated by the Centre for Mental Health. The aims of the garden:
To establish a place of rehabilitation through work for the mentally ill in the community.
To encourage the meeting and working together of the various disciplines concerned with mental health and community care.
The garden is opened, Monday to Saturday – 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. On Saturdays, workshops are open to the general public. The garden also has a shop selling second-hand clothes and other used items. The trust has various events during the year including Spring Fair, Summer Fair, Christmas Fairs. Selling local handmade crafts and specialist food stalls as well as the traditional stalls.
Jonathan Shaw Labour Minister for Disabilities in Department for Work and Pensions, in 2012 after losing his seat he has now become a Blackthorn Trust Member,
