What is Pass on Plants?
Pass on Plants is a 12-month pilot project from Win on Waste that aims to provide meaningful occupation for social isolated people in the BCP/Dorset Council area. The project has been funded by the Wessex Water Foundation, through Dorset Community Foundation.
How will the project work?
Win on Waste will enlist green-fingered Plant Carers who may be housebound, or shielding due to Covid-19, to care for ailing house plants that have been donated into the project.
A Win on Waste volunteer will deliver a plant (or more, if the Plant Carer is happy with that!) and any supplies that may be necessary to care for the plant (pots, compost, plant food etc) to the Plant Carer and arrange for follow up phone calls at agreed intervals to check on the progress of the plant, and on the wellbeing of the Plant Carer.
Win on Waste will arrange for Zoom calls or similar (not compulsory) for Plant Carers to chat with others within the project and will also seek permission to set up a Whatsapp group for Plant Carers if they would like to participate in that – again, it is not compulsory for participants to join the group.
The Plant Carer is welcome to contact Win on Waste at any time during the project to ask for further supplies, chat about any difficulties they may be having with the plant, and they are able to withdraw from the project at any time if they feel it is becoming too much to manage.
What is the aim of the project?
There are two aims to Pass on Plants. The first is to reduce social isolation among housebound members of the community and to involve them in a project that provides occupation and offers the therapeutic benefits of caring for house plants.
The second aim is to take ailing or unwanted houseplants that are destined for landfill, or kerbside Green bin collection and remove them from the waste stream.
How will the project be assessed?
Win on Waste will produce a participant questionnaire for Plant Carers and volunteers to be filled out at the beginning and end of the project. We will use the contents of these questionnaires to assess the suitability of continuing the project on a larger scale.
We would photograph the plants before and after care (either with the Plant Carer or without, whatever the preference) and use these in our final report to the funder and on our own website and social media.
What about Covid?
This project is, in part, a response to Covid meaning many more members of our community are isolated. At every stage of this project, we will assess our working methods to ensure that they are Covid safe for Plant Carers and volunteers.
How can I get involved?
There are a number of ways to get involved in Pass on Plants – you could volunteer to be in touch with our Plant Carers, to check whether they need any advice or support, you can volunteer as a Plant Carer yourself – perhaps you are shielding or housebound, but happy to look after a plant.
If you have any plants that you no longer want and wish to donate them into the project, this would also be very welcome!
Just contact us for further information – there’s no need to decide straight away.
