Southeastern has confirmed that gardens and plant life across their network's stations are blooming, providing a positive benefit to passengers mental health.
Following a series of studies researching the impact of plant life and green areas across stations on passengers, findings and data show strong evidence that plant life provides great benefits to mental health.
The reports by the Mental Health Foundation showed:
- 70% of UK adult agreed that their mood improved being close to nature
- 49% of UK adults found being close to nature helped managed their stress
Operating across the South East, London, Kent and East Sussex, many commuters use Southeastern trains to travel to and from work every day.
Therefore, even small amounts of green areas and plants at stations can help passengers relax.
TOCs, Network Rail and volunteers across the country are introducing more green areas to help benefit passengers. Southeastern's most admired station gardens can be found at the following stations:
Supporting mental wellness is a long-term focus for the train operator across their network. Lee Woolcott Ellis, Southeastern's Mental Health Lead Manager said: “At Southeastern, we make supporting the mental health of our people and our passengers a priority, and the station gardens offer a space for everyone to decompress and take a moment for themselves. We know that the commute can often act as our passengers' decompression time, helping them to unwind after a day at the office or a bit of me-time at the start of their days. Hopefully, with the burst of greenery just steps away from the start or end of the journey, we're able to provide another moment of calm. They also provide a way for our neighbours to come together too, contributing to the feeling of community, a factor we know is important for mental wellness.”
Sally and Ed Bywater have maintained the Elmstead Woods gardens since the Garden Club was started in 2013. They said: “Our volunteers love the gardens here at Elmstead Woods, they make the station such a special place. So does everyone – staff and passengers alike. The Garden Club works with the staff here to keep this space a tranquil haven for the whole community.”
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