Home Instead North Oxfordshire supports GroWet

Home care company, Home Instead North Oxfordshire, got involved with Freshwater Habitats Trust’s GroWet project as part of its ‘be active’ initiative, which aims to keep older people moving and engaged within their local community.

Home Instead North Oxfordshire client Elaine with her ‘GroWet’ plant, one of Britain’s most endangered water plants, Creeping Marshwort.

Care professionals from Home Instead North Oxfordshire helped 20 clients to grow and look after rare and endangered wetland plants over the summer. This was part of the organisation’s ‘be active’ initiative, which encourages clients to be active mentally, physically and socially. Home Instead North Oxfordshire worked alongside community group Age Friendly Banbury to get older people in the community involved in GroWet.

Through Freshwater Habitats Trust’s Building Oxfordshire’s Freshwater Network project, GroWet is helping to restore and regenerate Oxfordshire’s freshwater and wetland habitats.

Volunteers across Oxfordshire received a GroWet pack including seedlings and all the information and materials needed to nurture rare wetland plants at home and in community centres. Participants were also invited to complete a plant diary to document the progress of the plant. Freshwater Habitats Trust is now moving the endangered plants from homes and community centres across Oxfordshire to local freshwater habitats.

Graham Holtom, owner of Home Instead North Oxfordshire, said: “The project has been so well received by our clients and they loved helping the conservation of the wetland wildlife habitat in Oxfordshire. It was great to monitor the progress of the seedlings and connect with others in the community who were nurturing their own rare plant too!

“It’s a win, win for our clients. They are doing something really positive whilst making new friends and remaining active.”

Freshwater Habitats Trust Community Engagement Officer Lizzie Every added: “We are so grateful to everyone at Home Instead North Oxfordshire who has taken part in GroWet. Their support will make a real difference to the beautiful but threatened wetland and freshwater habitats, which are special places that support a rich variety of species.”