Cath Darling, founder of Elemental Occupational Therapy, is a lucky recipient of one of 49 coveted ‘Trees of Hope’ saplings from the famous Sycamore Gap.
Having completed the Digital Track programme – fully funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority and delivered by TEDCO Business Support – Cath also applied for and secured an Enterprising North grant, also through TEDCO. This support has been crucial in helping her business grow from its own early stage as a sapling.
Based in North Tyneside, Elemental Occupational Therapy specialises in nature-based bereavement support. Offered to both adults and children alike, Elemental’s services are designed to encourage individuals to navigate their grief, rather than running from it. In doing so, Cath helps her clients regain a sense of balance and purpose, through the healing power of nature and the outdoors.
Cath was encouraged by some of her clients to apply for a ‘Trees of Hope’ sapling, gifted to individuals, groups, and organisations throughout the UK. Almost 500 applications were sent for the 49 saplings – one for each foot in height of the beloved tree before it was felled.
Growing Strong
Cath now plans to plant the tree in a public space along the North East coast, where it will serve as a legacy for loved ones no longer with us, and provide a contemplative space for the bereaved to visit.
Expressing her honour at having her organisation chosen as a sapling recipient, Cath says:
“Bereavement has a significant impact upon both physical and mental health conditions. Connecting to nature and the outdoors has been proven to improve health outcomes and access meaningful relief.
Our Tree of Hope will enable us to provide a very special place for those living with loss to visit and will hopefully initiate conversations about the impact that loss has upon us all.”
Often the words of others help to shine a light on the real effect of such a service. Gill Rowell, who assists Cath with Elemental Occupational Therapy tells us:
“For myself, personally, it’s seeing the transformative effect nature and being outdoors can have on people’s wellbeing. Cath has a very unique gift which automatically makes you feel at ease and able to open up about how you are feeling. This statement from one of our families really resonates with our ethos:
“Both girls really enjoyed the sessions and looked forward to attending. They were always really proud of the things they made and were eager to show me, which aided opening up conversations about bereavement and loss. I think there was a tendency to hide or push down their feelings associated with loss, and although we encourage talking openly about all subjects, I think they were worried they would upset me.”
“I think another aspect is the social engagement, particularly with regard to the adult groups, being with people who are in a similar situation, especially perhaps if you have lost your life partner. This comment from a participant stood out in particular:
“My grief has not been minimised, but understood and explained, in some ways, and this has been helpful. Thank you for listening and not trying to fix the unfixable.”
Nuturing extended support through Enterprising North
Receiving the commendation of a ‘Trees of Life’ sapling reflects the positive impact that Elemental Occupational Therapy is having in the North East. In the business’s early days, Cath joined the Digital Track programme through TEDCO Business Support, offered exclusively to businesses based in North Tyneside, Newcastle and Northumberland, and funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority as part of the Digital Business Pipeline programme.
From there, Cath applied for and successfully secured an Enterprising North grant, also through TEDCO Business Support. This was, according to Cath, “essential in developing the skills, connections and opportunities needed to make Elemental Occupational Therapy the success that it is.”
Enterprising North is an exciting programme funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It brings together business support providers from across the region to provide expert advice, guidance and exciting opportunities to help turn ideas or early-stage venture into a reality. This includes support and e-learning, led by experienced business advisors.
Jeff Thompson, one of the TEDCO Business Advisors who supported Cath, expressed his delight at Elemental Occupational Therapy receiving a ‘Trees of Hope’ sapling, saying:
“Programmes like Digital Track and Enterprising North are designed to help North East entrepreneurs like Cath lay down roots and grow into something that benefits the community. I am thrilled to see how Cath has taken the opportunities these programmes provided and turned them into such an important and valuable business in Elemental Occupational Therapy.
Being awarded a ‘Trees of Hope’ sapling is a poignant illustration of her organisation’s role and the hard work she has put into achieving success. I can’t wait to see where she takes the organisation next.”
For more information on Enterprising North, click here. To find out more about the Sycamore Gap ‘Trees of Hope’ initiative, click here.
If you would like to get in touch with Elemental Occupational Therapy, you can follow them on Instagram by clicking here, or email Cath at elemental.occtherapy@gmail.com.
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