The historic Cheshire house offering a creative escape from pandemic stress

And set in the beautiful gardens of the historic Toolerstone House in Sandiway, not-for-profit Toolerstone offers creative escapes for people to get away from their worries.

Based at the Grade II listed property – thought to be one of the oldest in the village – @:Toolerstone offers creative workshops in subjects including gardening, floristry, textiles, painting, photography and more – all inspired by nature and the garden, maintained by head gardener Simon and his team.

The majority of the workshops are gifted to people who work in the care industry, NHS hospitals and hospices, who dedicate their lives to looking after others.

Toolerstone was founded by Camilla Jeal and her friend, Eleanor Fountain, as a tribute to Camilla’s husband Andy, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2020 and who was a great believer in helping others.

Following his death, Camilla decided to open the gardens to help others in the way they had helped her.

She said: “Being in the garden, surrounded by nature, brings many benefits to my mental and physical wellbeing. Finding inspiration for my creativity in this environment allows me to be immersed in the seasons, encouraged to be present in the moment. The connection I have with nature and the outdoors can be extremely uplifting and is something I wanted to share with others.”

“Doing something creative really lifts us and helps us forget about life’s problems and gives us a chance to put things into perspective.

Eleanor, a personal friend of Camilla’s and now manager of @:Toolerstone, said: “Andy died two years ago in March and Camilla really wanted to do something to give back to the community.

"The workshops offer a really practical way to say ‘thank you’ to those who have been on the frontline in the pandemic, working long hours and often under incredible pressure.

“The experience we offer at Toolerstone is designed to allow people to relax and be immersed in an activity that they really enjoy, to escape their everyday pressures and feel the benefits of being looked after.

"So many people tell us that they have had such a good time they don’t want to go home and that is fantastic to hear that we have made a difference.

“We got in touch with local hospitals and care organisations to offer free places to their workers. We are delighted that most recipients see our offering as part of their staff welfare programmes and therefore give staff a paid day to come here.

"This means that staff don’t have to give up one of their days off to come and so it feels much more like a reward to them.

“Our workshops can be booked and paid for by individuals, companies and organisations, but our gifts for the carers always include two places so no one needs to come on their own, they can bring a friend or a family member to experience the day with them.”

As well as care staff, people of all ages have been enjoying courses at Toolerstone to help their mental health.

Eleanor said: “We get young people coming who are given the chance to try something new, such as our ‘feed the birds’ workshop, where they learn practical DIY skills like building a bird box and making a feeder, as well as learning about the different species and enjoying a falconry display in the grounds.”

Camilla and Eleanor are keen to spread the word about the workshops – which are run by experts in their own fields – as well as the benefits they bring.

Eleanor said: “We really do want to help people and give something back the way Andy would have wanted to but never got the chance.

“In one workshop, we had three generations of the same family working in the NHS which was really heart warming.”

Toolerstone also offers bespoke packages to organisations which can include wellbeing days with tai chi, mindful water colours and an aromatherapy session, as well as more energetic elements such as axe throwing, campfire cookery, welly wanging and duck herding.

Eleanor said: “We offer something for everyone and many people who say they are not creative really enjoy it when they start painting or drawing and there are plenty of other things for those who want something different, such as weaving willow sculptures, floristry and gardening.

“Gong therapy is also popular and people always say it is an amazing experience. Whatever problems they arrive with, they say they leave feeling so much better.

“Something we also get complimented on is the food and we have our chef, Barbara, to thank for that. Although there is so much of it and it is so good that people don’t want to do much afterwards!”