NHS Charities Together has revealed the eight initiatives that are set to benefit from more than £1m of green social prescribing investment as part of the Greener Communities Fund.
The funding will go to eight NHS charities which will be awarded grants between £25,000 and £200,000 over a two-year period.
The programme is in its second year and has so far benefitted over 52,000 people. It is a collaboration between the environmental charity, Hubbub, and NHS Charities Together.
CEO at NHS Charities Together, Ellie Orton OBE, said: “One of our main objectives as a charity is to help improve the health of our nation, and in turn reduce the pressure on overstretched NHS services.
“We look forward to working with local NHS charities to bring to life their visions and see first-hand the significant impact that these amazing spaces will have on staff, patients and local communities alike.”
The programmes benefitting from the investment include:
- Dorset – sensory garden and mindfulness area for children with additional health needs
- Haringey – exploratory garden with a vegetable patch, wildflower meadow and disability friendly play equipment for children
- Stockport – outdoor space for patients with long-term health conditions, dementia or mobility issues
- Cornwall – woodland space with yurts, amphitheatre, allotments and outdoor plunge pools for wellbeing groups
- Bristol – garden to help nature-based rehabilitation for patients recovering from injuries
- Lanarkshire – therapeutic spaces at eight different sites to help patients and local residents through food growing and gardening activities
- Leeds – revitalised courtyard area within hospital grounds to help patients and staff reconnect with nature and deliver horticultural therapy
- Greenwich – mosaic of wildlife habitats to increase biodiversity and provide a safe space for therapy and wellbeing activities
“Initiatives to harness the enormous potential of Green Social Prescribing have never been more crucial,“ said director and co-founder at Hubbub, Gavin Ellis.
“Improving access to green spaces not only hugely benefits people’s mental and physical health, but also increases biodiversity and builds our sense of connectedness with the natural world.”
Research commissioned by the Greener Communities Fund from last November indicates that eight in 10 (80%) people think spending time in green spaces makes them feel more energetic and healthier. Seven in 10 (70%) report improvements in mental and physical health after spending time outdoors too.
This was after a report from The Wildlife Trust suggested that green social prescribing could save the NHS more than £600m a year under the right circumstances.
This is all while data from the Office for National Statistics shows that a million fewer people are gaining health benefits from nature since 2020.
Dr Radha Modgil, GP and broadcaster, commented: “As a doctor and someone who cares deeply about health and the natural world, it is incredible to see the two come together to mutually benefit through the Greener Communities Fund.”
She continued: “The work that NHS Charities Together, Hubbub and Starbucks are doing to improve access to green spaces is fundamental to changing the conversation around health; using nature and social prescribing to improve wellbeing.
“I’m absolutely delighted to support this initiative and am excited to see its impact.”
Image credit: iStock
