Seven sites which will test the ways in which connecting people with nature can improve mental wellbeing have been awarded a share of a £5.77 million ‘pot’, Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow, has announced.
The new ‘test and learn’ sites, all located across England, will focus on communities hardest hit by coronavirus. The Department of Health & Social Care says these could include those living in deprived areas, people with mental health conditions, or BAME communities, adding that the coronavirus pandemic has heightened public awareness of the benefits of regular access to green spaces.
The sites announced on 19 December will each ‘explore and bring together opportunities for communities to get involved in their natural environment’ – via activities such as walking, cycling, community gardening, and food-growing projects, and practical conservation tasks like tree planting. For people who need help to get involved, activities might include supported visits to local green spaces, waterways, and the coast, and other outdoor activities to reduce isolation and loneliness.
The successful projects are:
- Humber Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership;
- South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Integrated Care System;
- Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System;
- Joined Up Care Derbyshire Sustainability and Transformation Partnership;
- Greater Manchester Health & Social Care Partnership,
- Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership, and
- Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Sustainability and Transformation Partnership.
The announcement builds on the fund announced last July by Environment Secretary, George Eustice supported by a cross-governmental partnership of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Health and Social Care, Natural England, NHS England, Public Health England, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and welcoming two new partners – Sport England and the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP). A further £1.5 million in funding was announced on 19 December, boosting the total to £5.77 m.
Rebecca Pow said: “Evidence from Natural England shows almost half the population say they are spending more time outside than before the pandemic, while the majority of adults surveyed by Forest Research agreed their level of happiness when in nature has increased. However, the outbreak also has exacerbated health inequalities and levels of mental ill health, and highlighted the inequalities of access to green spaces.”
The projects will be managed by NHS England and NHS Improvement, with support from Defra, the Department of Health and Social Care, Natural England, Public Health England, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, NASP, and Sport England.
Health Minister, Jo Churchill (pictured), said: “The response to our call for projects has been impressive, and these pilots signal the exciting next stage of green social prescribing. Nature-based activities can improve people’s physical and mental wellbeing, which is especially important for those communities and groups hit hardest by the pandemic. I look forward to seeing how these innovative schemes help tackle health inequalities, and improve outcomes for both those taking part and the environment.”