There’s plenty of good evidence that time spent in nature can help well-being. The Wildlife Trusts’ group-based projects and programmes have been shown to improve participants’ physical and mental health. After joining in, people tell us:
- they feel less lonely or depressed
- they have become more active
- they’ve learnt new skills.
Just read some of the amazing testimonies that we have received!
Social prescribing is a key component of our NHS Universal Personalised Care. It is an approach that connects people to activities, groups, and services in their community to meet the practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing.
More and more doctors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists are switching on to the benefits of time in nature and are starting to recommend getting active in the local community to more people, encouraging patients to care for the natural world and to enjoy nature. This in turn is starting to free-up their professional time, as people find they need to see them less often. In other words, social prescribing also halts, or slows down preventable illnesses. Social Prescribing is good for health and well-being, good for nature and good for the hard-pressed NHS too.
Compliments, not complaints
So now it’s time to celebrate social prescribing and spread the good news - and get more social prescribing across the UK!
Have you benefited from a ‘green prescription’ yourself? Or maybe you just believe it’s a good idea. Now you can thank your local health professionals! We’ve created some fantastic postcards that can be posted for free meaning they can read first-hand about the positive impact their ‘prescription’ has had. We’re hoping these will be displayed in health centre waiting rooms and noticeboards so everyone can get the message – nature helps!
