HEALTH SERVICE

It’s official: volunteering on an outdoor project (right) really does lift your mood. The Wildlife Trusts and Leeds Beckett University have found that people with anxiety, stress and mild depression felt “significantly better” after taking part in ‘ecotherapy’ projects such as Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s Myplace, in which people grew plants and helped with nature conservation in weekly sessions. More than 1,000 people have taken part in the project, many having been referred through the NHS. To find your nearest volunteering project, visit wildlifetrusts.org.