Get a natural boost on the path to good health
As part of efforts to improve the nation's wellbeing, Naturescot is promoting Green Health Week as the perfect time to reconnect with the natural world, writes Ann Wallace
WALKS in nature, mountain biking therapy and prescriptions for community activities in green spaces and woods are all part of an ambitious plan to improve Scotland’s physical, mental and social health through nature.
As Green Health Week (May 14-22) gets underway, Naturescot – the public body that champions the protection, restoration and value of Scotland’s nature and landscapes – is highlighting the work of the pioneering Green Health Partnerships (GHPS) and their efforts in linking more than 500 nature-based activities and projects to health policy and practice.
Pete Rawcliffe, Naturescot’s Head of People and Places, explains: “There is now a lot of evidence that spending time outside connecting to nature is good for our health and wellbeing, and in Scotland, around 10 years ago, organisations like Naturescot, Scottish Forestry, Public Health Scotland and the Active Scotland team in Scottish Government started to think seriously about how to make something of that.
“For the most part in Scotland, nature is free – most of us have easy access to parks and green spaces, for example, so it is a significant asset for health and wellbeing. The question is, how do we make this work for more people?”
Contact with nature is important for physical, mental and social health and wellbeing, with a significant body of evidence demonstrating that outdoor activity and contact with nature can help sleep patterns, reduce stress, and improve mood and self-esteem.
Use of green spaces has also been associated with benefits to the immune system and metabolism, reduction in cardiovascular disease and reduced rates of obesity and diabetes.
The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns exacerbated health inequalities and brought the gap between those with access to outdoor space and those without into sharp focus. Social isolation and loneliness soared, with profound impacts on people’s mental health and wellbeing, and local green spaces provided a setting for people of all ages and diverse backgrounds to meet, becoming a catalyst for social connection, helping to reduce social isolation and leading to greater personal and community resilience.
“During lockdown, people really valued the benefits of being outdoors in nature more often, and we saw this in surveys of visits to the outdoors we undertook over the last two years,” says Mr Rawcliffe. “But we also saw that not everyone had those opportunities.
“That is a gap which needs to be addressed, through targeted investment in greenspace, and activities which support the use of the outdoors by these under-represented groups in particular.
“The Green Health Partnerships are a big step change in joining the dots in practice between health and environmental policy – and the impressive number of more than 500 activities in these four areas alone, which are now better connected to delivering health outcomes, are a testament to this.”
He adds: “The GHPS all look and feel very different, but in essence they are all doing the same thing – developing the use of nature-based solutions which help promote health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities.
“During Green Health Week they will be running their own events and activities to raise awareness. Other partners such as some of Scotland’s ranger services; Paths for All, The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and the John Muir Trust are also joining in. The more we can do to give more people access to these activities, the better.”
GHPS, which are led by local health boards and local authorities, influence policy and practice, raise awareness of the benefits of green health and both co-ordinate and help expand the provision of green health activities, such as health walks, community gardens, volunteering and active travel opportunities.
Since 2018, four GHPS have been established with support from Naturescot and other key partners, in Lanarkshire, Dundee, North Ayrshire and Highland.
The longest established GHP, in Lanarkshire, has now been integrated into the Board’s regular public health programmes, and funding for a further phase of work in the other three areas is currently provided by Naturescot, Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government. NHS Lothian has also been developing a similar approach through their strategic framework for greenspace and health.
The Dundee and North Ayrshire GHPS have developed “green prescribing” where GPS and other health practitioners can refer people to community-based supportive green health projects and programmes. The Dundee scheme is administered by Dundee Volunteer and Voluntary Action which also provides support to referrals to encourage their take-up of prescribed activities.
Trail Therapy is an innovative approach to outdoor therapy to help people suffering from mental ill-health in Dundee and Lanarkshire. Using mountain biking and contact with nature, it is being delivered by Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland. In Dundee, the focus is on young people; in Lanarkshire, it is being used as part of forensic occupational health support.
In Edinburgh and the Lothians, homeless charity The Cyrenians have sought innovative ways to influence NHS greenspace and deliver health and wellbeing benefits to staff, patients and the local community.
Their Community Hospital Gardens in Edinburgh and the Lothians support around 500 patients, 60 to 80 volunteers, and engage with local schools, youth groups and community groups. The Cyrenians are part of the Thrive Edinburgh programme focusing on use of greenspace to support the mental health strategy.
In Lanarkshire, TCV have joined forces with Cumbernauld Living Landscape (CLL) to develop Wild Ways Well, a green health therapy programme which connects people with their local woodlands through group activity that encourages participants to: connect, be active, take notice, keep learning, and give. The project is modelled on the “Five Ways to Wellbeing” produced by the New Economics Foundation.
Highland GHP has created an online directory of services and made available a range of case studies which show how engaging in green health brings a range of benefits. The other pilot GHPS have produced similar online information resources and carry out awareness-raising activities to link healthcare practitioners, environment sector bodies and community groups.
Green Health Week (May 14 – 22) aims to boost awareness of the ways in which connecting people and nature can help improve health and wellbeing. See nature.scot for more details
Scotland's parks and green spaces are a significant asset for health and wellbeing