Feelgood factor
Study launched into the benefits of being beside water
THE Canal & River Trust is appealing for people aged 16 or over to take part in its largest ever study of the well-being benefits of spending time beside water.
It has teamed up with partners, including King’s College London, to launch an academic study which will enable the trust to better understand the health benefits of waterways and will help make the case to partners and funders of the importance of looking after and investing in Britain’s former industrial canals and rivers.
Those taking part will download an app on to their smartphone. Then, three times a day over the following two weeks, they are prompted to answer ‘in the moment’ questions about how they feel and the environment around them. On each occasion it takes about one minute to complete the survey. They will be able to access an individualised report summarising their experiences. This could shed light on how being in different types of places – such as being close to birds, trees and water – affects their mood, as well as contributing to the wider study of the impact of different environments on mental health and well-being.
Jenny Shepherd, research and impact manager at the Canal & River Trust, said: “Those of us that know and use the waterways feel instinctively that spending time beside water is good for our well-being. With our academic partners, and with the help of the public, we’re able to collect our own bespoke data to record how people are affected by their environment and how this changes when they are on or beside water.”
She went on to explain that the scale and scope of this research is a first for the trust and, with the help of those taking part, will help to emphatically demonstrate to decision makers and funders the importance of canals and the vital role they play, particularly in our towns and cities where green and blue space is at a premium. Continued on page 2