Our investment of half a million pounds as part of the Trust’s Nature for Health priority, is funding 16 projects across England and Scotland, supporting people who have mental health problems and who experience socio-economic disadvantage, discrimination and marginalisation.
These 16 expert community organisations will enable people who need it most to have greater access to natural spaces and nature-based activities, including transforming disused land into community green space, and using green space to help overcome trauma. The projects will provide additional support to access other services, such as advice or specialist mental health services. They will also seek to use learning to work with decision-makers locally to make changes that benefit local people’s access to nature.
The evidence on the benefits of access to nature for people’s mental health is well established. However, access is not available equally and is far less available to communities experiencing social and financial disadvantage. On average, the most affluent 20 per cent of neighbourhoods in England have five times the number of parks or green spaces (excluding gardens) than the most disadvantaged 10 per cent of neighbourhoods. Almost 40% of people from minority ethnic backgrounds live in England’s most green space-deprived neighbourhoods, compared to 14% of white people.
The organisations will support a diverse group of communities, including young people, racialised communities, refugees and people seeking asylum, women who have experienced abuse, Gypsy and Traveller communities, and disabled people.
One Nature for Health funded partner, Birch Collective, based in Bristol, is an organisation supporting young people, who are not in work, education or training, to access nature. James, a staff member at Birch Collective, said:
“Many young people find that when they get to 18, there’s a drop off in mental health services available to them and we’ve heard from participants of the ‘cliff edge’ of approaching 18 and the lack of available support. What we provide is exposure to and a relationship with nature and the earth which can alleviate mental health problems.”
People’s Health Trust Chief Executive, John Hume, said:
“The organisations we have partnered with are responding to the growing mental health crisis in the country today. Access to nature is highly beneficial for mental health: a ten percent increase in exposure to nature can translate into five years of better health but access to nature is not equal and poorer neighbourhoods are missing out greatly. Our investment through Nature for Health will provide vital access to nature for some of the most marginalised people experiencing disadvantage in Great Britain.”
The work of Nature for Health projects complements our other priorities under the Health Justice Fund, which are also addressing the causes of poor health. Find out more about all of our priorities here.
Look out for more information about the 16 Nature for Health projects we are funding on social media and on our website.
