Workshop Explores Environmental Quality's Impact on Nature and Health

We know that nature is essential for our health and wellbeing. In some areas health professionals support people to access various nature-based activities through a social prescribing link worker or 'connector' (called Green Social Prescribing). These activities are provided by a range of organistations and are dependent on having access to high quality green and blue spaces. Nature-based activities such as conservation volunteering and gardening can also improve the quality of these spaces for both people and nature. 

But what do we mean by the 'quality' of green and blue spaces, and how can we make sure that nature recovery is included alongside benefits to people as Green Social Prescribing develops?

Researchers at the University of York have been working on a YESI funded project with the HEY Smile Foundation and organisations which carry out conservation volunteering or run nature-based activities for health in Humber and North Yorkshire. The main aims are to strengthen connections and share knowledge among these organisations, in order to support both nature recovery and health benefits. 

On the 20th June, 26 participants from 19 research, nature, community and health organisations took part in a workshop in the beautiful location of Waters Edge on the edge of the Humber Estuary

One of the activities involved participants arranging themselves in a line according to their organisation's relative emphasis on conservation and health aims. There were lots of questions and ideas for collaboration from organisations at different points along this spectrum.

We facilitated discussion groups based on topics that had previously been raised during individual interviews with some of the participants, and organisations shared their resource and evidence needs. YESI researchers will be working with HEY Smile Foundation to deliver some of the resource requirements identified as most useful to workshop participants.

We then took advantage of the sunny weather to continue our conversations on a walk in the park and along the estuary. During the walk a great outcome was realised over a conversation about hedges, where an organisation with a site in need of new hedging, a volunteer hedge laying teacher and youth group looking to gain practical green skills were brought together.

Participants exchanged contact details and made plans for continued collaboration. Anonymous feedback showed that all participants had made connections with organisations they had not worked with before and had enjoyed the day.

"Brilliant opportunity to get many different organisations/people in one room and to feedback to each other and academics"

"This is the best event I've attended in ages"

We are now in collaboration with researchers at the University of Salford so that a similar project can be carried out there.

Written by:

Laura Harrison, Cat Cowie and Piran White from the Department of Environment and Geography, University of York

Trish Darcy and Pete Coventry from the Department of Health Sciences, University of York

Anthony Hurd and Jo Featherstone from HEY Smile Foundation

Sarah Knight and Rachel Dexter fom the University of Salford