The Green Health Hub brought together 30 health professionals and activity providers from the New Forest and surrounding areas for its second Connect and Learn event where it relaunched its website and invited people to join its network.
Led by the New Forest NPA, the Hub and Network establish clear green social prescribing pathways that promote safe and confident referrals and self-referrals to nature-based opportunities in the National Park and surrounding areas.
This builds on research showing connections with green and blue spaces, like those signposted through the Hub and offered by groups listed on it, boost physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Referrers, commissioners, and providers including from the NHS, Hampshire County Council, and Flourish in Nature CIC attended Connect and Learn (1 October) where they met and workshopped future opportunities in a session led by Phil Godfrey from PH Capability. They were also guided through a mindfulness session in nearby woodland by NPA Education and Youth Officer and My Mindful Self CIC Director, Amy Moore.
Autumn’s Connect and Learn featured a talk from Mandy Preece of Natural England highlighting new research from the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP), which guides updated Green Health Hub sign-ups and processes such as by clearly outlining expectations for potential participants.
Event attendees were also shown features on the new-look Green Health Hub website that make it easier to use, such as filters to search opportunities by ‘access and facilities’, ‘interest’, and ‘location’.
Jim Mitchell, Access and Learning Manager at the New Forest NPA, said:
‘Dozens of health professionals, providers, and commissioners have signed up to the Green Health Hub, highlighting how important access to our green spaces can be as a Natural Health Service.
‘The Green Health Network is an opportunity to bring people together so we can learn from each other and work together, helping shape the Green Health Hub’s work improving health and wellbeing in the New Forest and surrounding areas.’
Phil Godfrey, Independent Public Health Advisor at PH Capability, said:
‘Connect and Learn is a chance for the Green Health Network to meet in-person so people across every stage of the green social prescribing pathway can share opportunities and experiences, while also taking a mindful moment in nature for themselves.’
The Green Health Hub’s Connect and Learn event welcomed:
- Primary Care Network (PCN) social prescribers, link workers, and GP leads;
- NHS staff interested in prevention and non-clinical interventions;
- Voluntary, community, or social enterprise (VCSE) groups delivering or supporting nature-based activities;
- Public health teams and commissioners tackling health inequalities.
The Green Health Hub is an online directory that signposts people to nature-, heritage-, and community-based activities benefitting health and wellbeing in the New Forest and surrounding areas.
It’s a Green Halo project managed by the New Forest NPA on behalf of the organisations and groups represented on the site, collectively known as the Green Health Network.
Work through the Green Health Hub forms part of the New Forest NPA’s ‘For-Rest’ campaign of health and wellbeing initiatives across the National Park, itself linking with a National Park UK’s ‘national parks are the answer’ initiative. Look out for more throughout the autumn – www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/for-rest.