COMMUNITY projects that connect people with nature in the places that need it the most are being backed to help reduce anxiety and improve happiness.
An estimated 4.5 million adults across the UK are unable to access nature at all, but 80% believe time out in the open has boosted their general and wellbeing over the last year.
GPs referred 1.3 million people to social prescribing in a single year, with 76% open to being recommended nature by a healthcare professional.
That’s according to new research commissioned by The Community Fund, which backs projects that help adults access nature, like the Birds, Bees, Bikes & Trees in the north east.
Jordan, a young dad from Gateshead, said: “It was around the time of my first child being born, I was referred to the project as my OCD and anxiety were making everyday life difficult and holding down work all became a challenge.
“But the project gave me a reason to get outside and reconnect with people again, and it really has changed the course of my life. I’m now a trained beekeeper, employed by the , and I have plans for a project to put beekeeping on the school curriculum.”
Liz Watchorn, head of funding at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Your health shouldn’t depend on your postcode or your pay packet, but for too many people, it does.
“We’ve invested over £24 million in the last two years alone into projects that help people improve their health by bringing them closer to nature, and we want to do more.”
