Green Social Prescribing is a new way of approaching healthcare that encourages people to spend time in the natural world. Can this approach help with mental and physical health problems we face? And what challenges exist for this new approach? Who has access to natural space and who is excluded? And can going for a walk really help cure health or life problems?
Come along to the Mission Theatre to hear from an expert panel and find out more about green social prescribing, the benefits, challenges and what it means for the future of healthcare in Bath and Northeast Somerset. The panel includes:
Zina Abdulla is a researcher from the University of Bath on Green Equity. Her research explores if we all have equal access to parks? and what exactly is accessibility to green spaces? And do we all see parks the same way? This includes looking into the non-physical barriers to accessibility, focusing on global majority communities. These barriers could be cultural, social, psychological or economic. Research has shown that global majority communities are less frequent users of green space and her research reveals why, and how this can be addressed by using design solutions and strategic planning.
Dr. Samantha Evans is a specialist in performance measurement, evaluation, and social enterprise development. As the founder of Cultivating Community CIC and an expert in green social prescribing, she has pioneered initiatives that harness nature-based activities to support well-being, reduce isolation, and enhance community resilience. She works closely with the NHS and local organisations to integrate green social prescribing into healthcare strategies, particularly in Frome and Somerset. With a background in research and policy, she brings an evidence-based perspective to discussions on the benefits, challenges, and future of nature-based health interventions.
Saoirse Fitzgerald is a PhD student at the University of Bath. Saoirse’s work is focused on non-engagement with social prescribing. She is interested in the structural and individual-level factors that hinder engagement with social prescribing. She is also interested in exploring who is most at risk of non-engagement. Recently, she synthesised existing research on non-engagement, examining how these barriers emerge at different stages of the social prescribing referral process.
The panel will be chaired by Helen Hawke from Bath City Farm
Helen Hawke is a green care practitioner and a passionate advocate for the positive impact of nature-based interventions in supporting mental health recovery. With over twenty years of experience, she has designed green care activities through a trauma-informed lens at Bath City Farm, located in an area of Bath that faces significant health and social inequalities. She is keen to examine the crucial role that green care plays in enhancing our wellbeing, as well as its significance for key policymakers in ensuring its long-term sustainability.
