Five A Day, Twyford Growers, and Thrive, Reading are currently seeking people to fill vacancies at their organisations.

We have updated our members’ leaflet to include the latest information on all our members, including the three organisations that have joined the network this year

Organisations that offer opportunities for nature engagement make an important contribution to GSP but they often face many challenges and their full potential isn’t always recognised, according to findings from recent research published by DEFRA – Changing the lens: Provider perspectives on Green Social Prescribing.

RGWN is delighted to welcome Wild City Collective to join their network of organisations promoting nature connection across all ages in the Greater Reading Area. Set up by Kathryn Clark in 2020, Wild City Collective seeks to give children a love of nature from a young age that will stay with them through the rest of their lives.

Many people don’t know about all the organisations in the Greater Reading Area that promote nature engagement. This is what Julie, RGWN’s green engagement worker, repeatedly found when attending Reading’s outdoor festivals over the past four months.

This month we are delighted to welcome the Weller Community Centre Garden into the RGWN. The Weller Community Centre Garden runs regular gardening sessions, adding to the many other community activities provided by this vibrant community hub in Lower Caversham.

Green social prescribing requires careful matching of the individual beneficiary to a specific nature-based intervention (NBI). New guidance published in June recommends how and what information should be shared to help social prescribers identify the best NBI for an individual, and practitioners deliver NBIs safely and effectively

Volunteering is a great way to meet people, learn new skills and contribute to the community, as celebrated by Volunteer’s Week (1^st to 7^th June). RGWN and its member organisations are always looking for volunteers to help promote and run nature-based activities in the Greater Reading Area.

RGWN are delighted to welcome Rachida Idazzi to join their team as administrator

RGWN’s green engagement worker continues to reach out to families and adults in Reading, telling them about the many opportunities for nature engagement offered by RGWN’s member organisations.

World Therapeutic Horticulture Day, 18^th May, celebrates the power of gardening – and practitioners who deliver these life-changing sessions and activities

The GreenMe consortium, a Europe-wide organisation, has collected responses from over 6500 people across six European countries and the US as part of a survey of nature engagement in everyday life and its impact.

RGWN are delighted to welcome Twyford Growers as the newest member of the network

RGWN is delighted to welcome our Green Engagement Worker, Julie Jowett, to our team to help spread the word about the benefits of nature-engagement activities for wellbeing.

We were saddened to hear of the death of Richard Byard, who in his capacity as trustee of Green Health Thames Valley, was involved in the early years of RGWN. We send our condolences to his friends and family

‍Whether you’re setting up a new community garden or thinking about how to develop an existing garden, a new section in our website – Community Garden Resources – may provide useful ideas from some relevant resources, e.g. from the Royal Horticultural Society, the Eden Project, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens and Sustain.

Reading Green Wellbeing Network has been awarded a grant for 2026 to help promote nature engagement among the people of the Greater Reading Area

Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security, a strategy for restoring and enhancing the ecosystems on which people and wildlife depend, was published by Natural England in November 2025 in response to the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan. Improving health and wellbeing are presented as one of the four key outcomes for nature recovery, thus supporting the key objectives of Reading Green Wellbeing Network and its member organisations.

Therapeutic horticulture has the potential to support existing treatments for anxiety and depression, significantly reducing symptoms over a programme of therapy., according to a systematic review, published by Wood et al 2025.

GPs should include mention of green social prescribing (GSP) activities – such as those provided by RGWN member organisations – in many of their patient consultations, according to Dr William Bird, in an article published in March 2025. Dr Bird provides useful links for further information and support for how to integrate GSP into routine clinical practice‍.