A provider’s perspective on GSP and benefits for the wider community

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

The study found that difficulties faced by providers include:

• knowing what level of support is expected of them,

• overcoming barriers to people joining and persisting with their activities, and

• gaining sustained funding.

• Being able to provide all the elements of support and services required for individuals seeking GSP is another challenge, especially for smaller providers.

‍However, GSP providers also offer much more than just mental health benefits to their participants. Nature engagement has the potential to improve health and wellbeing for whole communities and the natural world itself. In addition, through working with community leaders and established community organisations, GSP providers can create opportunities to develop community leadership, create new community spaces and new community organisations around these spaces. Recognising these broader benefits of GSP make providers part of the bigger government goal of “enhancing beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural world.”

‍For further details of this research, see here[RH31]  and the full published article.