West of England Nature Partnership

Nicola Deschamps (ANutr), a nutritionist, author, and editor, writes our latest story about the West of England Nature Partnership’s use of food-growing initiatives to integrate nature into our healthcare system. Find out more about how Bristol food projects use green social prescribing.

The West of England Nature Partnership (WENP) is dedicated to restoring nature in the West of England, which covers Bristol City, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and Bath & North East Somerset. It has representatives from diverse sectors, including regional and local government, water, health and NGOs, such as Avon Wildlife Trust. The partnership’s priority is to restore nature on a large scale through cross-sector collaboration and secure funding for impactful regional projects.

A key part of the partnership is WENP Nature and Health Group, which aims to incorporate nature into human health and care systems, recognising that the well-being of humans and nature are interconnected. Their vision includes providing free nature-based health services in the West of England to improve people’s mental and physical well-being and connection with nature. To support this goal, a government-funded pilot programme, ‘Healthier with Nature’, was started to develop a long-term sustainable model for green social prescribing. This approach recognises the crucial role of green and natural spaces in public well-being.

WENP Nature and Health Group believes food-growing initiatives are important ways to integrate nature into the healthcare system. It wants to promote new and additional food-growing projects across the region and encourage residents from all communities to participate as service users or volunteers.

For many individuals, growing fruits and vegetables is the entry point for connecting with nature. City farms serve as focal points for food-growing projects, using green space to empower people by sharing knowledge and promoting stewardship of the environment. In Bristol, the Healthier with Nature programme has supported food-growing projects at St Werburghs City Farm, Windmill Hill City Farm, and Hartcliffe City Farm. There are also smaller organisations and community gardens growing food that are part of the programme, such as Lush Greens, Hillfields Community Garden and Willow Community Gardens.

For the past two years, the Healthier with Nature programme has supported over 80 projects focused on wellbeing, horticultural and environmental activities. These projects have had a transformative effect on participants, leading to the formation of new relationships, the development of new skills and the creation of job opportunities.

WENP aims to attract new investment and funding to develop sustainable projects that benefit communities in the long term. With increased funding, more projects can be developed, including those offering one-on-one support for the community’s most vulnerable members.

The partnership publishes the Healthier with Nature directory, which lists regional opportunities. Copies are distributed to GP practices. They also plan to launch the directory online this year. WENP is keen to hear from organisations across the West of England that want to be listed in the directory and that are keen to develop stronger links with the healthcare system. New partners will help expand the network to offer a broader range of nature-based activities throughout the West of England.

For more information, email helen.wood@wenp.org.uk.

Nicola Deschamps (ANutr) is a nutritionist, author and editor: targeteditorial.co.uk