Holy Brook Nook Community Wild Space
The Pitch
Problem statement
We are asking for support for our Holy Brook Nook (HBN) Community Wild space project that supports adults experiencing menta lhealth challenges. Mental health problems in adults represent the largest single cause of disability in the UK. Adults could be affected by mental health issues at any time. It impacts all aspects of our lives, and both influences and is influenced by physical health. We will harness the wellbeing power of nature to improve the mental wellbeing of our community in Reading via a series of conservation sessions supported by our fully trained wellbeing practitioners.
Solution
Our team will facilitate monthly sessions to support our community's mental health. Local promotion will invite participation, as well as our links with local GP surgeries and social prescribers who will refer patients living with loneliness, anxiety and depression. We will work to improve the safety and biodiversity of the site while Nature Nurture’s therapeutically trained staff are on hand to provide mental health support. Activities will include gardening, conservation, and path making. Funding will be used to provide staff, materials, insurance and we will also evaluate the effectiveness of these sessions in improving the mental health of the participants.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
Nature Nurture is uniquely positioned to bring together therapeutically trained leaders, spanning nature connection, the creative arts, conservation and mindfulness practices. Nature Nurture is also unique in Reading, being the only organisation to link nature and creativity with positive outcomes for health and wellbeing. We have over 10 years of experience working with communities in Reading who are experiencing deprivation and/or poor mental health and connecting urban dwellers with their local green and blue spaces. We have recently started accepting referrals from social prescribers for mental health support through outdoor and conservation activities.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Project management and admin including Risk Assessments and partner/community emgagement | £1,050 |
| Nature Nurture’s therapeutically trained staff - two per session | £2,100 |
| Graphic design, social media promotion, print promotion | £400 |
| Volunteer costs - two per event - travel expenses, DBS checks | £120 |
| Equipment and materials | £550 |
| Monitoring and evaluation | £150 |
| Insurance, training, storage, utilities | £550 |
Beneficiaries
80 people
Expected impact
We would expect this project to deliver wellbeing benefits to its participants with them reporting reduced stress and anxiety, a greater sense of mental wellbeing and that they will have learned ways to continue to support their mental health once the programme has ended. This project will also bring the community of Coley together to care for and improve the Holy Brook Nook by managing the space to improve biodiversity and, because the site will become well used, there will also be a reduction in crime and the perception that the area is unsafe. Progress will be monitored with wellbeing questionnaires that will be completed before and after the sessions have been delivered. We will also ask for quotes and feedback so we can ensure the programme is working and make any adjustments necessary to ensure we are delivering an effective series of sessions. We would also love any funders to come and visit the Holy Brook Nook and see our work in action.
Track record
We have 10 years of experience delivering effective and impactful nature based mental and physical health interventions in communities across Reading. We run various activities for all ages ranging from Wild Teaching training in schools to pop-up events in various communities throughout Reading alongside our social prescribing work with adults. In the past year we have supported hundreds of people to get outside and enjoy the wellbeing benefits of green and waterside spaces. You can see our work at https://www.facebook.com/HolyBrookNook