Seven years ago the Green Care Coalition (GCC) was set up to promote the commissioning and use of Green Care services. The term Green Care is an umbrella term that covers;
- Social and Therapeutic Horticulture
- Care farming
- Ecotherapy
- Animal Assisted Services
- Green Exercise (as a treatment intervention)
- Wilderness therapy, nature therapy,
- Nature arts and crafts
- Ecopsychology
The desire for the GCC is to give a voice to the many organisations in the UK that are committed to delivering or supporting the delivery of high-quality and cost-effective Green Care services. SF&G is proud to have played a large role in founding the coalition and we continue to support it alongside several nature organisations including Garden Organic, The Wildlife Trusts, TCV, Thrive, and more.
The GCC is run voluntarily by these organisations who have come together to share knowledge and resources in the belief that together our voice will be stronger and our actions more powerful. Their new updated website can be found at at; www.greencarecoalition.org.uk
The ultimate vision is for Green Care to become widely recognised as an effective treatment option in health and social care. There is growing scientific evidence of the benefits nature has on our well-being. Reports such as last year’s Wildlife Trusts report; A Natural Health Service: Improving Lives and Saving Money shows that green prescribing has the potential to save the NHS millions. Articles like these from the Guardian now explain the science of exactly how nature impacts the brain. NHS Forest has a handy database of evidence and resources covering all aspects of green space and health.
SF&G are also participants in the current GreenME project which aims to advance Green Care throughout Europe. This collective data will be pivotal for increasing these services, enhancing the ones we have and inviting more people to experience the genuine healing power of nature. These are promising developments for this movement of change in our healthcare systems.