Growing with Grace (GWG) is a Community Benefit Society based and community organic farm at Clapham North Yorkshire. It’s a Soil Association registered co-operative employing 20 part time staff and runs an organic box scheme for communities in parts of Lancashire, Cumbria, North and West Yorkshire.

The farm is based in rurally sparse area of North Craven on the A65 main Kendal to Leeds Road. Established in 20003 the co-op currently involves local volunteers and wishes to explore how it could improve connections with local health, public and voluntary sector partners to provide more inclusive, supported volunteering opportunities via a “green organic social prescribing” initiative.

Our next key project which we are currently seeking funding for is to develop a pilot green social prescribing project in a sparsely rural area:

We know from our engagement with health partners, there are few all year round opportunities for local volunteers to join local food and tree growing projects which are warm, dry safe and supportive. GWG has the potential to meet this need on its organic farm on a year-round basis as we have two acres of greenhouse and meeting space.

Aim
This project will enable GWG to engage with local health partners to:
• Develop an evidence-based understanding of how ‘green social prescribing’ could work well in a rurally sparse area, with two health systems, for the benefit of local people.
• Develop a pragmatic action plan to provide more inclusive volunteering at our organic farm;