New nature health scheme aims to boost well-being

Healthcare staff will start encouraging patients to enjoy nature and the outdoors in a new scheme in the West Midlands.

More than 40 health organisations have received training and free booklets to share with people they support in the hope of boosting their well-being as part of the scheme from the RSPB and the West Midlands Combined Authority.

The Nature Prescription project encourages people to connect with the outdoors at a time to suit them, an RSPB spokesperson said.

The charity said it wanted more medical staff to take part, particularly those based in Sandwell, Walsall and Birmingham.

Alexis Johnson, RSPB Nature and Well-being Officer, said she had personally benefited from connecting to nature in challenging moments of her life and was keen to share the benefits with others.

"Nature is all around us and we're a part of it, listening to birdsong or feeling a cooling breeze on a warm day can truly lift our spirits," she added.

The launch in the West Midlands follows successful projects in other parts of the UK since 2022, the spokesperson said.

Anne Glover, from the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust, said: "We completed our training session in April and it was lovely to see how passionate and inspired everyone is.

"We have developed a fun, interactive session based on the RSPB resources to create an exciting session.

"We've already fully booked out the places for this August session so it's clear to see there's appetite."