Celebrating the success of the Green Social Prescribing Programme in Humber and North Yorkshire!

We are celebrating the success of the Green Social Prescribing Programme in Humber and North Yorkshire! Funding from the national ‘Preventing and Tackling Mental Ill Health Through Green Social Prescribing’ programme has now come to an end, and we are proud to share some of the highlights and achievements of this transformative initiative.

Led by The HEY Smile Foundation on behalf of the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership the programme has had a significant impact on communities across the region between 2021 and 2025.

None of this could have been achieved without the unwavering support of our many dedicated partners. Thank you!

Programme Highlights:

Over £1 million invested into Humber and North Yorkshire since 2021 to directly support the programme:

  • £795,520.53 from HM Treasury
  • £206,453 from NHS Charities Together
  • £24,192.60 from Help For Health

68% of the funding has directly supported the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, facilitating the delivery of nature-based activities, social prescribing initiatives, training, and data collection.

1,897 people engaged with the funded work, accessing green social prescribing services and activities to support their mental well-being.

332 individuals were closely followed throughout their journey, allowing us to capture key insights into their experiences, the types of activities they engaged with, and the impact on their mental health.

Working collaboratively with the University of York, referral organisations, and activity providers across the region, we demonstrated statistically significant improvements in anxiety and depression through participation in activities such as gardening, walking, care farming, and conservation.

Recent findings show an average return of £6.70 for every £1 invested in green social prescribing within North East Lincolnshire.

In Hull and York, a collaborative initiative supporting migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking communities demonstrated that 69% of participants experienced a decrease in anxiety after engaging in outdoor activities such as gardening, walking, and sports.

While this phase of the programme has come to an end, our commitment to green social prescribing remains steadfast.

Thanks to continued funding from The National Lottery Community Fund we are excited to build on this success through our Growing Green and Blue Health initiatives. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who have contributed to this programme’s success. Together, we have made a lasting difference in supporting mental health through the power of nature, and we look forward to further advancing this vital work in the years to come.

Photo credit: York St John University