Social Prescribing Day 2025
19/03/25 – Pia Larsson – Project Officer (Access and Participation)
At Nene Nursery, we are passionate about providing green social prescribing to the residents of Peterborough and are very much looking forward to marking this year’s Social Prescribing Day on Wednesday 19 March.
What is social prescribing?
Social prescribing emphasises a person-centered approach, focusing on what matters most to the individual and empowering them to take an active role in their own health and well-being. This can include activities like art classes, sports clubs, walking groups, gardening, or other community initiatives.
Grow With Us
We are currently running a programme called ‘Grow With Us’ on each Monday afternoon in March, which people can be referred to or self-refer onto. The programme follows a Social & Therapeutic Horticulture model that has a strong evidence base showing the positive benefits of spending time in a natural, green environment whilst taking part in interactive and creative activities with social interaction.
Benefits of social prescribing include:
- Evidenced physical benefits such as the gentle exercise and fine motor movement inherent in gardening that can be tailored to a range of abilities and needs.
- Cognitive benefits like practising sequencing in planting and propagation, as well as estimation and judgment of specific tools needed and the quantity of seeds and compost required.
- Emotional benefits, covering a vast range from the hopefulness and anticipation of planting bulbs and seeds for Spring and Summer flowers, to feelings of pride and improved self-esteem in growing vegetables and herbs used for community events.
- Opportunities for social connections with collaborative working and in being kind to nature together.
- Life long learning, something we also get excited about as staff at the Nursery, be that in numeracy, literacy, or the science and history of plants and gardening.
What our sessions cover
Our current ‘Grow With Us’ series combines crafts, gardening and healthy eating and has so far covered organic gardening games, seed-sowing and paper crafts.
Our lovely participants spent time creating paper daffodils that will be used to decorate the Nursery space with garlands for a public weekend event (Daal & Daffodils). In coming weeks, we will design and plant up a raised bed together; use the herbs we planted to cook some simple, healthy dishes; and create Japanese Kokedamas (hanging moss balls) using the propagation technique of splitting plants for additional plant-making.
We adapt and tailor the planned activities to ensure that everyone can take part, in a way that works best for them. We have welcomed people of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life and have been humbled by the impactful feedback we’ve received. We are looking forward to running another ‘Grow With Us’ programme in June and again in the autumn and we take on ideas and requests from current and past participants, as well as incorporating wildlife-friendly activities and working with the seasons.
Accessibility
The Nursery is an accessible space with a compost toilet and a mix of seating options and covered spaces, ensuring that everyone can join us. These Green Social Prescribing sessions are funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund through our project ‘Your Community Green Space’ and are therefore currently free to attend. All materials are provided and we also offer hot and cold drinks.
We can’t wait to see you there!
To find out more about Nene Nursery social prescribing sessions, email Pia and the team at nenenursery@neneparktrust.org.uk
